Flaco Jimenez, Texas accordionist who expanded popularity of conjunto and Tejano music, dies at 86

HOUSTON (AP) — Flaco Jimenez, the legendary accordionist from San Antonio who won multiple Grammys and helped expand the popularity of conjunto, Tejano and Tex-Mex music, died Thursday. He was 86.

Jimenez’s death was announced Thursday evening by his family on social media.

“It is with great sadness that we share tonight the loss of our father, Flaco Jimenez. He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely. Thank you to all of his fans and friends—those who cherished his music. And a big thank you for all of the memories. His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans,” Jimenez’s family said in a statement.

His family did not disclose a cause of death. Jimenez’s family had announced in January that he had been hospitalized and had been “facing a medical hurdle.” His family did not provide any other information on his medical condition at the time.

Born Leonardo Jimenez in 1939, he was known to his fans by his nickname of Flaco, which means skinny in Spanish.

He was the son of conjunto pioneer Santiago Jimenez. Conjunto is a musical genre that originated in South Texas and blends different genres and cultural influences.

According to the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin, the development of conjunto “began more than a century ago when Texans of Mexican heritage (Tejanos) took an interest in the accordion music of German, Polish, and Czech immigrants. The ensuing Tejano accordion music, accompanied by the bajo sexto (replacing the European tuba) soon came to represent the Tejano way of life, which was closely associated with working in the agricultural fields. The music remains unchanged and serves as a symbol that binds many Tejano communities in South and Central Texas.”

Jimenez refined his conjunto musical skills by playing in San Antonio saloons and dance halls. He began performing in the 1960s with fellow San Antonio native Douglas Sahm, the founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet. Jimenez also played with Bob Dylan, Dr. John and Ry Cooder.

Throughout his career, Jimenez added other influences into conjunto music, including from country, rock and jazz.

In the 1990s, Jimenez was part of the Tejano supergroup the Texas Tornados, which included Sahm, Augie Meyers and Freddy Fender. The group won a Grammy in 1991 for the song, “Soy de San Luis.”

Jimenez also won another Grammy in 1999 as part of another supergroup, Los Super Seven.

Jimenez earned five Grammys and was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

He was also inducted into the National Hispanic Hall of Fame and NYC International Latin Music Hall of Fame and was named a Texas State Musician in 2014.

When Jimenez was named a 2022 National Medal of Arts recipient, the White House said he was being honored for “harnessing heritage to enrich American music” and that by “blending Norteño, Tex Mex, and Tejano music with the Blues, Rock n’ Roll, and Pop Music, he sings the soul of America’s Southwest.”

“Flaco, your legacy will forever be remembered with fond memories. We appreciate the gift of your musical talent, which brought joy to countless fans. Your passing leaves a void in our hearts,” the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum said in a post on social media.

Kyle Young, the CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, said Jimenez “was a paragon of Tejano conjunto music.”

“Whether he was recording with Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt or the Rolling Stones, or working with his own supergroup, the Texas Tornados, Flaco drew millions of listeners into a rich musical world they might not have discovered on their own,” Young said.

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