Country Music Icon Dies After Long Illness
Flaco Jiménez, a renowned conjunto musician, has died at the age of 86, reports the San Antonio Express-News. Jiménez died on July 31 at his son's home after a long illness.
Jiménez was an acclaimed accordion player who started playing at an early age with his father and grandfather. They were pioneers of conjunto music, which was a Tex-Mex translation of the polkas and waltzes brought to Texas by Europeans.
Jiménez's first single was "Hasta La Vista," a local hit released in 1955 when he was just a teenager, according to the Express-News.
In a 1973 interview, he told the paper, "I loved it, you know, and I still do. Naturally, now you can't stick just with polka and redova and schottisches. You have to play what's going on in the world. Starting with polka, and a little rock-and-roll, or a little cumbia, cha-cha-cha.'Jiménez would go on to win five Grammy Awards for his work, both as a solo artist and with the band Texas Tornados. He also collaborated with such stars as Bob Dylan, , , Dwight Yoakam, Los Lobos and the Rolling Stones.
Later in life, Jiménez was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship, a National Medal of Arts, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Hohner accordion Jimenez recorded and performed with is currently on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. It is part of the museum's exhibition "Sing Me Back Home: Folk Roots to the Present."
"Flaco Jiménez was a paragon of Tejano conjunto music — exemplifying not only its sound, but its culture-blending spirit with his richly melodic accordion playing," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in a statement.
"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 continued. "'Streets of Bakersfield' by Dwight and Buck wouldn't have been the same without his sparkling touches. Neither will a music community that cherished his towering talent and open heart."
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Country Music Icon Dies After Long Illness first appeared on Parade on Aug 1, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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