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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Nearly 2-1/2 years have gone by since Freddy Fender |
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died on October 14, 2006, but the passage of time has in no way |
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diminished the stature of this Texas music legend, and his legacy |
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remains as poignant as ever; and |
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WHEREAS, Born Baldemar Huerta on June 4, 1937, in the South |
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Texas town of San Benito, he began singing at a young age and |
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originally focused on performing the conjunto, Tejano, and |
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traditional Mexican music that was popular in his Hispanic |
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neighborhood; after serving three years in the U.S. Marine Corps, |
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he launched his music career in the late 1950s by playing Texas |
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honky-tonks and recording Spanish versions of popular hits by other |
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performers; when Imperial Records offered him a contract in 1959, |
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he adopted the stage name Freddy Fender; and |
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WHEREAS, The following year, that name became well known all |
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across the country as Mr. Fender's song "Wasted Days and Wasted |
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Nights" became a national hit; sadly, his good fortune was |
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short-lived, as an arrest for possession of a small amount of |
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marijuana led to a three-year prison term in Louisiana; by the late |
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1960s, he had returned to the Rio Grande Valley, where he earned a |
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living as a mechanic, playing music only on the weekends; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Fender's talent refused to be denied, however, |
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and in 1975, his career was reborn when "Before the Next Teardrop |
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Falls" became a number one hit on both the pop and country charts; |
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he followed "Teardrop" with a remake of his original hit, "Wasted |
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Days and Wasted Nights," and it once again swept the country, |
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becoming his second consecutive number one country song; two more |
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number one smashes from the same multi-platinum album confirmed his |
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status as a major country music star and earned him the 1975 Best |
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Male Artist award from Billboard magazine; and |
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WHEREAS, Ever the versatile performer, Mr. Fender enjoyed |
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success as an actor in film and television projects and as an |
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announcer in advertising campaigns; musically, he took his career |
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in a new direction in the 1990s by forming the Texas Tornados with |
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famed Lone Star musicians Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez, and Augie |
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Meyers; the band won the 1990 Grammy Award for best |
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Mexican-American performance for its song "Soy de San Luis," and |
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two more Grammy Awards came to Mr. Fender for later projects, one in |
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1999 for his work with Los Super Seven and one in 2002 for his album |
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La Musica de Baldemar Huerta, a tribute to the Spanish-language |
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music of his youth; and |
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WHEREAS, Through the years, this exceptional singer enjoyed |
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the love and support of his family, including his wife, Vangie |
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Huerta, and his children, Baldemar Huerta, Jr., Tammy Loriane |
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Huerta, Daniel Huerta, and Marla Ann Huerta Garcia; the sadness the |
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family felt when Mr. Fender's life drew to a close at the age of 69 |
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was shared by countless music fans, but all may rest assured that |
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the evocative and heartfelt songs created by this beloved Texan |
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will continue to be treasured long into the future; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Freddy Fender and |
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recognize his many contributions to the proud musical tradition of |
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the Lone Star State; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Freddy |
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Fender. |
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Ortiz, Jr. |
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Herrero |
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Lucio III |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 796 was adopted by the House on April |
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9, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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