Freddy Fender, 69, is dead of what media reports are calling lung cancer.
Fender offered a unique mix of Mexican-American and country-western music, and began recording at the age of 20. His early career was marred by arrest and imprisonment while his later carer was hampered by various medical ailments. Despite those, Fender won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance.
His most famous song was Before The Next Teardrop Falls, which became a crossover #1 Billboard hit in 1975. Fender had another top 10 hit that year with Wasted Days and Wasted Nights and a #20 single with Secret Love the same year. Truly, 1975 was a good year for the portly Texan.
Fender’s official webpage has been turned into an online memorial and has hundreds of entries as of this writing.
Spinning In The CD Today:
Are You Ready For Freddy – Fender’s breakthrough hit album 31 years ago.
