Quick Facts
Biography
Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez (born March 11, 1939) is a Norteño, Tex Mex and Tejano music accordionist and singer from San Antonio, Texas.
Career
Jiménez began performing at the age of seven, with his father, Santiago Jiménez Sr, who was a pioneer of conjunto music and began recording at age fifteen as a member of Los Caminantes. He played 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. Flaco then went on to New York City and worked with Dr. John, David Lindley, Peter Rowan, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. He appeared on Cooder's world music album Chicken Skin Music and on the Rolling Stones' Voodoo Lounge. This led to greater awareness of his music outside America and, after touring Europe with Ry Cooder, he returned to tour in America with his own band, and on a joint bill with Peter Rowan. Jiménez, Peter Rowan and Wally Drogos were the original members of a band called the Free Mexican Airforce.
Jiménez won a Grammy award in 1986 for Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio, one of his father's songs. He was also a member of the Tejano fusion group Texas Tornados, with Augie Meyers, Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender. The Texas Tornados won a Grammy award in 1990, and Jiménez earned one on his own in 1996, when his album Flaco Jiménez won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Performance. In 1999, he earned another Grammy award for Best Tejano Performance for Said and Done (released by Barbed Wire Records) and one for Best Mexican-American Performance as a part of the supergroup Los Super Seven.
In 2012 Jiménez received a National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment of the Arts.
In February 2015, Jiménez won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also won a Best Video award at the Tejano Music Awards and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Latin Magazine for "Streets of Bakersfield" with Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens.
Jiménez appeared in the movie Picking Up the Pieces, with Woody Allen and Sharon Stone, and was also featured on the soundtrack. His music has been featured in the soundtrack for other movies, such as Y Tu Mamá También, The Border, Tin Cup, Chulas Fronteras, and Striptease. The Hohner company collaborated with Jiménez to create the Flaco Jimenez Signature Series of accordions.
His brother, Santiago Jiménez, Jr., is also an accomplished accordionist and has recorded extensively.
Jiménez's 2014 CD, Flaco & Max: Legends & Legacies, was issued by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. In 2015, "Legends & Legacies" won Flaco Jiménez and Max Baca an award in the Latin Album category at the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Flaco Jimenez Y Su Conjunto, 1977, Arhoolie Records
- Flaco's Amigos, 1988, Arhoolie Records
- San Antonio Soul, 1991, Rounder Records
- Partners, 1992, Warner Bros. Records
- Flaco Jiménez, 1994, Arista Records
- Buena Suerte Senorita, 1996, Arista Records
- Said and Done, 1998, Virgin Records
- Sleepytown, 2002, Back Porch Records
- Squeeze Box King, 2003, Compadre Records
- Ya Volvi De La Guerra, 2009, Fiesta Records
- Arriba el Norte, 2009, Rounder Records
- Entre Humo y Botellas, 2009, Rounder Records
- Flaco & Max: Legends & Legacies, 2014, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Live Albums
- One Night at Joey's (Live), 1999, Sony Records
Compilations and Re-Releases
- El Rancho de la Ramalada, [release year unknown], Joey Records
- Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio Y Mas, 1993, Arhoolie Records
- Un Mojado Sin Licencia and Other Hits From the 1960s, 1993, Arhoolie Records
- Flaco's First! (with Los Caminantes), 1995, Arhoolie Records
- 15 Exitos, 1995, Joey Records
- Best of Flaco Jiménez, 1999, Arhoolie Records
- Ultimo Tornado, 2001, Warner Bros. Records
- 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 Records
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Latin | |||
| 1992 | "Me Está Matando" | 38 | Partners |
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||||
| 1996 | "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down" | The Mavericks | 13 | 15 | Music for All Occasions |
Participations
- 2007 : "My Name Is Buddy" (Nonesuch Records), by Ry Cooder, with Paddy Moloney, Van Dyke Parks, Mike & Pete Seeger, Bobby King & Terry Evans, Jim Keltner, Jacky Terrasson, Jon Hassell