Nick Villarreal is "El I Gotta Keep Going."

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The jovial singer-songwriter-musician best known for mega-hit "La I Gotta Go" is one of the ‘Seven Wonders of Conjunto Music’ and also a trooper.

Nicolas Zimmerle Villarreal III may be laughing on the outside, but he’s hurting on the inside. However, he won’t let his personal woes and physical ailments prevent him from bringing joy to his fans.

The San Antonio native has come a long way since his grandfather taught him to play accordion at age five.

During his long successful career, Villarreal has toured all over Mexico, South America and Spain. Furthermore, he has performed in Stockholm, Sweden and Gotlandsbandet, Finland with Arnold de la Garza, Rubén Valle, Rodney Galindo and Óscar Tellez.

Fast forward fifty-four years and now legendary accordionist Nick Villarreal who has performed for President Bill Clinton and at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. says, "Who would have known?"

Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez recently announced he was cutting back on live performances due to back problems while last month Carlos "El Minero" Miranda stated a combination of colon, prostate and lung cancer were not going to stop him from performing in spite of painful chemotherapy that is zapping his energy.

In Villarreal’s case, he said, "I got diabetes on both sides, so it’s heredity. But I don’t want to lose my legs like my daddy or my grand daddy. I also have L(umbar) 4, L5 and a congested heart. However, I’m doing water aerobics at the Lanier Natatorium and exercising at the YMCA three times a week and anybody that wants to join me is free to do so."

In other words, nothing is going to keep this good man – who requires dialysis due kidney failure -- down and he’s encouraging others to exercise to improve their health.

"I now have to play sitting down, performing wears me down and I run out of breath, but I’m not going to let my fans down. To do this takes a lot of self control, mind over matter and lots of prayer," he added.

In spite of his revelation, this writer saw a happy, healthy-looking conjunto icon, speak and joke with no hint of any ailment except for an oxygen tank next to his bed.

Since he was so open and did not hold back on any topic, I asked the 59-year-old squeezebox wiz -- who admits to doing it all -- about his reputation as a lady’s man and he quickly responded, "I love women. I’m not married. I’ve been divorced since 1981 and it’s not a gimmick. It’s not a put on."

After seeing him surrounded by beautiful women for years, this writer personally didn’t believe his babe magnet, sex symbol status until it was verified by his mother, María Luisa "Becky," his daughter and a couple of his muses.

His girlfriends have been his inspiration for hits such as "Mi Movida Loca" ("My Crazy Concubine"), "La I Gotta Go," "La Not to Worry," "Las Mujeres Hoy en Dia" ("Today’s Women") and his autobiographical "El Sancho" ("The Lover on the Side"). As a songwriter known for his insightful and hilarious lyrics is able to write a song with a mere suggestion.

Villarreal quickly revealed his God given knack for writing a song when the conversation turned to marriage and he answered, "I don’t want to get married because all women change from ‘I love you’ to ‘you gotta do this and you gotta do that."

So why don’t write a song about it, this writer suggested. Without pausing to think, he immediately started singing, "Yo tengo una mujer que no me déja, you have to go cut la yarda de atras."

"I’m going to call it ‘La You Have to ….’ Thank you," the novelty singer-songwriter said. Touching on the subject of royalties, the 5-feet-10-inch tall accordionist said, "I wrote 75 percent of all the songs I have recording and I’m looking for an attorney because I’m owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Then again, perhaps I should not pursue it because Uncle Sam is going to turn around and take it. Ain’t that a … the U.S. Government is supposed to help us, not mock (defy) us.

The Thomas Jefferson High School graduate’s albums sell all over the United States, the Latin Hemisphere and Scandinavia. Yet he has since to see one penny in sales royalties and only $100 in publishing royalties. Other tunes that did well for the jovial vocalists are "El Mayor" and "Leave Him Alone" about former Mayor Henry Cisneros; and the patriotic "Mis Amigos Los Soldados" ("My Friends the Soldiers"), which is a favorite with all U.S. military servicemen and their families.

In regard to forthcoming projects, the recipient of the Alameda National Center for Latin Arts & Culture Daniel Garzes Legends Award said, "I am working on a new compact disc for Joey Records and ‘MA’ (María Alicia’s stage name) is rapping with me on two tunes. In one of them she says, ‘do you like my mini skit’ and I answer ‘yes.’

In view of the fact that Villarreal comes from a musical dynasty – his grandfather, James "Jimmy" Zimmerle, played bajo sexto with Santiago Jiménez Sr. His father, Nicholas Jr., sang. His cousin is Larry Zimmerle. Henry "Cuco" Zimmerle is his first cousin and Fred Zimmerle is his second cousin -- did either of his children follow in his footsteps?

"I didn’t want to teach my kids how to play accordion because I believe education comes first; and if you look around, 85 to 90 percent of musicians drink, do drugs and die an early death," Villarreal said during the interview at his Westside home.

"My son, Nick Rodríguez Villarreal IV, is an RN (Registered Nurse) and my beautiful daughter, Nanci, sings like Linda Rondsadt. And she sings in both languages with no accent."

"Now he’s asking me to do it, but what is holding me back is that I want very much to raise my son (Nick Villarreal Zepeda) and be there for him," Nanci said.

In his closing statement, Villarreal said, "I’d like to thank Dr. M. Reza Mizani, Dr. Raúl E. Gaona and their staffs for keeping me alive; and I mean that. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that I’m also working on a Christian compact disc because I owe that to God for all these years."

Meanwhile Villarreal is forging ahead with Boni Mauricio and Los Enmascarados, who are helping him with gigs.

Look for the deserving singer-songwriter-accordionist, who had been overlooked for induction into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame – and his conjunto, which consists of his brother Roger Villarreal on bass; his nephew Chris Villarreal, bajo sexto; and Andrew "La Vibrora" Martínez on drums – are performing tunes from his countless vinyl albums, eight-tracks, cassettes and CDs at a club near you.