Born Baldemar Garza Huerta and raised in San Benito, Texas, Fender had minor success in Mexico doing Spanish-language covers of songs by Elvis Presley and Hank Williams. He wanted to hit it big in America, and in the 1950’s a Spanish name was a hindrance. So in 1959, at age 21, he changed his name to Freddy Fender.

Fender had a minor R&B hit in 1960 but was jailed a few months later for marijuana possession. It looked like his career was over, but in 1975 he staged a comeback and hit it big with “Before the Next Teardrop Falls”. Afterwards, he recorded “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights”, which hit #1 on the country charts.

In 1988, Fender formed the Texas Tornados with friends Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers, and Flaco Jiménez. They had a hit with “(Hey Baby) Que Paso,” which Sahm called “The National Anthem of San Antonio.”