Flaco Jiménez | |
|---|---|
 Jiménez at Old Settlers Music Festival in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Leonardo Jiménez (1939-03-11)March 11, 1939 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | July 31, 2025(2025-07-31) (aged 86) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Accordion,bajo sexto, vocals |
| Years active | 1946–2025 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | Official website |
Leonardo "Flaco"Jiménez (March 11, 1939 – July 31, 2025) was an American singer-songwriter andaccordionist fromSan Antonio,Texas. The nickname 'Flaco' means 'skinny'.[1] He is known for having playedconjunto,norteño andtejano. Jiménez was a solo performer andsession musician, as well as a member of theTexas Tornados andLos Super Seven.[2][3]
Over the course of his seven-decade career,[4] he received numerous awards and honors, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from theGrammys,Americana Music Awards,Tejano Music Awards, andBillboard magazine.
Jiménez, who was of Mexican descent, was born inSan Antonio,Texas, on March 11, 1939.[5] He is descended from a line of musicians, including his father Santiago Jiménez Sr.,[6][7] and his grandfather Patricio Jiménez.[8]
He began performing at the age of seven with his father, a pioneer ofconjunto music, and began recording at age fifteen as a member of Los Caporales. Jiménez's first instrument was thebajo sexto, but he later adopted the accordion after being influenced by his father and zydeco musicianClifton Chenier.[9]
He was given the nickname "Flaco" (which translates in English as "Skinny"), which was also his father's nickname.[6]
Jiménez performed in the San Antonio area for several years and then began working withDoug Sahm in the 1960s. Sahm, better known as the founding member of theSir Douglas Quintet, played with Jiménez for some time. Jiménez later went to New York City and worked withDr. John,David Lindley,Peter Rowan,Ry Cooder andBob Dylan. He appeared on Cooder'sworld music albumChicken Skin Music and was a guest musician on theRolling Stones'Voodoo Lounge album.[9] These appearances led to greater awareness of his music outside of America. After touring Europe with Cooder he returned to tour in America with his own band, and on a joint bill withPeter Rowan. Jiménez, Rowan and Wally Drogos were the original members of a band called the Free Mexican Airforce.[10]
Jiménez appeared on the November 13, 1976 episode ofNBC's Saturday Night with Cooder.[11][12]
_on_stage_at_Farnham%2c_U.K.%2c_1985.jpg)
In 1988, he performed on the hit country single "Streets of Bakersfield" byDwight Yoakam andBuck Owens.[13] The song reached number 1 on theBillboardHot Country Singles chart in 1988.[14]
Jiménez won his firstGrammy award in 1986 for his albumAy Te Dejo en San Antonio, whose title song was composed by his father.[13] His third Grammy was for another song written by his father, "Soy de San Luis",[13] recorded by theTejano fusion groupTexas Tornados[15][16] withAugie Meyers, Doug Sahm andFreddy Fender.
Starting in 1998, he was a member ofLos Super Seven, asupergroup that won a Grammy Award for their eponymous album.[17]
Jiménez was one of the featured artists in the 1976 documentary filmChulas Fronteras, directed byLes Blank.[13] He also appeared as a band member in the 2000 moviePicking Up the Pieces, withWoody Allen andSharon Stone, and was also featured on the film'ssoundtrack.[18] His music has been featured on the soundtrack for other movies, such asY Tu Mamá También,El Infierno,The Border,Tin Cup, andStriptease.[19][20][21]
He was one of the artists featured in archival footage in the 2013 documentary filmThis Ain't No Mouse Music aboutArhoolie Records and its founderChris Strachwitz.[22][23]
TheHohner company collaborated with Jiménez to create the Flaco Jimenez Signature series of accordions.[24]
Jiménez also received acclaim for his performances of Texas-MexicanConjunto music, in addition to Tejano (Tex Mex) music.[25][26][27][28]
His brother,Santiago Jiménez Jr., is also an accomplished accordionist and has recorded extensively.[citation needed]
In March 2015, Jiménez suffered a broken hip and two rib fractures from two separate falls. By May of that year, he returned to performing and was one of the acts on closing night of the 34th annual Tejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio.[29]
Jiménez and his wife once owned a food truck in the San Antonio area, named Tacos Jimenez.[30]
Even during his time as a global ambassador for conjunto, Jiménez kept his home in San Antonio.[26] For numerous decades, and until 2025, Jiménez performed at the annualTejano Conjunto Festival in San Antonio.[26][27]
ATexas music curator at theWittliff Collections atTexas State University, Hector Saldaña, stated: "Flaco Jimenez was to San Antonio what Louis Armstrong was to New Orleans."[1]
Jiménez died following a long illness on July 31, 2025, at the age of 86.[31] He had been living at the home of one of his sons.[32]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(August 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.jpg)
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Latin | |||
| 1992 | "Me Está Matando" | 38 | Partners |
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||||
| 1988 | "Streets of Bakersfield" | Dwight Yoakam withBuck Owens | 1 | 1 | Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room |
| 1996 | "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down" | The Mavericks | 13 | 15 | Music for All Occasions |
Between 1986 and 2015, Jiménez has won six Grammy Awards, including aGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award,[35] plus an additional three nominations.[36]
In 1999, Jiménez was awarded theBillboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award.[13]
In 2000, Jiménez won a Tejano Music Video of the Year award at theTejano Music Awards for his song "De Bolon Pin Pon".[37]
In 2001, both Flaco and his brotherSantiago were included among the first group of recipients of the Texas Medal of Arts[38] in the folk arts category.[39]
Jiménez was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 31st Tejano Music Awards ceremony in 2011.[37]
In 2012, he received aNational Heritage Fellowship awarded by theNational Endowment of the Arts,[3][7] which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.
In 2014, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist from theAmericana Music Association.[40] He received his plaque at the ceremony from longtime collaborator Ry Cooder,[41] with whom he also performed at the event.[42]
Jiménez was one of five artists to receive the inaugural Distinction in Arts honor from the City of San Antonio in 2015.[43] Also in 2015, his collaborative album with Max Baca titledFlaco & Max: Legends & Legacies won an award in the Latin Album category at the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards.[44]
Additionally in 2015, Jiménez was inducted into theAustin City Limits Hall of Fame.[45]
In 2017, a photograph of Jiménez taken by Al Rendon in 1987 was added to theNational Portrait Gallery of theSmithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Images in the Gallery "represent the numerous individuals who have made a significant impact on the history and culture of the United States".[46][47]
In 2018, theHouston Chronicle listed him as number 19 of the Greatest 50 Texas Musicians of all time.[48]
Jiménez received the Top of Texas Award from the Country Music Association of Texas in 2019.[49] Earlier in the same year, he also received the History-Making Texas Award from theTexas State History Museum Foundation.[50][18]
In 2020, Jiménez received theChris Strachwitz Legacy Award from theArhoolie Foundation.[51]
In 2021, Jiménez's albumPartners was selected as one of 25 works to be inducted into theNational Recording Registry's class of 2020, with the registry calling Jiménez "a champion of traditional conjunto music and Tex-Mex culture who also is known for innovation and collaboration with a variety of artists."[52]
In 2022, Jiménez was awarded theNational Medal of Arts from U.S. PresidentJoe Biden.[53] However, he did not attend the award ceremony, citing illness.[27]
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio | Best Mexican-American Performance | Won | solo album |
| 1989 | Flaco's Amigos | Best Mexican-American Performance | Nominated | solo album |
| 1991 | "Soy de San Luis" | Best Mexican-American Performance | Won | song by the Texas Tornados |
| 1992 | Zone of our Own | Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal | Nominated | album by theTexas Tornados |
| 1996 | Flaco Jiménez | Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance | Won | solo album |
| "Cat Walk" | Best Country Instrumental Performance | Nominated | Lee Roy Parnell song, featuring Jiménez | |
| 1999 | Los Super Seven | Best Mexican-American Music Performance | Won | album byLos Super Seven |
| Said and Done | Best Tejano Music Performance | Won | solo album | |
| 2015 | himself | Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |
