November 13, 2007 - Tex-Mex Fest: A Tribute to Freddy Fender
Sunday, December 30, 2007 – American Bank Center Arena - Corpus Christi
Tickets On Sale Friday, November 16th at 10:00AM
Ivan Entertainment and Book’em Nano are pleased to present a show-stopping extravaganza in honor of the late Tex-Mex musical legend and country-rock trailblazer Freddy Fender. Among the slate of All-Star celebrity artists scheduled to appear are Grammy Award-winners such as Little Joe y La Familia, Ruben Ramos, Johnny Rodriguez, Charlie Rich Jr., featuring Augie Meyers, Flaco Jimenez both founding members of the Texas Tornados, and Emilio Navaira.
A successful concert promoter and son of legendary Tejano artist Little Joe Hernández, Ivan Hernández is aiding by fueling a modern-day renaissance of the Tex-Mex sound while dedicating himself to the preservation of a powerful legacy and native musical tradition. For this historic tribute, Hernández has recruited an impressive line-up of musical giants who will appear together on stage for the first time ever at the American Bank Center Arena, in Corpus Christi Texas on Sunday, December 30th as part of a historic concert and dance being held to remember fellow Texan Freddy Fender, a rocker who achieved crossover star status with a string of No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Country and Pop charts, while recording widely popular Spanish-language versions of hits by Elvis Presley and Harry Belafonte.
Born Baldemar Huerta in San Benito, Texas, he showed musical promise at an early age and constructed a homemade guitar from screen door wire and a used sardine can while still a child. By age 10, he had already made his first local radio appearance. Playing bars and honky-tonks, he was often referred to as “El Bebop Kid.” Taking a cue from his favorite guitar, he changed his name to Freddy Fender in 1959 before recording “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” a song which did for a swelling tide of English language listeners what a Spanish take on Presley’s “Don’t be Cruel” and Belafonte’s “Jamaica Farewell” had done three years earlier for Mexican and Latin American audiences, turning Fender into a real-life star.
With a string of chart toppers that began in 1974 with the release of “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Fender quickly became a national sensation, earning Grammy nominations and Country Music Award for best new artist. A re-release of “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” followed a similar path to the top of the music charts. In more recent years, he co-founded the Texas Tornados with Flaco Jimenez, Augie Meyers and Doug Sahm, continued touring as a solo artist, and toured as part of Tejano super group, Los Super Seven. A multi-Grammy Award winner, he battled health problems before succumbing to lung cancer at the age of 69 on October 16, 2006
“He was one of my best friends, but he was also one of my heroes,” says Little Joe Hernández, a Texas born-and-bred musician who is often referred to as the “King of the Brown Sound.” Hernández is proud to have known Fender and laments the loss of a truly great talent. “We lost a national treasure in Freddy. I want to make sure his legacy lives on. He was a fighter to the end and proud of his Chicano heritage. We want to celebrate his life and his music,” adds Hernández.
Assembled as much for their personal relationships with Freddy Fender as for their honest admiration of his unprecedented legacy, all the artists slated to appear at the tribute were his true brothers in music, artists who were very close, life-long friends with a man they will gather to remember on December 30th. All of them superstars in their own right, these are musicians at their peek who were Freddy Fender’s collaborators and contemporaries. Together, they created in a bold new world which left room for and indeed, even encouraged Chicano redneck fusions, swamp rocker blues, big band, horn-laced Tejano, electrified Country and straight-up Conjunto Norteño, and combinations of all on a single record.
“Growing up on the road with dad, I was fortunate to have grown up around all of these guys,” says Ivan Hernández. “I saw all of them with Freddy at one time or another. And I was especially impressed at how down to earth Freddy was… how well he treated everyone around him. If anything, this is what I hope we can convey with the Tex-Mex Fest.”
About Tex-Mex Fest: A Tribute to Freddy Fender
This Texas size showcase brings everything expected of an extraordinary Tex-Mex Fest: incredible Tex-Mex/Tejano/Country music and a place to dance the night away. The environment is made up of personal relationships artists maintained with Freddy Fender through the years until the end. It’s an evening of Celebrity Star Power artists delivering their distinctive flavors and style of Freddy Fender hits. Part of the proceeds from the spectacular showcase will benefit the Freddy Fender Scholarship Fund. American Bank Center Arena provides the perfect place to settle down early in anticipation of what promises to be the best concert of the year. The experience is guaranteed to last a lifetime. American Bank Center Arena is located at 1901 North Shoreline Boulevard, Corpus Christi, TX 78403-3040. Contact Ivan Entertainment at 254/773-1775 for more information. Tickets are priced at $33.50 - $86.50 and will go on sale Friday, November 16th at 10:00am. Tickets can be purchased at the American Bank Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at (361) 881-8499.
Purpose Tex-Mex Fest: A Tribute to Freddy Fender
The Tex-Mex-Fest is the brainchild of entertainment veteran Ivan Hernandez (son of Tex-Mex King Little Joe Hernandez). For the past five years this platform has been the foundation of numerous spectaculars, Festivals, and casino sold-out shows highlighting the most powerful Tex-Mex performers around the country. Tex-Mex Fest validates the cultural influence and lifestyle still ALIVE & WELL in its diverse forms and deep-rooted in Hispanic families across America. Each performance connects a fresh audience with caliber artists drawing crowds while influencing new markets - Tex-Mex music continues to evolve with its authenticity on the Latin music landscape.
Key Facts Tex-Mex Fest: A Tribute to Freddy Fender
June 16, 2007 – Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada – crowd attendance 3,000
August 11, 2007 – Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona – crowd attendance – SOLD OUT
September 13, 2007 – San Manuel Casino, Highland, California – crowd attendance – SOLD OUT
November 17, 2007 – Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth, Texas – (TBD)
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