Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, a San Antonio native, accordionist and songwriter who became an icon in the world of conjunto music, died on Thursday at age 86 following a lengthy illness.
Family members posted about Jiménez’s death on his official Facebook page, saying he was surrounded by loved ones “and will be missed immensely.”
“Thank you to all of his fans and friends — those who cherished his music. And a big thank you for all of the memories,” surviving family members wrote. “His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans. The family requests privacy during this time of sadness and grievance.”
Jiménez received numerous awards and honors throughout his seven decades of music-making, including six Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a National Medal of Arts — the last honor he would receive in 2022.
“Flaco” Jiménez was born into a family of musicians, including his father Santiago Jiménez Sr., himself a noted accordionist and conjunto pioneer, and his grandfather Patricio Jiménez.
Jiménez started performing live music with his father at age 7, and began recording music as a teenager playing with the band Los Caporales.
While he initially played the bajo sexto, Jiménez later took on the accordion full time, following in his father’s footsteps.
Jiménez performed in the San Antonio area for many years, eventually playing with rising Tejano and Tex-Mex musicians such as Doug Sahm. Jiménez also played in New York City, where he worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, jazz star Dr. John, and renowned multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder.
It was through these and other collaborations that Jiménez toured the United States and Europe, helping to promote conjunto music.
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, posted on Facebook on Friday, calling Jiménez a “paragon of Tejano conjunto music — exemplifying not only its sound, but its culture-blending spirit with his richly melodic accordion playing.”
As his star in conjunto and Tejano music rose, Jiménez saw the release of 17 studio albums during the 1970s and 1980s. His sound became so renowned that German music instrument maker Hohner partnered with Jimenez to create a signature series of accordions.
It was 1986 when Jiménez won his first Grammy for his album “Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio”. Two years later, Jiménez collaborated with country artists Dwight Yoakum and Buck Owens on “Streets of Bakersfield,” a song that made No. 1 on Billboard’s country singles chart.
As the 1980s wrapped up, Jiménez joined Sahm and Tejano star Augie Meyers in performing as a supergroup, originally named Tex-Mex Revue, and later named the Texas Tornados, inspired by one of Sahm’s songs with the same title.
Singer Freddy Fender joined the Texas Tornados, which won a Grammy in 1991, and released hit songs such as “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” and “(Hey Baby) Que Paso”.
While the Texas Tornados had high-profile performances such as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Farm Aid, and President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, Jiménez never forgot his roots. San Antonio remained his home.
As a solo artist, he released several more studio albums in the 1990s and 2000s. His 1992 album, “Partners,” featuring famed guest musicians such as Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Stephen Stills, was inducted into the National Recording Registry.
Jiménez was also a constant at the annual Tejano Conjunto Festival, the first and longest-running conjunto music festival in the nation.
In March 2015, Jiménez suffered a broken hip and two rib fractures in separate falls. But when the 34th Tejano Conjunto Festival rolled around two months later, Jiménez closed out the event.
“I feel like this is the first time I’ve ever performed,” Jiménez told the crowd that night. “After all these years, this is the highlight of my life.”
In April 2019, Jiménez and his longtime co-performer Max Baca entertained a crowd that had gathered at The Squeezebox to celebrate Jiménez’s 80th birthday.
Prior to the birthday bash, Jiménez told the San Antonio Report that, despite aging, a recent knee surgery and other ailments, performing on stage rejuvenated him.
“When I’m onstage I don’t really feel my age, because I always have fun with the guys playing. And of course for the people and for the fans,” Jiménez said at the time.
Local business owner Aaron Peña, who ran The Squeezebox when Jiménez performed at the now-closed North St. Mary’s Street bar several times, offered his condolences on Facebook.
“There will never be another Flaco, and I’m happy I got the opportunity to know him and love him like the rest of the world,” Peña wrote.
