Music review
In the Works
On a cool San Antonio night, on a whim I showed up at “The Cove” That Thursday evening I stumble on a relatively new band. “In the Works”
The five members put on a nice show. Singing with a big smile Austin Yount held the audience attention all night long. It was evident that Passion was in abundance with these guys and talent was flowing from them.
There style of music? Alternative rock, soft rock , original songs and some smooth jazz. Jazz music was something I was not expecting to hear. Songs like “Mississippi River” followed by an Eagle’s tune “Desperado” even a song from “Cold Play” made the night enjoyable
Mixing different styles of songs played to the audience well. It seems the band focused on what the audience wanted to hear.
Out of the city of Austin TX , the group are composed of mostly music majors attending The University Texas-Austin.
In faded blue jeans, lead singer and front man “Austin ” took time out and spoke to me between sets. Austin told me the average age of the group is 19 -20. They have been playing together about year and the last member joining with in the last six months.
He played the acoustic guitar and did a solo on the keyboard. Some of the picture taken that evening shows some glassy eye girls just looking on and listening to him croon.
Sort of like an updated Frank Sinatra. (That’s a little bit of a stretch.. But ya get the feeling.)
THE BAND:
Austin Yount: Acoustic Guitar, keyboard, vocals
Haden Thomas: Lead Guitar
Auggie Gmitter: Bass Guitar
Josh Delgado: Drums
Cameron Pesserra: Keyboards
Contact information: find them at “In the works” at facebook.com / and Reverbnation .com
Booking information: 210-722-1345
Well after the gig was over and Some has time passed by, Austin gave me a call and asks. “What can I do to make it in the music business” I did not want to give answer off the cuff. I gave it some thought and came to this conclusion…..
Cutting your teeth on small venues is a great way to develop a style.
Keep an open mind on what is music.
Most importantly is….Don’t lose The Passion for the Music.
It’s interesting to see a group starting off. No jaded thoughts, eager to play.
“In The Works” I need to come back later and follow up on them.
I’ll keep you posted! Joseph…….
joseph@rivercityattractions.com
Whatever Happened to Óscar Martínez?
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.
Rosalinda Risso’s Songs Are Understood Across the Universe
Valentine’s Day is knocking on our door and it is the perfect time to take a mini course in Love 101 and to give your sweetheart a night to remember, one that will be music in her ears. Therefore, consider the following.
Rosalinda Risso has the ability to sing and be understood in any language known to man, or woman, on planet Earth.
That’s because “music is the universal language of love” and therefore bridges any cultural divide. There’s also scientific evidence to back this up, but enough on research and studies.
For us Hispanics, no matter in what Latin language you say it, amor, amore or amour equals love and that is the theme for “El Amor Es Una Canción” (“Love Is A Song”), a much anticipated Horwath Productions and Transnational Talent Corp. Valentine’s Day presentation.
“This show features the performance of unforgettable love songs in the voices of actress-singer-songwriter Rosalina Risso, Luis Loyo, Liliana Daryol and Carolina Cruz plus the special guest appearance of Marcos Valdés,” Elias Álvarez said during an interview at the Hispanic Entertainment Archives.
Valdés, also Cristian Castro’s half-brother, is a television actor and singer considered to be the best showman in Latin America, is the recent winner of “La Diosa de Plata.” Álvarez is Risso’s agent and personal manager.
Risso, whose father, Salvador Ángel Risso, owned several palenques in Mexico, grew up seeing the top stars of the day at home and onstage. However, it was Allan “Eddie” Horwath who was able to lure Valdés, the star of the popular “Ladron de Corazones” telenovela, for this special Valentine’s Day presentation.
“De alli me salio la locura de ser artista. It was from growing up among Vicente Fernández, Daniela Rómo, Lupita D’Alessio, Lucha Villa, María de Lourdes, Ángelica María and many more of Mexico’s greatest singers, that my father gave their first breaks to that this craziness to be a singer was born,” Risso said with a laugh.
The perfectionist, who first performed at a palenque at sixteen, than took voice lessons from Francisco de Migueles, in Mexico City, and Christopher Robbins in the United States.
As for her stage name, the voluptuous vocalist took her paternal grandmother’s last name since Ángel is her father’s last name, not her middle name as many may think.
Her first recording for CBS Records, “El Principle,” got heavy rotation, became a hit and she had a promising career ahead of her until the 5-foot-1-inch tall curvaceous performer fell in love and got married, but enough about her personal past.
As an actress, she has starred opposite David Carradine, Andrés García, Sasha Montenegro, Rosenda Bernal, David Reynoso and his two sons, Sergio and Jorge Reynoso in a dozen movies. In-between, Risso worked at being a better thespian by taking acting lessons in Hollywood plus producing two films.
To hone her vocal skills even further, after she and her son, Aldo Agrasánchez, moved here from Mexico City, she studied voice under Cristina Ortega and joined the Hispanic Heritage Society. Thus the petite beauty is among the many Mexican singers and actors that now make San Antonio their home.
As the concert is being touted, “romantic music in the form of bolero is expressed through the sounds of a piano, a guitar and the percussion.”
If you take your sweetheart to a restaurant that features a trio, a mariachi, troubadours or other, you will be paying them $5 per song to serenade your lady. That’s $25 for five tunes when for the same price, you will enjoy two hours of beautifully sung love songs in a concert setting without the sounds of utensils, other people talking or waiters accidently hitting your elbow.
In addition, there will be various door prizes and you might win an additional gift for your loved one. Yes, love is in the air and you can put your sweetheart in the right mood at 8 p.m., Tuesday, February 14. That’s at the Josephine Theater at 339 Josephine Street. For reservations call Allan at (210) 413-1698 or Elias at (512) 644-5368.
For more information, to see the event poster, or see more pictures of Risso, go to www.horwathproductions.com, www.josephinetheatre.org or www.rosalindarisso.com
Luis Manuel is Determined to Succeed
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.
Whatever happened to Ralph Galván?
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.
El Jarro De Arturo
Story And Photos by Joseph Martinez
Off the corner of 281N and Bitters Rd. In what you call a normal type of shopping center there is a gem of a secret. A House band call “Second Nature” playing at a wonderful Mexican restaurant ; El Jarro De Arturo. With many-many years experience .Each of the musicians and singers are pros. definitely, Not a band that just formed yesterday out of a garage.
I can spend a very long time on each person in the group but for now …just sweet and to the point. The type of music they play? It’s a wide range from Old school jazz, funk and Classic 70 stuff. It brought some of us back to the good old high school days.
Later that evening a special guest singer “Olivia” sang for us her rendition of a famous Edda James Song. “At Last” It’s a very- nice way to close out the night.
The band members are as follows.
Lead Vocals: Loretta Blue
With many years of singing experience behind her ranging from Japan to Alaska just to name a few. The sole full voice belted out wonderful tune like “Brick House, Best of my love and my favorite… Lady Marmalade”. I had an opportunity to speak with her between sets. Loretta told me is had a special place for Gospel.
Bass Guitar: Mark Tilford
On the left side of the band, holding the rhythm. You find a No non-sense bass player. He never skips a beat. Just rock-solid!
Keyboards: Dave Eskridge
The Leader of the band, Dave is an accomplished songwriter and musician. Dave has written many arrangements for famous groups like “Tower of Power” and many others.
To find out more about Dave’s click on the link below…
www.eskridgemusic.com/Eskridge band information, http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Original-Second-Nature/502062960031?sk=info
Booking# 210-378-8789
Drums: Daniel Lee
Seeing him Play the drums. It seems like a natural extension of his hands. Daniel has been with the band for approx 3 years Daniel dose his own thing as well. Asking what kind of music he likes he said “All Music” to narrow it down. He did tell me R&B, Gospel, Christian music.
Congas/Percussion/Vocal: Orland Gonzales (aka T-Bow)
“T” was playing the Congas this evening. Beating the skins of his congas all I saw was Joy in his heart.
A Teacher, Drum Maker, Artist, Musician, Producer……………. He Is a Man of many hats. T-Bow is a soft spoken interesting person indeed. A more in depth story about “T” will be coming soon.
Artie V Rises to New Heights
Artie V is unique in that he is incorporating his rap, funk and hip hop music background plus a touch of norteño into standard Tejano tunes.
His grandfather is Nick Villarreal Sr., his father, Arturo Villarreal, is Nick Villarreal Junior’s brother. Therefore, Artie’s uncle is Nick “Nicky Snic” Villarreal III and his roots are in conjunto music.
On his mother’s (Mary Ramírez) side, one of his cousins is Luis Martínez, a Stockton, California based singer/musician that is more into boleros and romantic trios.
“It stands to reason that my grandfather, Nick Villarreal Jr., my tio Nick (III) and Luis were my first musical influence because my dad would take me to see them perform at their ranch in Lytle, Texas since I could walk,” Artie said during an interview at the Hispanic Entertainment Archives.
“I remember I was seven when I went to see my uncle at Randy’s Ballroom and it was packed, people were laughing and having such a good time, they seemed to have forgotten about all their problems by listening and dancing to the music.
“After the show I asked, ‘How much do you have to pay them to let you sing?’ My uncle laughed and said, ‘No mi’jo, they pay me.’ And that’s when I said, ‘That’s what I want to do.’
“At twelve, my dad gave me my first guitar and my cousin Luis showed me my first chord when he came down from California. After that, I took off on my own,” the 43-year-old vocalist/musician continued.
When he turned fifteen, Artie started doing solo acoustic sets at small house parties and sitting in with bands such as Bandango, which marked his first time on stage. Then he tied up with Tom Reyes and other musicians to form an unnamed combo. A year later, the now bass guitar player and saxophonist Richard Hughes formed The Executones and did their first professional gig.
“I’ll never forget that night when we had keyboards, guitar, bass and vocals all coming out of one speaker and we blew that speaker.”
After they added Charlie Ybarra on keyboards; Raúl De La Garza, guitar; Jerome Jasso on drums and vocals, plus Ronnie Saldaña on sound, they evolved into Shasá and they rose to a new level in popularity.
In 1986, the Thomas Jefferson High School graduate and Shasá parted ways. Artie got into The Cure and Depeche Mode and shifted musical gears.
“I formed a new wave industrial music band with Mark Martínez, keyboards; Roland Carnavali, keyboards and bass, Eddie Rivas, drums and myself on keyboards and vocals. We called ourselves Arpeggio and yes, we had three keyboards.”
Before they knew it, Arpeggio was performing at all the Chelsea Street Pubs and most of the Riverwalk clubs. Saldaña had since become Rio Band’s soundman when he brought Artie’s vocal talents to Emilio Navaira’s attention and Navaira went to check him out.
“Emilio said he could get me signed up to Capitol-EMI, but this was no overnight feat, I didn’t want to leave the guys and they understood I was shifting to Tejano music because I always wanted to record, but I was unable to because the hip hop market is completely different.
“All of a sudden, I had to put a Tejano group together quick and that’s how Grupo Latino – Artie, lead vocals; Joe Martínez, accordion; Steve Pérez, keyboards; Rock, guitar; Julian Escobedo, bass; and Roland Luna, drums.
“Next Emilio hired me as his bodyguard. This is the reason I named my compact disc, ‘The Body Guard.’ Raulito Navaira came in as our manager and Emilio’s booking agents, Johnny and Joe Casias also became our agents in 1993.
“Wherever Emilio played, we played,” Artie continued. “How lucky is that? We went from playing little bars and clubs to doing big halls, prestigious clubs and stadiums, from performing for as few as 20 people to an ocean of 70,000 people at Galveston Beach on the same bill with Emilio, Selena and Carlos Miranda Jr. and Grupo Metal.
“I remember looking out at the sea of people and saying, ‘Where did all these Mexicans come from?’ and the audience cracked up with laughter.”
Grupo Latino’s first hit, “Perdoname” penned by Raulito, got heavy rotation in radio stations all over Texas and according to Artie, made No. 1 on KXTN’s charts. “Ay Dios Mio,” written by Artie’s mother also did well.
Meanwhile Artie juggled music and shift work as a mental health worker with behavioral problem kids at the Southwest Mental Hospital for Adolescents.
After five years as Emilio’s opening act, Artie and Grupo Latino went on their own way. By now they were so well known, they were able to share the same stage with Mazz, La Mafia, Selena, La Sombra, Roberto Pulido, La Fiebre, David Lee Garza, Tropa F plus Dee and Culturas, who Artie had worked with when Dee headed La Franz.
“After a while, circa 1996, I got tired of being the road and being away from my family and kids. So I gave up the road and quit singing all together, completely, and I became a corrections officer.
The year 2001 found Artie moonlighting as a club DJ at Cattleman’s and Cool Arrows where he also did karaoke. Impressed by his voice, club goers would go up to him and say, “Why are you doing this when you have a good voice,” but that was it.
In 2003, the Alamo City native became an iron worker and moved to Corpus Christi and it was here, working 150 feet up in the air at oil refineries that he arose to new heights.
Ten years after giving up the road, Pete Ybarra, Emilio’s former accordionist and Artie’s fishing buddy, suggested they form a band and this time Artie was ready. Hughes, saxophone; Kike Esquivel, guitar; Fito Riojas, bass; and Luna, drums; filled the gap and made up what they named Grupo Suave.
After the release of “The Iron Horse” CD on John Villanueva’s New Village Records, Ybarra quit to start Grupo Fuego.
This year, after over a quarter century of performing, Artie V was ironically nominated “New Upcoming Artist of the Year” by the Texas Talent Musicians Association (TTMA).
Ben Ramos, accordion; Zophar, guitar; Xavier, bass; and Martín Martínez, drums; now make up Grupo Suave and they are presently in the studio recording a new compact disc with a new twist in musical genres.
“Our style is like Tejano and lite norteño, which is a hint or touch of norteño. It’s more like progressive conjunto because I added a little bit of hip hop and funk into our arrangements. I also threw in some Colombian vallenato and we ever rap in our Colombianas,” Artie explained of his musical evolution. “So ‘Cowboy Up’ should be wrapped up pretty soon.”
Artie V y Grupo Suave will be performing at Club Movida on Friday, November 4 and November 26. For bookings call Artie at (210) 296-5003. For more information, also check out www.artievsuave.com or www.myspace.com/gruposuave.
Rudy Padilla Stays Loyal to his Conjunto Roots
Rudy Padilla joined Conjunto Padilla 56 years ago, he never quit and now it’s his.
The fact that his father, Eluterio Padilla, plus two of his uncles played guitar and were known as Trio Padilla, is the reason Rudy chose to learn the same instrument.
“They were my introduction and first influence,” Padilla said during an interview at Padilla’s Ice House, his own outlet and venue for conjunto music.
“My father bought me my first guitar because it was something I liked and wanted. Then he taught me all the chords and most important, how to tune the strings and the importance of playing in tune.”
Padilla was 16 and had already mastered the bajo sexto when he joined his father, his brother Raymond Padilla, guitar; and Henry Moreno on bass. There was no drummer.
“Later, when the use of a drummer caught on, everyone wanted to play drums and we went on to have an endless list of drummers. My father also formed the original Conjunto Padilla to keep us brothers united. He also bought us microphones, amplifiers and speakers – our first sound system,” the 72-year-old singer, songwriter, musician recalled.
Back then, in 1955, the venues that catered to conjunto music were the Westside and Southside cantinas, bars, terrazas, ice houses, Casino Park, Comanche Park and private parties.
In less than a year, they were performing live at KUKA and KEXX, where they, along with other teenagers, Flaco Jiménez and Toby Torres, participated in a polka music contest.
“Conjunto had strength due to its popularity, because groups charged less, because the music was más alegre, more joyful and the cozy, simple intimate setting of its venues.”
By 1963, Raymond was now playing accordion and Joe Padilla had learned to play bajo sexto when they recorded their first single, “Yo Tenia Dos Corazones” with “Mala Movida” on the flipside and featuring Rudy on lead vocals.
As was and remains the case with many local musicians, most of them cannot making a living off their number one love and Rudy became a full-time Special Deputy with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, a job he excelled at from 1964 to 1980. Then he formed Control Security Patrol, his own security agency. Stressed out with numerous problems and headaches, Rudy left that line of work.
“In 1990, I opened this ice house to relax,” Padilla said with a smile. And why not, it opens at 3 p.m. so that enables him to sleep late. It closes at 10:30 p.m. and that’s ideal for his customers so they can go home relaxed, get a good night’s sleep, and be ready for work the next morning. In addition, it affords Padilla an outlet for his conjunto as the Saturday night house band.
Eliminating all his woes and troubles also resulted in the release of Padilla’s creativity as a songwriter and to date, he has recorded four of his own compositions, two in each compact disc – “Pancho Boy,” “El Piscador de San Anton,” “El Westside de San Antonio, Texas en Los 1940s” and “Las Muchachas de Hoy.”
“I was inspired to start writing songs because I love the music of my youth and the stories of San Antonio,” Padilla revealed. “It’s important to document our history through music. That’s why I wrote a tune about what it was like in the 1940s.”
Asked to describe his style, Padilla said, “Conjunto Padilla’s music is laid back al estilo San Antonio, más suavecito and my recording are mixed for a cleaner voice so listeners can understand the words to my easy-going songs.”
Incidentally, Padilla also plays bass, accordion and drums and each Saturday, conjunto musicians gather to jam at Padilla’s Ice House from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Then Conjunto Padilla takes the stage until 11 p.m.
The ice house is located at 8510 New Laredo Highway, so come check them out. For bookings, call Rudy at (210) 927-6444.
Sunny Ozuna Withstands the Test of Time
Historically, Little Joe joined David Coronado and his Latinaires in late 1954; and in September 1956, Sunny and three classmates formed The Sequins, a street corner doo wop group. Four months later, they changed their name to The Galaxies and it was not until May 1957 that Sunny and Rudy Guerra formed Sunny and the Sun-Glows.
Little Joe recorded his first 45 rpm single as a guitarist in 1958, the same year that Sunny wrote and recorded “Just A Moment.” Since then, the two Grammy Award winners have been the two constants in Tejano music.
Today, after 38 albums, over a dozen compact discs and countless compilation long-play vinyl albums and compact discs, Sunny has a new production that’s proof Mr. Little Brown Eyed Soul is better than ever.
The CD, “Brown Brother of Soul,” starts out with “Back in Love Again” in which Sunny brings the Motown sound back to live.
A hidden gem in the second cut, “What’s Your Name,” is “Your Tender Lips,” and it’s a surprise because it’s not even listed in the song list. This is a song that was originally recorded by The Clovers then covered by the Catalinas and the Royal Jesters in 1964. The difference is that the 1962 Don and Juan hit is improved on by the harmonious voices of Sunny and Johnny Hernández and the fact that it sounds so old school.
“I wanted to keep the feeling and not make it modern because that was the whole idea of the doo wops. I also brought in two former Sunliner Band members, Pete Ojeda, bass; and George González on guitar, to keep that realistic oldies effect,” Sunny said during an interview at this Northeast San Antonio home.
It may have been a hit for the Righteous Brothers in 1965, but again Sunny and Johnny plus the addition of Rubén Ramos go into third gear and tackle “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.” In the process, their unique beautiful blend of voices and great brass musical arrangement throughout the entire tune make this the standout song in this production.
The Sunny penned “Just A Little Bit Mo” is as good as any American mainstream soul hit and this tune features the incomparable old-time groove vocal style that made him rule when the Sunliners reigned. His voice is in fine form, the lyrics are catchy and it is easy to sing along to.
He also wrote a rhythm and blues oldie aimed at the California market and that’s “I’m Not Ready to Say Goodbye.” It’s a soulful tune about a man, who after loving a woman so much and after having her so close, cannot accept that he is losing the one he loves the most. As the lyrics go, “Tell me my darling. What did I do wrong? I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
Sunny’s unmistakable voice also dominates Sonny Ace’s “Pledging My Love,” than he shifts into a higher gear with “A New Life,” another of his new compositions.
“Everything I own is on my back. I’m leaving the one I love and I’m not turning back. I’m looking for a new life that I can call my own. I’m looking for a new place that I can call home” gives listeners a taste of the great lyricist that Sunny has become. Music-wise, this song sounds like a brass-laden Tower of Power tune.
“My inspiration for this song was one of my sons, Jerry, because he creates routines to music with his body, he then sells the routines to high schools and colleges. He is also involved in motion pictures that include gymnastics. So he’s always off doing something like that. That’s where ‘A New Life’ came from,” Sunny revealed.
“Baby, Baby, Baby,” which Sunny also wrote is along the same line as Doug Sahm’s “Why, Why, Why” or “Crazy, Crazy Baby” in a throwback to the late 1950’s Westside Sound – Farfisa organ and an alto sax solo by Ernie Cansino – in what will surely become another Sunny standard.
Sunny then breathes new life into Bo Diddley’s “I’m Sorry,” a 1959 classic with great saxophone sounds and guitar licks. This is one of those dreamy jams during which couples could stand on the same tile, hold each tight and sway back and forth in what would be a genuine slow dance.
“Them Changes” highlights the brass section in what sounds like a soulful 1970s funk tune and “Baby I Love You,” sung in duet with Albert “Tiger” Díaz, is a smooth catchy easy going lilt.
If you like Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears and other 1970s brass heavy bands, you’ll love “Satisfaction Guaranteed.” Once can also hear a touch of Jimi Hendrix psychedelic guitar as Sunny shifts into a growly-voiced hard rock mode and that worries some of his fans because in the early 1970s, Sunny was operated for nodes and Jimmy Edward, just known as Little Jimmy, had to fill in to honor many of Sunny’s artistic commitments.
Hopefully, the music icon, who has been inducted into numerous hall of fames takes heed of their concern and not abuse his voice during live performances.
“Not to worry, I only did it this once for the recording,” he assured us with a sigh of relief.
A special treat for this living legend’s fans is that the Brown Brother of Soul will celebrate his 68th birthday, CD release and his 55th year as a vocalist with a big bash at Graham Central Station where he, Rubén Ramos and Johnny Hernández are expected to perform most of the tunes in this recently released CD.
Jimmy Edward and Joe Bravo will also join Sunny on this Thursday, September 8 concert. For more information, go to www.sunnyozuna.com.
Ruco Villarreal
Ruco Villarreal accomplished and achieved much during the late 1950s and up to the early ‘70s. However, he is just another of many unrecognized vocalists.
“Back then, no one wrote about Latin musicians,” the 75-year-old pioneer said referring to the lack of exposure for local and regional Hispanic artists in the San Antonio Express-News and San Antonio Light.
“Therefore the main reason for not getting any respect and no one being aware of what I did in my era is because there is no documentation of our genre – that is until you came along in the early 1980s.”
In all due fairness, Ramiro Burr was also instrumental in giving local talent publicity through his column in the San Antonio Light. The difference is that yours truly continues to bring recognition to the members of the older artistic community.
The fact about Ruco Villarreal is that he was able to carve a successful career with only a total of three vinyl long-play albums while it took others forty to fifty plus albums to establish a name for them-selves. He was also the first Tejano orchestra singer to perform at KCOR’s 1st Hispanic State Fair on July 17, 1983. Other artists on this bill were Miguel Aceves Mejia, Angelica María, Yolanda De Rio, Federico Villa, Leo Tropical and Taxi Band. In addition, Villarreal was the first, the last and only Tejano to perform at the prestigious Villa Fontana during the late 1960s.
Sharing a bit of his musical history during an interview at Rocko’s Art Welding, Villarreal said he was born Abelardo “Abel” Aguilar Villarreal in the same house, on Saltillo Street, that his eleven siblings were born in. It was also here that each night, the San Antonio-native would listen to XEQ and XEW on his father’s shortwave radio.
“My first musical influence was the bolero. That’s why my first recording (“Yo Vengo a Decir Adios”) was a bolero. I also like listening Andres Huesca, a blind harpist who played with Los Costeños plus how Gilbert Urquiza played electric guitar.
“I was a little boy when my father, Alberto, bought a two-line accordion for my brother Beto. However, he wasn’t interested so I would take the accordion out from under the bed and mastered it without one lesson.”
Villarreal was nine when Father Calletano Romero of San Juan Evangelista Catholic Church nicknamed him “Ruco” because of his thick heavy manly voice.
Three years later, Villarreal and Raúl “Boom Boom” Sánchez, on bajo sexto, formed an unnamed duet. In 1950, Juan Fuentes, claves; and Paul González, maracas; joined their still unnamed group.
At 15, Villarreal learned to play trumpet, added Miguel Balderas on saxophone and Gabino González on upright bass and Neto Arizmendi on drums plus Veco on backup vocals. The photo of this group also features Police Officer González and Martín Sáenz, the owner of El Gancho Club, which was located on the corner of El Paso and Navidad streets.
In 1951 they recorded their first 78-rpm single for México Records. However, they now had to come up with name for his group and he chose Conjunto San Juan in honor of the church the family attended.
All this transpired while he was still a student at Lanier High School, where one of his classmates was La Prensa’s Tino Durán.
Two more 78 rpm vinyl singles followed on Jaimé Wolfe’s Rio label. “By the late 1950’s, I was already performing in West Texas, Chicago, Indiana, Ohio and New Mexico – way before Little Joe and Sunny Ozuna toured in those states.
Villarreal’s brother Fransico a.k.a. Pancho joined the group in 1962 and by the mid 1960’s, Villarreal and his conjunto was in the same league as Paulino Bernal and Manuel “El Sargento” Guerrero with releases on the Lira, Cometa and Bravo labels.
“Then came the transition, I took up the saxophone, I added two more saxophones, three trumpets and two trombones to the band. I kept the accordion, but we turned into an orchestra and I became the first to start doing cumbias and change the direction of Tejano music.”
The 2010 Tejano Roots Hall of Fame inductee had become so famous that the famous Zuniga promoters would fly the group to Chicago for gigs at the renowned Aragon Ballroom.
When HemisFair ’68 ended in October and KCOR owner Raúl Cortez opened the prestigious two-story Villa Fontana in the Pearl Pavilion parallel to the mini-monorail tracks where 95 percent of its club-goers where from Mexico. The other five percent were from Central and South America.
“Although we were often on the same with Augustine Ramírez, Roy Montelongo and Latin Breed, we were not considered a Tejano band and our recording were heard on KCOR, we were hired to be the house band and from six to 9 p.m. we packed the house for seven straight years. Jesse Borrego Sr. y Las Cuatro Espadas would open to pull in the people that frequented the remaining outdoor food booths.”
Villarreal’s brother Pancho had quit and joined Rudy and the Reno Bops when in 1972, “Avioncito De Papel” on Falcon Records hit the airwaves, elevated Villarreal to megastar status and young girls would drool and throw themselves at him during performances when he sang love ballads in that unique voice of his. Women were also attracted to his Elvis-styled sideburns, mustache, shoulder-length hair and his virile macho looks didn’t hurt either.
“I was a parrandero, callejero, borrachito, marijuano, peleatista y mujeriego when I met Annie González in May 1974” Villarreal said of his faults and habits.
She was 17, he was 37 and in spite of all the protests, warnings and against all odds, the blue/green eyed red-head, she chose Villarreal over her parents.
“Once she came into my life, I changed. I settled down and I left my old life behind.”
Fast forwarding to 1985, the 75-year-old pony-tailed pioneer decided to call it quits while he was at the height of his career and performing at the Kelly AFB, Lackland AFB, Randolfo AFB and Fort Sam Houston NCO clubs. He never had a problem with musicians playing musical chairs because his initial requirements was that they all hold down full-time jobs, be married and not smoke or drink on the job.
“By now there were too many orchestras, the money wasn’t there and when my musicians got older, one by one they started to quit. So I told them that our December 31, 1985 gig at the National Armory in Hondo, Texas would be our last gig – and that was it!”
Villarreal learned to weld early in his youth and by 1970, he owned his own business, Rocko’s Art Welding, four doors down from Joe Posada’s house on Ceralvo Street.
“We create metal art and we also do fences and railing and that’s why I’m still in business,” he said. They say money can’t buy one good health or happiness so the three to $4,000 they made per week could not buy a cure for his wife’s stomach cancer.
“When I sensed Annie’s imminent death and felt she was going to die, I lay down with her and an hour later, she stopped breathing. She passed on at 52, but she gave me the best 30 years of my life,” Villarreal recollected.
Three years ago, Villarreal proved his lasting popularity mostly senior citizens filled Pueblo Hall to its full capacity to relive the late 1950s to ‘70s. That night, club owner Mary Jane Parrilla ran out of beer three times.
Villarreal continues to have the full support and love from his son and five daughters – Abelardo Jr., Olga, María Elena, Rita, Rosa and Elena.
So what’s next?
“Now I’m going to take verses I wrote for her – ‘You changed my life from black to white, you who transformed me from bad to good’ – record them and dedicate the compact disc to my wife.”
The now grandfather of 24 and great-grandfather of 31 also plans to buy the Falcon and Teardrop records masters to release a ‘greatest hits’ CD.
“That’s what’s in the immediate future,” a still working youthful Villarreal said in closing this interview.