1-1                                     1                                  
 1-2                          SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 741
 1-3           WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
 1-4     recognize Freddy Fender, an international music star and a
 1-5     tremendous Texas talent who has delighted generations with his
 1-6     recordings and performances; and
 1-7           WHEREAS, Born Baldemar Huerta in the Rio Grande Valley town
 1-8     of San Benito, Freddy was the son of migrant laborers; as a child
 1-9     he had natural enthusiasm for music, and the Latino neighborhood
1-10     where he grew up provided him with a rich musical education; and
1-11           WHEREAS, His first experiences were with Tejano, as this
1-12     unique Texas blend of German polka and traditional Spanish music
1-13     was pervasive in his barrio, and later Freddy would be heavily
1-14     influenced by blues music; this diverse musical heritage would
1-15     give him incredible versatility as an artist, enabling Freddy to
1-16     make his mark on several genres; and
1-17           WHEREAS, Freddy learned to play music by watching and
1-18     listening to Tejano musicians at weddings and other neighborhood
1-19     events; in 1947, at age 10, he made his musical debut on KGBT
1-20     radio in Harlingen, playing "Paloma Querida"; and
1-21           WHEREAS, As a young artist, Freddy Fender rose to the top
1-22     of Mexican and South American music charts with his versions of
1-23     Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica";
 2-1     such success captured the attention of Hollywood and Freddy soon
 2-2     signed a contract with Imperial Records; and
 2-3           WHEREAS, As his career progressed, Freddy Fender had a
 2-4     string of number-one records on both Billboard's pop and country
 2-5     charts; his rock and roll and country versions of "Wasted Days and
 2-6     Wasted Nights" were immensely popular with audiences, as were
 2-7     numerous other hits including "The Next Teardrop Falls" and "Secret
 2-8     Love"; and
 2-9           WHEREAS, In the 1990s, Freddy began yet another successful
2-10     career when he worked as a vocalist/guitarist in two
2-11     Grammy award-winning groups, the Texas Tornados and Los Super
2-12     Seven; both musical acts enjoyed critical and popular success;
2-13     and
2-14           WHEREAS, A prolific and versatile artist who has endeared
2-15     himself to Tejano, country, and blues music fans alike, Freddy
2-16     has been honored countless times for his work and has enjoyed
2-17     multi-platinum sales worldwide; and
2-18           WHEREAS, In addition to his vocal career, Freddy has made
2-19     successful crossovers into film and television; his music has
2-20     been featured on the soundtracks of such films as She Came to
2-21     the Valley and Slums of Beverly Hills, and he himself has
2-22     appeared in productions like Milagro Beanfield War and Mi
2-23     Amigos; his distinct voice and celebrity have also garnered
2-24     him numerous other opportunities to work as a narrator and in
2-25     commercials; and
2-26           WHEREAS, A highly sought-after performer, Freddy has
 3-1     entertained the world over and has played at the most prestigious
 3-2     of venues, including the inaugural balls of President Bush and
 3-3     President Clinton and Governor Ann Richards and at the White House
 3-4     for President Jimmy Carter; and
 3-5           WHEREAS, Today, at age 63, Freddy Fender remains an
 3-6     enthusiastic performer, who never fails to delight audiences;
 3-7     as an artist, he continues to explore new musical styles and has
 3-8     recently completed a Bolero album with the Morales brothers that
 3-9     will feature acoustic Mexican music; and
3-10           WHEREAS, Beloved by music fans around the globe, Freddy
3-11     helped introduce the world to the unique sounds of South Texas;
3-12     for his many accomplishments as an artist and for his steadfast
3-13     devotion to the people of his state, Texas will always be proud
3-14     of its native son Freddy Fender; now, therefore, be it
3-15           RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
3-16     77th Legislature, hereby salute Freddy Fender for the many
3-17     years of success he has enjoyed as a musical entertainer and
3-18     wish him many more years of good fortune in life and in his
3-19     artistic endeavors; and, be it further
3-20           RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
3-21     this extraordinary Texas musician as an expression of the
3-22     highest esteem of the Texas Senate.
3-23                                                    Truan
3-24           Armbrister           Gallegos            Ogden
3-25           Barrientos           Harris              Shapiro
3-26           Bernsen              Haywood             Shapleigh
3-27           Bivins               Jackson             Sibley
3-28           Brown                Lindsay             Staples
 4-1           Cain                 Lucio               Van de Putte
 4-2           Carona               Madla               Wentworth
 4-3           Duncan               Moncrief            West
 4-4           Ellis                Nelson              Whitmire
 4-5           Fraser                                   Zaffirini
 4-6                      Ratliff, President of the Senate
 4-7                                  ______________________________________
 4-8                                          President of the Senate
 4-9                                       I hereby certify that the above
4-10                                  Resolution was adopted by the Senate
4-11                                  on April 17, 2001.
4-12                                  ______________________________________
4-13                                          Secretary of the Senate
4-14                                  ______________________________________
4-15                                            Dean of the Senate