[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4265]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 4265]]

                          EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

                        REGARDING FREDDY FENDER

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2002

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an American 
patriot, cultural icon and leader in our South Texas community, Freddy 
Fender, an accomplished artist whose appeal is ageless. Freddy proved 
his everlasting influence last month when he won the Grammy for Best 
Latin Pop Album.
  A San Benito Texas native, Freddy was born Baldemar Huerta. He began 
his career as a teenager recording Spanish language recordings of 
popular English language songs that found an audience in Mexico and 
Latin America in the 1950s. In the 1960's his career took off in the 
United States with the hit, ``Wasted Days and Wasted Nights.''
  Those wild, early days eventually put him on a more disciplined path. 
He went back to school and worked as a mechanic, but he continued 
singing.
  His number one hit, ``Before the Next Teardrop Falls,'' was his re-
entry into popular culture. That album went multi-platinum, and Fender 
won best male artist of 1976. In the latter part of the century, he 
spread his wings, expanded upon his talent and worked with Robert 
Redford in the movie ``The Milagro Beanfield War'' and other non-
traditional projects.
  He found his stride, working different parts of the entertainment 
industry. But he never strayed far from the bounds of music, working 
with The Texas Tornados.
  Very recently, Freddy and his family were tested in the fire when 
Freddy survived a near-death experience. After a protracted illness 
Freddy received a kidney from his daughter, thus cheating death, and is 
still singing and writing his songs.
  Freddy's Grammy Award-winning album this year captured the yearning 
for a simple, romantic return to youth. The cover has a 4-year-old 
Baldemar Huerta dressed as a cowboy astride a painted pony. ``La Musica 
de Baldemar Huerta'' is 10 boleros with little accompaniment, allowing 
the classic Fender voice to carry the Spanish language bolero with 
charm and ease. Boleros are poignant ballads generally featuring 
sophisticated guitar picking and sensual rhythms.
  The one thing for which Freddy is known in South Texas is his 
generosity of spirit in establishing a scholarship fund for average 
students. An average student himself, and an avowed troublemaker in his 
youth, he has a unique understanding of the challenges before a young 
person who has either made a mistake, made only average grades, or 
both.
  I ask the House of Representatives to join me today in honoring 
Freddy Fender, a great American treasure . . . a South Texan, a friend, 
and lifelong cultural icon in North American music.

                          ____________________