View source for Freddy Fender

{{Short description|American Tejano singer (1937–2006)}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name            = Freddy Fender
| image           = Freddy Fender 1974 - cropped.jpg
| caption         = Fender in 1974
| image_size      = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| landscape       = yes
| birth_name      = Baldemar Garza Huerta
| alias           = {{flatlist|
* El Bebop Kid
* Scotty Wayne
}}
| birth_date      = {{Birth date|1937|06|04}}
| birth_place     = [[San Benito, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date      = {{death date and age|2006|10|14|1937|06|04}}
| death_place     = [[Corpus Christi, Texas]], U.S.
| origin          =
| instrument      = {{flatlist|
* [[Singing|Vocals]]
* [[guitar]]
}}
| genre           = {{flatlist|
* [[Tejano music|Tejano]]
* [[Country music|country]]
* [[Rock music|rock]]
* [[swamp pop]]
}}
| occupation      = {{flatlist|
* [[Singing|Singer]]
* [[guitarist]]
}}
| years_active    = 1957–2005
| label           = {{flatlist|
* [[MCA Records|MCA]]
* [[ABC Records|ABC]]
* [[Arista Records|Arista]]
* [[Reprise Records|Reprise]]
}}
| associated_acts = {{flatlist|
* [[Los Super Seven]]
* [[Texas Tornados]]
* Joe Reyes
* Michael Morales
}}
| website         = {{URL|freddyfender.com}}
 {{Infobox military person
   |embed        = yes
   |embed_title  = Military Service
   |allegiance   = {{flag|United States}}
   |branch       = {{flag|United States Marine Corps}}
   |serviceyears = 1953–1956
}}
}}

'''Freddy Fender''' (born '''Baldemar Garza Huerta'''; June 4, 1937 – October 14, 2006)<ref name=obit/> was an American [[Country music|Country]] and [[Tejano music|Tejano]] singer, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups [[Los Super Seven]] and the [[Texas Tornados]]. His signature sound fused [[country music|country]], [[rock music|rock]], [[swamp pop]] and [[Tejano music|Tex-Mex]] styles.

Active since the 1950s, when he got his start playing Spanish-language [[rock and roll]] for Tejano audiences, Fender's mainstream breakthrough came in 1975 with the crossover hit "[[Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)|Before the Next Teardrop Falls]]," which topped ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s pop and country charts. He recorded further country hits such as "[[Wasted Days and Wasted Nights]]," "[[Secret Love (Doris Day song)|Secret Love]]," "[[You'll Lose a Good Thing]]," "[[Living It Down]]," and "[[The Rains Came (song)|The Rains Came]]."

==Early years==
Fender was born in [[San Benito, Texas]], United States,<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=851}}</ref> to Margarita Garza and her Mexican husband, Serapio Huerta. He made his debut radio performance at age 10 on Harlingen, Texas, radio station [[KGBT (AM)|KGBT]], singing a then-hit "Paloma Querida."<ref name=freddy>{{cite journal| last= Kasten| first= Roy |date= March–April 2002| url= http://archives.nodepression.com/2002/03/the-ballad-of-baldemar-huerta/ |title= The Ballad of Baldemar Huerta| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130605192819/http://archives.nodepression.com/2002/03/the-ballad-of-baldemar-huerta/ |archive-date=2013-06-05 | journal= [[No Depression (magazine)|No Depression]]| number= 38| access-date= 2020-02-10 }}</ref>

Fender dropped out of high school at age 16 in 1953, and, when he turned 17, he enlisted for three years in the [[U.S. Marine Corps]].<ref name=freddy /> He served time in the [[Brig (prison)|brig]] on several occasions because of his drinking, and he was [[court-martialed]] in August 1956 and [[military discharge|discharged]] with the rank of private (E-1). According to Fender, he later received a letter from the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]] stating that he wrongfully received a dishonorable discharge because of [[alcoholism]], and he was given a general discharge.<ref name=freddy /> He returned to Texas and played nightclubs, bars, and honky-tonks throughout the south, mostly to Latino audiences. In 1957, then known as El Bebop Kid, he released two songs to moderate success in Mexico and South America: Spanish-language versions of [[Elvis Presley]]'s "[[Don't Be Cruel]]"<ref name="LarkinGE"/> (as "No Seas Cruel") and [[Harry Belafonte]]'s "Jamaica Farewell." He also recorded his own Spanish version of [[Hank Williams]]' "[[Cold, Cold Heart]]" under the title "Tu Frío Corazón" ("Your Cold Heart").

He became known for his [[rockabilly]] music and Eddie con los Shades persona. In 1958, he legally changed his name from Baldemar Huerta to Freddy Fender.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He took the name [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] from the guitar and amplifier, and Freddy because the alliteration sounded good and would "sell better with [[gringo]]s!"<ref name= CStars>{{cite web| url= http://www.countrystarsonline.com/SOWArchive/2006/FreddyFender_CHH.htm| title= Freddy Fender - Thankfully, the legend continues... | first= Cheryl |last= Harvey Hill| website= Countrystarsonline.com| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071011095309/http://www.countrystarsonline.com/SOWArchive/2006/FreddyFender_CHH.htm |archive-date=  2007-10-11 |access-date= 2020-02-10}}</ref> He then relocated to [[California]].

==Initial success==
In 1959, Fender recorded the [[blues ballad]] "[[Wasted Days and Wasted Nights]]."<ref name="LarkinGE"/> His self-penned song was a hit, but he was beset by legal troubles in May 1960 after he and a band member were arrested for possession of [[marijuana]] in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]].<ref name="LarkinGE"/> After serving nearly three years in the [[Louisiana State Penitentiary]], he was released through the intervention of then-governor [[Jimmie Davis]], also a songwriter and musician. Davis requested that Fender stay away from music while on probation as a condition of his release. However, in a 1990 NPR interview on ''[[Fresh Air|Fresh Air with Terry Gross]]'' (rebroadcast October 17, 2006),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6283208 |title=Remembering Freddy Fender |work=NPR |date=17 October 2006 |access-date=2015-08-27}}</ref> Fender said that the condition for parole was to stay away from places that served [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]]. Three singles were released in the early 1960s under the name ''Scotty Wayne''.

By the end of the 1960s, Fender was back in [[Corpus Christi, Texas]], working as a mechanic and attending local institution, [[Del Mar College]],<ref name="LarkinGE"/> while playing music only on the weekends.

==Number one on pop and country charts==
[[File:Freddy Fender singing in 1977.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Freddy Fender performing in 1977]]
In 1974 Fender recorded "[[Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)|Before the Next Teardrop Falls]]."<ref name="LarkinGE"/> The single was selected for national distribution and became a number-one hit on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Country and Pop charts. It sold over a million copies and was awarded a [[Music recording certification|gold disc]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] in May 1975.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book
| first= Joseph
| last= Murrells
| year= 1978
| title= The Book of Golden Discs
| edition= 2nd
| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd
| location= London
| pages= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/357 357–358]
| isbn= 0-214-20512-6
| url-access= registration
| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/357
}}</ref> His next three singles, "[[Secret Love (Doris Day song)|Secret Love]]," "[[You'll Lose a Good Thing]]," and a remake of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," all reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Country chart.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Between 1975 and 1983, Fender charted 21 country hits, including "[[Since I Met You Baby (song)|Since I Met You Baby]]," "[[Vaya con Dios (song)|Vaya con Dios]]," "Livin' It Down," and "The Rains Came." "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" became Fender's second million-selling single, with the gold disc presentation taking place in September 1975.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs" />

Fender was also successful on the pop charts. Besides "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" reaching number one on the pop chart in May 1975, "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights" went into the pop top 10 and "Secret Love" into the top 20. "Since I Met You Baby," "You'll Lose A Good Thing," (his last pop top 40) "Vaya con Dios," and "Livin' It Down" (his last to reach the pop top 100) all did well on the pop chart.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}} 

At the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) Jukebox Awards in 1975, Fender was awarded "Artist of the Year" and "Record of the Year" for having the highest-earning songs played on [[jukebox]] machines in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Freddy Fender captures top JB awards, will play for MOA stage show |magazine=[[Play Meter]] |date=October 1975 |volume=1 |issue=10 |page=22 |url=https://archive.org/details/play-meter-volume-1-number-10-october-1975-600dpi/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%201%2C%20Number%2010%20-%20October%201975%20%28Compressed%29/page/20 |access-date=4 June 2021}}</ref>

===Swamp pop influences===
Fender was heavily influenced by the [[swamp pop]] sound from southern Louisiana and southeast Texas as is shown by his recording swamp pop standards on his 1978 album ''[[Swamp Gold]]''. One of his major hits, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," has a typical swamp pop ballad arrangement. Fender associated with swamp pop musicians such as [[Joe Barry (singer)|Joe Barry]] and [[Rod Bernard]] and issued many recordings on labels owned by [[Huey P. Meaux]], a [[Cajuns|Cajun]] who specialized in swamp pop. As music writer John Broven observed, "Although Freddy was a [[Chicano]] from Texas marketed as a country artist, much of his formative career was spent in South Louisiana; spiritually, Fender's music was from the Louisiana swamps."<ref name=Broven>John Broven, ''South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous'' (Gretna, La.: Pelican, 1983), pp. 281-82. See also Shane K. Bernard, ''Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues'' (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1996), 64-65.</ref>

==Later years==
===Texas Tornados===
In 1989, Fender teamed up with fellow [[Tejano music|Tex–Mex]] musicians [[Doug Sahm]], [[Flaco Jiménez]], and [[Augie Meyers]] to form the [[Texas Tornados]], whose work meshed [[conjunto]], [[Tejano music|Tejano]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[Country music|country]], and [[blues]] to wide acclaim. When the Texas Tornados went to audition for Warner Bros. Records, Fender did not think that the group was strong enough, so he brought his own band. The audition was nearly a bust, because he played country music and that was not what the executives were looking for. Fender was persuaded to play some vintage rock and blues numbers, which was what the executives were looking for, and was subsequently given a record contract. After being a solo act, Fender was not sure if signing with a group was a good thing, but according to Fender, he "just wanted to record for a major label."<ref>{{Cite news|title = "Winds of Change" Chicago Tribune|last = Hurst|first = J|date = July 19, 1991|work = newspaper}}</ref> 

The group released four albums and won a [[Grammy Award]] in 1990 for Best Mexican American Performance for the track "[[Soy de San Luis]]". Fender described the group in this way: "You've heard of [[New Kids on the Block]]? Well, we're the Old Guys in the Street." Following the death of Sahm, the Tornados' production slowed. A live 1990 appearance on TV's ''[[Austin City Limits]]'', one of three the group made, was released in 2005 as part of the ''Live From Austin, Texas'', series.<ref name="Tarradell">Tarradell, Mario. [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/obituaries/stories/101506dntexfender.3aa74e12.html "Singer Freddy Fender dies at age 69"], ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'', 15 October 2006.</ref>

===Los Super 7===
In the late 1990s, Fender joined another supergroup, [[Los Super Seven]], with [[Los Lobos]]' [[David Hidalgo]] and [[César Rosas]], Flaco Jiménez, [[Ruben Ramos (musician)|Ruben Ramos]], [[Joe Ely]], and country singer [[Rick Trevino]]. The group won a 1998 Grammy in the Mexican American Performance category for their [[Los Super Seven (album)|self-titled disc]].<ref name="Tarradell" />

===Later work===
In 2001, Fender made his final studio recording, a collection of classic Mexican [[bolero]]s titled ''[[La Música de Baldemar Huerta]]'' that brought him a third Grammy award, this time in the category of [[Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop or Urban Album|Latin Pop Album]]. Joe Reyes, who worked with Fender in 2004 for a Texas Folklife and Austin tribute titled "Fifty Years of Freddy Fender," said of the album: "When he did Mexican standards at that point in his career, I expected it to be good because he's a perfectionist. But that record is so beautifully recorded; his voice is perfection. I was so proud it was coming back to his roots."<ref name="Tarradell" />

==Death and legacy==
On March 13, 2001, Fender was [[List of premature obituaries|erroneously reported to be dead]] by ''Billboard''. He laughed off the magazine's error.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fernandez |first=Sara Lee |title=Qué pasó: Despite magazine report, Fender's OK |url=http://web.caller.com/2001/march/16/today/localnew/20398.html |access-date=2 May 2014 |newspaper=CC Caller Times |date=March 16, 2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502232321/http://web.caller.com/2001/march/16/today/localnew/20398.html |archive-date=2 May 2014 }}</ref> He underwent a [[kidney]] [[Organ transplantation|transplant]] in 2002, with the organ being donated by his daughter, and underwent a [[liver]] transplant in 2004. Nonetheless, his condition continued to worsen. He was suffering from an "incurable [[cancer]]" which had left him with tumors on his lungs.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}} 

On June 5, 2005, Fender was present for the dedication of a $1.4 million [[water tower]] in San Benito. The tower bears an image of Fender along with the words "San Benito Hometown of Freddy Fender," and is visible when driving east on [[U.S. Route 83 in Texas|U.S. Route 83]] through San Benito.<ref name="KGBT 4 Archives - Freddy Fender Water Tower Dedication (June 5, 2005)">{{cite web |title=KGBT 4 Archives - Freddy Fender Water Tower Dedication (June 5, 2005) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4QIDSXQqZM  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/f4QIDSXQqZM |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|website=YouTube | date=7 July 2009 |access-date=September 18, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On December 31, 2005, Fender performed his last concert and resumed [[chemotherapy]].

He died on October 14, 2006, at the age of 69 of [[lung cancer]] at his home in Corpus Christi, Texas, with his family at his bedside. He was buried in his hometown of San Benito.<ref name=obit>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/14/AR2006101400595.html|title=Tex-Mex Singer Freddy Fender Dies at 69|first=Lynn|last=Brezosky|date=15 October 2006|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

He said in a 2004 interview with the Associated Press that he wished to become the first Mexican American inducted into the [[Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum|Country Music Hall of Fame]].<ref name=obit />

A Freddy Fender Museum and The Conjunto Music Museum opened November 17, 2007, in San Benito. They share a building with the San Benito Historical Museum. His family maintains the Freddy Fender Scholarship Fund and donates to philanthropic causes that Fender supported.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}

==Film credits==
In 1988, Fender played the mayor of a small town in the [[Robert Redford]]–directed film, ''[[The Milagro Beanfield War]]''.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He appeared as Tony in the prison movie, ''[[Short Eyes (film)|Short Eyes]]'', a 1977 film adaptation, directed by Robert M. Young, of the Miguel Pinero play. Fender also played the role of [[Pancho Villa]] in 1979's ''[[She Came to the Valley]]'' (later released as ''Texas in Flames''). The movie was directed by [[Albert Band]] and based on the book by Cleo Dawson. Fender appeared as himself in an episode of the television series ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]''.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}} 

==Discography==
===Albums===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
! colspan="2"| Certifications
|-
! style="width:45px;"| <small>[[Top Country Albums|US Country]]</small>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>[[Billboard 200|US]]</small>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>[[Kent Music Report|AUS]]</small><ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=110}}</ref>
! style="width:45px;"| <small>CAN</small>
! <small>[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]</small>
! <small>[[Music Canada|CRIA]]</small>
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Before the Next Teardrop Falls]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 20
| style="text-align:center;"| 42
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
| style="text-align:center;"| Gold
| style="text-align:center;"| Gold
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1975
| ''[[Recorded Inside Louisiana State Prison]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''[[Are You Ready for Freddy?]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 41
| style="text-align:center;"| 97
| style="text-align:center;"| 34
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''[[Since I Met You Baby (album)|Since I Met You Baby]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 10
| style="text-align:center;"| 203
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1976
| ''[[Rock 'n' Country]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 59
| style="text-align:center;"| 98
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''[[Your Cheatin' Heart (Freddy Fender album)|Your Cheatin' Heart]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''[[If You're Ever in Texas]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| style="text-align:center;"| 170
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1977
| ''[[The Best of Freddy Fender]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
| style="text-align:center;"| 155
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''[[If You Don't Love Me]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 34
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''[[Merry Christmas / Feliz Navidad]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1978
| ''[[Swamp Gold]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| 44
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''His Greatest Recordings''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1979
| ''[[Tex-Mex (album)|Tex-Mex]]''<sup>A</sup>
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''[[The Texas Balladeer]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| 1980
| ''Together We Drifted Apart''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| 1982
| ''The Border Soundtrack''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1991
| ''The Freddy Fender Collection''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| ''Favorite Ballads''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| 2001
| ''Forever Gold''
| style="text-align:center;"| 70
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| 2002
| ''[[La Música de Baldemar Huerta]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|}
* <sup>A</sup>''Tex Mex'' peaked at No. 6 on the ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Country Albums chart in Canada.<ref>{{cite news|title=RPM Country 25 Albums|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4736&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4736.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4736|access-date=September 29, 2015|work=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]|date=May 26, 1979}}</ref>

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:20em;"| Single
! colspan="8"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| [[Music recording certification|Certifications]]<br /><small>([[List of best-selling music artists|sales threshold]])</small>
! rowspan="2"| Album
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:40px;"| [[Hot Country Songs|US Country]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref name="whitburn2010">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–2010|publisher=Record Research, Inc|page=308|year=2011|isbn=978-0-89820-188-8}}</ref>
! style="width:40px;"| [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|US AC]]<br /><ref>{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=84}}</ref>
! style="width:40px;"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN Country]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[Canadian Singles Chart|CAN]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN AC]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[Recorded Music NZ|NZ]]
! style="width:40px;"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]
|-
| 1960
! scope="row"| "Holy One"
| —
| 107
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| {{n/a}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1975
! scope="row"| "[[Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)|Before the Next Teardrop Falls]]"
| 1
| 1
| 19
| 1
| 6
| 18
| 2
| 1
| style="text-align:left;"|
* [[Recording Industry Association of America|US]]: Gold<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Freddy%20Fender&title=Teardrop&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - April 11, 2011: "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" certified awards|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=April 11, 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''Before the Next Teardrop Falls''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Wasted Days and Wasted Nights]]"
| 1
| 8
| 9
| 2
| 6
| 14
| 1
| 9
| style="text-align:left;"|
* US: Gold<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Freddy%20Fender&title=Wasted&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50|title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum - April 11, 2011: "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" certified awards|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=April 11, 2011}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Since I Met You Baby (song)|Since I Met You Baby]]"
| 10
| 45
| —
| —
| 52
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Since I Met You Baby''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Secret Love (Doris Day song)|Secret Love]]"
| 1
| 20
| 10
| 1
| 38
| 7
| 10
| 33
|
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Are You Ready for Freddy?''
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1976
! scope="row"| "[[The Wild Side of Life]]"
| 13
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Since I Met You Baby''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[You'll Lose a Good Thing]]"
| 1
| 32
| 28
| —
| —
| —
| 24
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''Rock 'N' Country''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Vaya con Dios (song)|Vaya con Dios]]"
| 7
| 59
| 41
| 1
| —
| 48
| —
| —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Living It Down]]"
| 2
| 72
| —
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;"| ''If You're Ever in Texas''
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1977
! scope="row"| "[[The Rains Came (song)|The Rains Came]]"
| 4
| —
| —
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Rock ’n’ Country''
|-
! scope="row"| "If You Don't Love Me<br />(Why Don't You Just Leave Me Alone)"
| 11
| —
| —
| 16
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| ''If You Don't Love Me''
|-
! scope="row"| "Think About Me"
| 18
| —
| —
| 10
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1978
! scope="row"| "If You're Looking for a Fool"
| 34
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Talk to Me"
| 13
| 103
| —
| 10
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''Swamp Gold''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[I'm Leaving It Up to You|I'm Leaving It All Up to You]]"
| 26
| —
| —
| 20
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1979
! scope="row"| "Walking Piece of Heaven"
| 22
| —
| —
| 13
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Tex-Mex''
|-
! scope="row"| "Yours"
| 22
| —
| —
| 23
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| ''The Texas Balladeer''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Squeeze Box (song)|Squeeze Box]]"
| 61
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1980
! scope="row"| "My Special Prayer"
| 83
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Please Talk to My Heart]]"
| 82
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Together We Drifted Apart''
|-
| 1983
! scope="row"| "Chokin' Kind"
| 87
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
| {{n/a}}
|-
| colspan="11" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart
|}

==Honors and awards==
[[File:Freddy Fender Hollywood Star.jpg|thumb|right|Fender's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]
* Academy of Country Music (1975) — "Most Promising Male Vocalist"
* Country Music Association (1975) — "Single of the Year" for "[[Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)|Before the Next Teardrop Falls]]"
* Grammy nominations in 1975, 1976, and 1997
* Tejano Music Hall of Fame (1987)
* Inaugural Balls — Presidents [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George H. W. Bush]]
* Grammy Award for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album (1990) — for the Texas Tornados
* European Walk of Fame (1993) — in Rotterdam, the Netherlands
* Freddy Fender Lane (1994) — dedicated in his hometown of San Benito, Texas
* Hollywood Walk of Fame (1999)
* Texas Music Hall Of Fame (1999)
* Nashville Sidewalk of Stars (1999)
* Grammy Award "Best Mexican/American Performance" (1999) — for Los Super Seven
* Louisiana Hall Of Fame (2001)
* Grammy Award "Best Latin Pop" (2002) — for ''La Musica de Baldemar Huerta''
* Annual Freddy Fender Humanitarian Award
* The Freddy Fender Water Tower in San Benito besides STEAM Academy (2009)
* Texas Historical Marker – for contributions to Tejano, rock, and country music (2023)

== See also ==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* [[Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps]]
{{clear}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* Tucker, Stephen R. (1998). "Freddy Fender." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp.–170–71.
* John Broven, ''South to Louisiana: Music of the Cajun Bayous'' (Gretna, La.: Pelican Press, 1983).
* Shane K. Bernard, ''Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues'' (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1996).

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080325121839/http://www.freddyfendermuseum.com/ Freddy Fender Museum]}}
* [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p75556/biography|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic]
* {{discogs artist|Baldemar Huerta|name=Baldemar Huerta}}
* {{discogs artist|Freddy Fender (2)}}
* {{discogs artist|Eddie Medina (2)|name=Eddie Medina}}
* {{discogs artist|Scotty Wayne|name=Scotty Wayne}}
* [https://www.45cat.com/artist/scotty-wayne Singles by Scotty Wayne at 45cat.com]
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6283208 "Remembering Freddy"], [[National Public Radio]], ''[[Fresh Air]] with [[Terry Gross]]'', October 17, 2006. A remembrance of Fender and his music with other links.
* {{Find a Grave | id=16174412 | name=Freddy Fender}}
* {{IMDb name|0271733}}

{{Freddy Fender}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fender, Freddy}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:21st-century American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American musicians of Mexican descent]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Texas]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in Texas]]
[[Category:Dot Records artists]]
[[Category:Epic Records artists]]
[[Category:Gold Star Records artists]]
[[Category:Grammy Award winners]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American military personnel]]
[[Category:Imperial Records artists]]
[[Category:Kidney transplant recipients]]
[[Category:Liver transplant recipients]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Texas]]
[[Category:Musicians from Corpus Christi, Texas]]
[[Category:People from San Benito, Texas]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas]]
[[Category:Swamp pop music]]
[[Category:Tejano musicians]]
[[Category:Texas Tornados members]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War]]