Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez (born March 11, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter and accordionist from San Antonio, Texas. He is known for playing Norteño, Tex Mex and Tejano music. Jiménez has been a solo performer and

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

, as well as a member of the

Texas Tornados Texas Tornados is a Tejano supergroup, composed of some of country music's biggest artists who modernized the Tex-Mex style including Flaco Jiménez, Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm, and Freddy Fender. Its music is a fusion of conjunto (German and Norte ...

and Los Super Seven. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he has received numerous awards and honors, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Grammys, Americana Music Awards, Tejano Music Awards, and ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine.

Early life

Jiménez, who is of Mexican descent, was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1939. He is descended from a line of musicians, including his father Santiago Jiménez Sr., and his grandfather Patricio Jiménez. He began performing at the age of seven with his father, a pioneer of conjunto music, and began recording at age fifteen as a member of Los Caporales. Jiménez's first instrument was the bajo sexto, but he later adopted the accordion after being influenced by his father and zydeco musician Clifton Chenier. He was given the nickname "Flaco" (which translates as "Skinny" into English), which was also his father's nickname.

Career

Jiménez performed in the San Antonio area for several years and then began working with Doug Sahm in the 1960s. Sahm, better known as the founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet, played with Jiménez for some time. Jiménez later went to New York City and worked with Dr. John, David Lindley, Peter Rowan,

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, an ...

and Bob Dylan. He appeared on Cooder's world music album '' Chicken Skin Music'' and was a guest musician on the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

' '' Voodoo Lounge'' album. These appearances led to greater awareness of his music outside of America. After touring Europe with Cooder he returned to tour in America with his own band, and on a joint bill with Peter Rowan. Jiménez, Rowan and Wally Drogos were the original members of a band called the Free Mexican Airforce. Jiménez appeared on the November 13, 1976 episode of '' NBC's Saturday Night'' with Cooder. Flaco Jimenez (musician) on stage at Farnham, U

Flaco Jimenez (musician) on stage at Farnham, U

In 1988, he performed on the hit country single "

Streets of Bakersfield "Streets of Bakersfield" is a 1973 song written by Homer Joy and popularized by Buck Owens. In 1988, Owens recorded a duet version with country singer Dwight Yoakam, which became one of Yoakam's first No. 1 Hot Country Singles hits. The song, ...

" by Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens. The song reached number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart in 1988. Jiménez won his first Grammy award in 1986 for his album ''

Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio Ay, AY or variants, may refer to: People * Ay (pharaoh), a pharaoh of the 18th Egyptian dynasty * Merneferre Ay, a pharaoh of the 13th Egyptian dynasty * A.Y. (musician) (born 1981), a Tanzanian "bongo flava" artist * A.Y, stage name of Ayo Mak ...

'', whose title song was composed by his father. His third Grammy was for another song written by his father, "

Soy de San Luis "Soy de San Luis" is a song written by Santiago Jiménez, Jr. and Louis Ortega. The song came to prominence in 1990 when American supergroup Texas Tornados recorded it on their album ''Texas Tornados (album), Texas Tornados'', earning a Grammy Awa ...

", recorded by the

Tejano Tejanos (, ; singular: ''Tejano/a''; Spanish for "Texan", originally borrowed from the Caddo ''tayshas'') are the residents of the state of Texas who are culturally descended from the Mexican population of Tejas and Coahuila that lived in the ...

fusion group

with Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. Starting in 1998, he was a member of Los Super Seven, a

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

that won a Grammy Award for their eponymous album. Jiménez was one of the featured artists in the 1976 documentary film ''

Chulas Fronteras ''Chulas Fronteras'' is a 1976 American documentary film which tells the story of the norteño or conjunto music which is played on both sides of the Mexico–Texas border. It was directed by Les Blank. A CD soundtrack of the music played in t ...

'', directed by Les Blank. He also appeared as a band member in the 2000 movie '' Picking Up the Pieces'', with Woody Allen and Sharon Stone, and was also featured on the film's soundtrack. His music has been featured on the soundtrack for other movies, such as '' Y Tu Mamá También'',
El Infierno
', '' The Border'', '' Tin Cup'', ''Chulas Fronteras'', and ''

Striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or an "ex ...

''. He was one of the artists featured in archival footage in the 2013 documentary film ''This Ain't No Mouse Music'' about Arhoolie Records and its founder Chris Strachwitz. The Hohner company collaborated with Jiménez to create the Flaco Jimenez Signature series of accordions.

Personal life

His brother, Santiago Jiménez Jr., is also an accomplished accordionist and has recorded extensively. In March 2015, Jiménez suffered a broken hip and two rib fractures from two separate falls. By May of that year, he returned to performing and was one of the acts on closing night of the 34th annual Tejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio. Jiménez and his wife once owned a food truck in the San Antonio area, named Tacos Jimenez.

Discography

Flaco Jimenez y Max Baca sing a Buck Owens song @ Flamingo Cantina, Austin Tx (11618235323)

Studio albums

*''Una Sombra'', 1972, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''El Papa Del Caminante'', 1973, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''Mis Polkas Favoritas'', 1973, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''Corridos Famosos'', 1973, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''Clavelito Clavelito'', 1973, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''La Otra Modesta'', 1974, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''El Rey De Texas'', 1975, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''A Mis Amigos Cariñosamente'', 1976, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''El Principe Del Acordeón '', 1977, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''Flaco Jiménez Y Su Conjunto'', 1977, Arhoolie Records *''Flaco ‘79'', 1979, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''Mis 25 Años'', 1980, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''El Sonido de San Antonio'', 1980, Arhoolie *''Polkas De Oro'', 1983, D.L.B. Records, San Antonio, TX *''Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio'', 1986, Arhoolie *''Flaco's Amigos'', 1988, Arhoolie *''Entre Humo y Botellas'', 1989,

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

*''San Antonio Soul'', 1991, Rounder Records *''Partners'', 1992, Warner Bros. Records *'' Flaco Jiménez'', 1994,

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

*''

Buena Suerte, Señorita ''Buena Suerte, Señorita'' is an album by the American musician Flaco Jiménez, released in 1996. It was released around the same time as the Texas Tornados' ''4 Aces''. The first single was "Borracho #1". Production The album was produced by Ca ...

'', 1996, Arista *''Said and Done'', 1998, Virgin Records *''Arriba el Norte'', 1998, Sound Records *''Sleepytown'', 2002,

Back Porch Records Back Porch Records was an Americana/ roots rock label owned by Universal Music Group. The label was started in 1997 as joint venture between Virgin Records and Milwaukee-based Narada Productions. The label's initial releases, including the I ...

*''Squeeze Box King'', 2003,

Compadre Records Compadre Records is a Houston-based independent record label that specializes in roots music. Compadre's artists include Billy Joe Shaver, Honeybrowne, Suzy Bogguss Susan Kay Bogguss (born December 30, 1956) is an American country music sin ...

*''Ya Volvi De La Guerra'', 2009, Fiesta Records *''Flaco & Max: Legends & Legacies'', 2014, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Live albums

*''One Night at Joey's (Live)'', 1999,

Sony Records Sony Records was a record label founded by R&B duo Ike & Tina Turner in 1963. It was not affiliated with Sony Group Corporation. Ike Turner produced singles by members of the Kings of Rhythm and the Ikettes on Sony Records. Records on the label ...

Compilations and re-releases

*''El Rancho de la Ramalada'', elease year unknown Joey Records *''

Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio y Más! ''Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio y Más!'' is the title of a compilation album released by American performer Flaco Jiménez. It was released in 1990 by Arhoolie Records and contains all of the songs from Jiménez's 1986 album ''Ay Te Dejo en San Anto ...

'', 1990, Arhoolie *''Un Mojado Sin Licencia and Other Hits From the 1960s'', 1993, Arhoolie *''Flaco's First! (with Los Caminantes)'', 1995, Arhoolie *''15 Exitos'', 1995, Joey Records *''Best of Flaco Jiménez'', 1999, Arhoolie *''Ultimo Tornado'', 2001, Warner Bros. *''20 Golden Hits'', 2001, Hacienda Records *''Flaco's Favorites: 14 Fabulous Tracks'', 2002, Fab14 Records *''Contiene Exitos, Prieta Case Se Me Olvido Otra Vez'', 2003, Discos Ranchito *''Fiesta Del Rio'', 2006, Fiesta Records *''Melodias'', 2010, Joey Records *''Polkas y Mas...'', 2010, Joey Records

Featured on multi-artist compilation albums

*''Tex-Mex Conjunto Classics'', 1999, Arhoolie

Singles

Guest singles

Participations

* 2007 : "My Name Is Buddy" ( Nonesuch Records), by

, with Paddy Moloney, Van Dyke Parks, Mike & Pete Seeger, Bobby King & Terry Evans, Jim Keltner, Jacky Terrasson, Jon Hassell * 1989 : Plays accordion on "New Pony" on the Orchestre Super Moth EP ''The World At Sixes And Sevens''. Released on Rogue Records (12FMS 6–7).

Awards and honors

Between 1986 and 2015, Jiménez has won six Grammy Awards, including a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." ...

, plus an additional three nominations. In 1999, Jiménez was awarded the ''Billboard'' Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2000, Jiménez won a Tejano Music Video of the Year award at the Tejano Music Awards for his song "De Bolon Pin Pon". In 2001, both Flaco and his brother Santiago were included among the first group of recipients of the Texas Medal of Arts in the folk arts category. Jiménez was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st Tejano Music Awards ceremony in 2011. In 2012, he received a National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the

National Endowment of the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. In 2014, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist from the

Americana Music Association The Americana Music Association is a not-for-profit trade organization advocating for American Roots Music around the world. It is a network for Americana artists, radio stations, record labels, publishers, and others with the goal of developi ...

. He received his plaque at the ceremony from longtime collaborator Ry Cooder, with whom he also performed at the event. Jiménez was one of five artists to receive the inaugural Distinction in Arts honor from the City of San Antonio in 2015. Also in 2015, his collaborative album with Max Baca titled ''Flaco & Max: Legends & Legacies'' won an award in the Latin Album category at the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards. In 2017, a photograph of Jiménez taken by Al Rendon in 1987 was added to the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Images in the Gallery "represent the numerous individuals who have made a significant impact on the history and culture of the United States". In 2018, the '' Houston Chronicle'' listed him as number 19 of the Greatest 50 Texas Musicians of all time. Jiménez received the Top of Texas Award from the Country Music Association of Texas in 2019. Earlier in the same year, he also received the History-Making Texas Award from the

Texas State History Museum The Bullock Texas State History Museum (often referred to as the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum or Bullock Museum) is a history museum in Austin, Texas. The museum, located a few blocks north of the Texas State Capitol at 1800 North Con ...

Foundation. In 2020, Jiménez received the Chris Strachwitz Legacy Award from the Arhoolie Foundation. In 2021, Jiménez's album ''Partners'' was selected as one of 25 works to be inducted into the National Recording Registry's class of 2020, with the registry calling Jiménez "a champion of traditional conjunto music and Tex-Mex culture who also is known for innovation and collaboration with a variety of artists."

Grammy awards

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Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded from 1970 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes: * In 1970 the award was known as Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group * From 1971 to 1 ...

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1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

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References

External links

* *
Audio interview with Flaco Jiménez, May 28, 1986, University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures: Oral History Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jimenez, Flaco Living people 1939 births 20th-century accordionists 21st-century accordionists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American accordionists American country singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters American musicians of Mexican descent Musicians from San Antonio Singer-songwriters from Texas Country musicians from Texas Tejano accordionists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners National Heritage Fellowship winners Texas Tornados members Hispanic and Latino American musicians Arhoolie Records artists Arista Records artists Rounder Records artists Virgin Records artists