Óscar “El Gallo Copeton” Martínez is a singer, musician, songwriter, painter and author whose love for music dates back to 1940 when wanted to play a musical instrument so bad that he would pretend to play drums by beating a galvanized bucket, “una tina,” as he says, with a stick.

As a songwriter, Martínez is best known for composing “El Tejano Enamorado,” a tune that has been recorded by Isidro López, Little Joe, Sunny Ozuna, Jimmy Edward, Joe Bravo, Rudy Tee González of the Reno Bops, Gilbert Rodríguez and the Blue Notes, Carlos Guzmán, Snowball, Ram Herrera, Ramón Ayala, Jay Pérez plus at least two dozen other bands and vocalists.

It is also the tune considered by many to be the “Tejano National Anthem.” And one fact does hold true, it was recorded during la onda Chicana’s music era and it is the first tune to contain the word “Tejano” in its lyrics.

That is what he is best known for and now, here’s his story: This living legend was born to Pedro and Eloisa Martínez in Loma Rosa, a tiny barrio situated next to la Mantequera and Rose Hill Cemetery, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

When he was eleven and before they had child labor laws, he saved $29 from his earning as a ‘linen boy’ at the Driscoll Hotel where his mother also worked, to buy an old cornet, which smaller in size to a trumpet produces a sweeter and more mellow sound.

“In 1948, I joined the Driscoll Junior High School Band and I wanted to play trumpet, but instead, they handed me a tuba,” Martínez recalled. “Unfortunately, I was stuck playing tuba all the way through the Roy Miller Buccaneers High School Band, where one of my band mates was Lito Martínez, Freddie’s brother.”

This however, did not stop Martínez from honing his skill on the coronet and he was seventeen when Henry Cuesta’s father, Mike; and Eddie Olivares’ father, Chalele, had a combo that would play at Ybarra’s Place plus other cantinas and car hop restaurants on Port Avenue allowed him to join them as they went from place to place in a 1947 Chevy.

In 1952, both Martínez and Isidro “El Indio” López, on alto saxophone, were paying their dues and honing their skills with The Jessie Falcón Band, which featured Juan Pérez on vocals and the band leader on upright bass. Other members were Bobbie García on piano, Vicente Serna, guitar; Rudy Alvarado, alto saxophone; and Cucu Casares on drums.

El Indio next joined the Juan Colorado and Balde Gonzales orchestras and the latter turned his orchestra over to López in October 1954. Then he brought in Martínez and Lezandro “Lito” Martínez as his trumpet players.

A year later, the then twenty-one musician married the former Eduvina Pérez in a union that produced his ‘number one fan,” Iris, Javier, Jaimé and Imelda. All was well, but in 1956, the added responsibility of being a husband and father forced Martínez to quit and join the regular work force delivering auto parts as a truck driver.

“Isidro was recording with Genaro Támez’s Torrero label and the popularity of his orchestra had skyrocketed to the point where they had too many gigs and I could only join him on Saturday and Sunday; and that’s why I quit.

Still, Martínez kept on writing songs and a year later, López recorded “Tu Sabes Que Te Quiero,” the first song he ever wrote plus El Gallo’s “Mala Cara” and Martínez’s signature tune.

In 1958, this living legend formed the Óscar Martínez Orchestra featuring Juan Pérez on vocals. Gonzalo Lizcano, piano, Joe Guajardo, guitar; José Morris, trumpet; David Reyes, tenor saxophone; and Tony Ornelas on drums; made up the seven-piece band.

Within six months Reyes and the bandleader were the only original musicians left as the band grew with José “Pepe” Cavazos as a lead vocalist. Rubén Galván, guitar; Domingo García and Johnny Peña on bass; Óscar’s brother Víctor Martínez on trumpet; Rudy “Yopo” Alvarado and Félix Trejo on alto saxophone; Jessie “El Cadillo” García, trombone and Eleazar “Chale” Mendiola on drums. Almost overnight, the five horns made them Corpus Christi’s most brass heavy orchestra.

A major landmark or turning point in Martínez’s career occurred in 1964 when Cavazos, his lead singer was unable to make a gig in Víctoria, Texas and it wasn’t a question of just finding another singer, but one that knew their repertoire. Undaunted, Martínez was always one step ahead because always carried the lyrics to all the songs they performed on index cards and decided that he would save the night by stepping up to the microphone and make his vocal debut.

“After our first recording was released, we started performing all over Texas,” the 1999 Tejano Music Award Hall of Fame inductee said.

As for his personal influences, Martínez said, “Johnny Herrera was my maestro, my idol and my friend. He had a B.A. in music from North State University and he was one of the best songwriters around.”

El Gallo Copeton was referring to his youth, when he felt it was very important to write the music score for every tune in his repertoire and he was mentored by Herrera.

It was circa 1963 when the 78-year-old music pioneer wrote what is probably considered the most recorded song in the history of Tejano music. “And I used ‘Tejano’ before anyone had every thought of tagging our genre as Tejano music,” he clarified. “The downside is that we didn’t know anything about BMI and royalties, so I did not receive royalties for twenty years.

“As for our recording career, José Morante went to hear us at a Mexican club in San Antonio and shortly thereafter, he produced our first album.”

A follow up album, “Las Chicanas,” was such a hot seller that to keep up with the demand, Martínez would fold a flat piece of thin cardboard, insert the record, staple it and sell as many as 300 home-made LPs at each gig.

“In addition, I started selling my LPs to filling stations, an idea that Chano Elizondo of Vince Cantú and the Rockin’ Dominos and later of the Sunliner Band, also picked up on.”

Always one to give credit and pay respect, Martínez says he tips his hat off to Ruco Villarreal, who at one time had 14 musicians, also to Steve Jordan because as he says, “they were only four guys with two accordions and they sounded like an orchestra.”

As is the case of musical chairs with most groups, other band members included George “El Control” Rodríguez, trumpet; Gilbert “La Estrella” Ita, tenor saxophone; “Little” Rudy “Brown” Martínez, tenor saxophone and vocals; Pepe Reyes, guitar; Joe Mejía bass; plus Raúl Ornelas, trumpet; Richard Ornelas, Danny Garza and John Almaraz Alejos on drums. Johnny Rodríguez, Louie “Luey” Sifuentes; and Jessie Rivera would also fill-in as needed.

The face of la onda Chicana underwent a drastic change in the early 1980s as musicians took our music into a different direction and it became Tejano music. Keyboards, synthesizers, pyrotechnics, elaborate sound systems and new show bands emerged. So in 1983, the bandleader with the trademark large-frame tinted glasses officially retired. However, he never put his trumpet away.

In 1996, Martínez started to write a book on Tejano music history. His book, “Tejano Music Talk,” is illustrated with photographs, how own sketches and paintings; and best of all Martínez wrote out the sheet music to many historic compositions.

His book was published in 1999 and in 2003; Martínez was inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame.

As for his drawings and paintings, Martínez says, “I began doodling when I was in elementary school and I never gave them any importance until they started selling. Now my daughter, Iris, sells 11 X 17 prints on her website and the sales are really snowballing. Now the University of Texas in Austin wants to do a book.”

Did Martínez state he had retired? In 2008, he released a 16-song compact disc and a few months ago he released a two-song CD featuring “Kiss Me Again Tonight” and “The Corpus Christi Rose,” so don’t be surprised if the latter is adopted as the official theme song by the Sparkling City by the Sea’s chamber of commerce. And don’t forget that he also wrote “Mi Corpus Christi.”

You can take him out of his element, but you can’t take the music out of Martínez, the result is that he continues to perform in restaurants and for special occasions. What is new in the way of his live performances is that as a gimmick, Martínez now plays a pocket trumpet and man does it sound fantastic. Now 78, this living legend has not lost his touch.

For bookings, e-mail him at iris-simmons@hotmail.com and to buy his artwork, which is owned and marketed by Iris, his book or CDs, go to www.soiris.com and click on “Music & Art by Oscar Martínez.” And if one is ever in Corpus Christi on a Sunday, one can listen to El Gallo Copeton from 1 to 2 p.m. on Majic 104.9.

Luis Manuel experienced the sadness of losing his father less than seven months ago, add to that, losing his best friend, mentor and role model all rolled into one.

“Image being eleven years old and spending Thanksgiving and Christmas without your dad,” internet radio station owner Margo Morones said. “This is what little Luis Manuel Longoria is going through right now. However, he vowed to continue his mariachi singing in honor of his dad and we (Morones and Jorge Flores) are going to underwrite his first compact disc.”

“I was four when my father, Luis Longoria Sr., taught me everything I know,” Luis said. “My father, who had a wonderful voice when he sang ballads and mariachi ranchera songs and my mother, Erma, played guitar at home so they were my first musical influence.”

Besides being blessed with a good voice, the first thing his parents noted is that he also had natural vibrato and by the time he was eight, Luis was warbling his own rendition of “El Rey” at Market Square.

“I also learned to play trumpet at the Wesley Community Center and sang at a Mariachi Vargas workshop. And it was there that I learned how to stay in tune and the use of the diaphragm. I also took voice lessons from my teacher, Mario Prado, and I’m still learning,” Luis said with a touch of modesty.

The Highland Hills Elementary School student was nine when Morones first heard him sing “Que Te Vaya Bonito” and “Hermoso Cariño” among other tunes, but it was enough to open the doors for the young lad to become a fixture at the Farmer’s Market indoor stage. This exposure landed Luis his first paid gig. It was a wedding following by numerous birthday parties where he sings an average of nine songs with pistas (tracks).

So what is it that impresses everyone? “Maybe it’s because I sing from my heart,” Luis guessed. “Or that I sing each song a little different. I don’t know?”

His parents were supportive and life was beautiful, but it seemed to crumble when his 57-year-old father passed on, on May 20 of this year.

“I was unable to sing because it was too hard,” Luis said as his voice choked with emotion.

Luis was now “El Gallito” (“The Little Rooster”), as his father had nicknamed him and he had to be strong.

“My mom told me to keep going,” the 4-feet-8-inch tall mariachito continued. “He used to sing, so I wanted to continue singing to carry on his genes (legacy). He was also a songwriter and before he died he wrote a song for my mom and he passed it on for me to sing. So ‘Los Recuerdos’ (‘The Memories’) is going to be one of the songs on my CD.”

A second tune is a work-in-progress and Luis’ first attempt as a songwriter. “I don’t have a title for it yet, but it’s a slow song about my father and how we did stuff together,” Luis revealed of what sounds will be a real tearjerker. “I actually started kind of working on this song before my dad died and what’s taking me long is still getting the feel of talking Spanish.”

With the loss of his father, his mother has her hands full with Luis’ two siblings, his seventeen-year-old brother Joseph and sister Amri; and incidentally, they both play guitar.

Scholastically, Luis is making straight “A’s” in math, but that doesn’t pay the bills. He owns two mariachi outfits, but has outgrown his first suit. Therefore Luis is very grateful to the “Brothers in Christ” motorcycle club, who are providing him with a new outfit. His official photographer is his Uncle Roger López and his mother, who is currently taking psychology courses at San Antonio College, is his personal manager and booking agent.

That’s why Jorge Flores is donating the studio photography, art and graphics and Morones is also funding his vocal coaching under the tutelage of Pancho Rodríguez. However, these are not acts of pity, but due to their intense respect and admiration of Luis’ God given vocal talent, his determination plus his poise, confidence and tenacity.

In closing, please don’t confuse Luis with Portuguese singer Luis Manuel or internationally known Christian-gospel singer Luis Manuel from Santo Domingo. Our Luis is the one that recently received a note personally signed by each member of Mariachi Vargas and can be seen running through the neighborhood with “Eight Ball” and “Skip,” his pet boxer and Doberman dogs.

“Sometimes they get in the way and knock me down,” Luis said with a laugh.

As for his long-term goal, Luis said, “My goal in life to be a great singer like Vicente Fernández and make my father proud. I thank God for my dad because he was the greatest man there could ever be in the world. I also appreciate the people that have pictures of me in their homes. Thank you for being there for me and supporting me and God bless Margo Morones for all he has done for me.”

To see Luis in action, go to www.youtube.com/luismanuellongoria and for booking call (210) 531-8964.

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Ralph Galván Jr. is among the few remaining band leaders of the many orchestras that thrived in Corpus Christi during the 1940s, ‘50s, through the 60s and into the ‘70s.

With the exception of Óscar Martínez from the Sparkling City by the Sea, Óscar Ramos, Juan Colorado, Balde Gonzalez, Johnny Herrera, Isidro López, Beto Vásquez; and Ralph’s brothers Sammy and Eddie Galván all passed on.

The Galván family’s musical dynasty began in the early 1930s when Rafael Galván Sr. hired music teacher Bernabe Alvarado, to pick up his children at George Evans Elementary School, walk them home and give them three hours of music lessons which started with the music diction method of solfeo in which one sings the music notes.

“There were so many of us little ones that my father worried we kids would get into trouble and that music would keep us at bay and safe at home,” Ralph Galván said during an interview arranged by his daughter Edythe “Vicki” Virginia Hoeltzel and conducted at the Trisun Care Center in San Antonio.

As this writer walked up to greet the living-legend, the first thing one noted is that he looked so sprite and handsome. And as he reminisced, his mind was sharp as a tack as he recalled exact times, dates and names, even spelling them out.

The insight he provided on his father, Ralph Sr., is that he was a bail bondsman, owned a lot of properties, was the impresario of the Galván Ballroom, owned a late-model car, that they lived in a two-story house and that he was a stern, strict, but protective, caring father. He was not a musician. However, his mother Virginia did play piano.

“The result of our classical music lessons is that I played violin and the rest of my siblings played violin, viola, cellos, banjo, piano or guitar. So it was only natural that we called ourselves Los Hermanos Galván – Ralph, Sammy, Eddie, Bobby, Patti, Mamie and Virginia — began to perform at all the civic clubs. Their two oldest sisters, Beatrice and Rosa, who had beautiful voices, were the featured singers.

“When I entered Corpus Christi High School (CCHS), now Roy Miller High, I played violin with the orchestra, which was mostly strings, but I was mesmerized with the brass in the band, so I borrowed a friend’s trumpet and learned the scales. When I felt I was ready, I asked to be allowed to join the band,” the 88-year-young legend said.

With all odds stacked against him, he had to challenge and beat a trumpet player for a spot in the band. Galván succeeded and became the ‘first Hispanic in the CCHS Band.’

“I perceived they just didn’t want any Hispanics in the band and that motivated me to practice more, but I had an edge in that I knew how to solfiar (sing the notes). Eventually I worked my way up to ‘first chair’ and paved the way for my brothers.”

By the time, he reached ‘first chair,’ Galván, by playing along with jazz tunes on the radio, was already playing jazz. He was so good that his instructor featured him to do a solo during a school football game half-time and Galván wowed the crowd with his rendition of Harry James’ “Ciribiribin.”

After he graduated from CCHS in 1941, he continued to perform with his sibling until he was drafted in early 1942. As fate would have it, the band leader at the Army induction center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas happened to be one of the early creators of the boogie woogie. Galván wound up earning a spot in the U.S. Army Band.

“My father had to put my trumpet on bus in order for me to try out and I think this is the time, he finally accepted my choice of instrument.

“I was also stationed with Jack Teagarden’s son. Then I got shipped to Germany and Austria as a member of the 42nd Infantry Division Rainbow Unit under Maj. General “Hollywood” Harry J. Collins.”

Galván became a War II hero when the unit captured Donauwörth on the Danube on April 25, 1945. Four days later, the division, along with the 45th Infantry Division liberated circa 30,000 prisoners at Dachau, a Nazi concentration camp. And yes, before it was all over, Galván did get to dance a waltz in Vienna.

Even overseas, Galván continued to play with the U.S. Army Band, but his repertoire now consisted of military marches, Christmas carols plus good ole American music for war orphans to enjoy. Then, as his military stint came to an end, his father made it known that he wanted Ralph back home; and age did not make any difference to him because his word was the law.

“I was discharged during March of 1946, came back and started playing as a sideman with Hank Henry, Óscar Ramos and Jake Stephens.”

Eventually a pay cut by Stephens made Ralph and Eddie rebel and quit. Then, as reluctant as they were, they told their father, who surprisingly supported their decision. He knew the day would come when they had to form their own orchestra. To help them and to keep his son’s together, he bought them everything they needed from sheet music to music stands and other related items.

The fifteen piece Ralph Galván y Su Orquesta, the largest in the bay area made their debut at the Corpus Christi Civic Center on January 27, 1947. However, this didn’t stop Ralph from furthering his education as he continued to study music.

“I always told myself that I wanted to marry a blonde with brown eyes and there she was, sitting two rows in front of me in Del Mar College. She had been playing with the Houston Symphony since she was 14 and had moved to play with the Corpus Christi Symphony,” Galván said as his bluish eyes seemed to dance with joy at the recollection.

On July 11, 1948, he and Edythe Jeanne Stowers exchanged marriage vows at Sacred Heart Catholic where his entire band members served as groomsmen. This union produced two children, Ralph III and Edythe Virginia.

Before their first anniversary, Ralph and his orchestra recorded their first 78 rpm vinyl record, “Los Tres Pelonas” featuring “Amor Y Mysterio” on the flipside. Later, when they Americanized their name, they recorded “With A Song In My Heart” with “Avalon” on the B side on the Melhart label.

A year later, their Ralph Sr., who now owned rental properties, a store, restaurant, a drug store and a movie theater, decided to build a permanent venue for his musical offspring. By now, the popular orchestra had performed in Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, Houston and Dallas; therefore the ballroom would keep them home and close their families.

The Galván Ballroom was built from the ground up and it was “a dream come true” when it opened on March 2, 1950. The official grand opening, featuring the nationally known Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, was held twenty-six days later and hundreds of people had to be turned away.

Aside from the fact that it was the classiest venue in Corpus Christi, it was owned and operated by Mexican Americans and there was no segregation since Americans of Mexican descent and Anglo Saxon couples danced side by side. In addition, the Galván brother shared their love of African American-influenced culture and Big Apple-nightlife to their hometown at a difficult and tumultuous time when racism and discrimination was widespread throughout this nation. However, racial attitudes did not change overnight and it took time for Anglos to accept jazz, boogie woogie and hard as it may seem to believe, even rock and roll.

Ralph Sr. led by example and he wasn’t afraid to go against the tide when he hired Edward “Duke” Ellington. But regardless of culture, the premiere dancehall brought everyone together and this was proven with the Duke’s sold out performance to a mixed audience on February 13, 1952. The only sag is that segregation rules still applied and Blacks were not able to attend the Duke’s performance.

That’s veering off the subject of this article, who we now know why only Corpus Christians were privy to his immense talent for although his orchestra featured two vocalists, Buddy Blair and Wanda Gregory, Ralph, besides wowing audiences with his trumpet solos of “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” and other hits, he would also step up to the microphone to sing “Hey Bubbarina,” “Charlie Brown” and other novelty tunes.

Those were the golden days when women would wear hats, gloves and evening wear to his weekly Sunday dances.

Three little known facts are that Ralph once took music lessons from Henry Cuesta’s father. Cuesta, as some may recall, played clarinet on the “Lawrence Welk Show.” The other fact is that Freddie Martínez, who would sit in as a substitute with the orchestra from 1956 to 1957, was his nephew since Freddie’s mother, Rosa (who married Lee Sr.), is Ralph’s sister. A year later, in 1958, Freddie formed his own orchestra.

May 9, 1968 marked the turning point in Ralph’s musical career when his son, Ralph III, drowned while trying to save a 14-year-old girl. He was later awarded the Carnegie Medal of Honor for heroism, but Ralph was so broken-hearted, he could not continue and placed his trumpet in his son’s casket. Eddie temporarily took over Ralph’s orchestra hoping his brother would change his mind, but he never did and it became the Eddie Galván Orchestra.

A recent discovery is that the paternal grandmother of Mark Ballas — a professional dancer of Mexican, Spanish and Greek descent who is seen each week on “Dancing With the Stars” – used to be a featured dancer with the Ralph Galván Orchestra. Her name was María Luisa Marulanda. In 952, she married George C. Ballas Sr. in Laredo and then moved to Houston.

Many musicians in the orchestra went on to become high school band directors or excelled in public service and other professional areas.

As for the Galván brothers, Sam and Eddie passed on and his baby brother plus former clarinet and saxophone player, Bobby, now 82, manages Galván Music, the store he and Eddie founded on the first floor of the ballroom at the corner of Agnes and 14th streets.

Last year, Hoeltzel brought her mother to San Antonio to undergo intensive physical therapy and Ralph would spend every other week in the Alamo City until he moved here in June. Shortly thereafter, Ralph lost the love of his life.

Today his heart is working at 20 percent of its capacity and he is receiving special medical attention. However, he has not lost his zest for life. His eyes twinkle and his smile lights up any room, thus the windows to his soul indicate he is happy and at peace with the world.

In closing, as has been the on-going case for many of our musical pioneer trail blazers, Ralph had yet to be recognized or inducted into any hall of fame. Yet thirty-something and forty-plus year old Tejano performers are called legends and continue to reap many awards and although they are forty and fifty years younger than genuine music pioneers, they are being inducted into institutions such as the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame.

When it comes to having music roots, one needs to look at true living legends, such as Ralph, Jesse Alemán, 91-year-old Lorenzo Caballero plus several others while they can still smell the roses, enough said.