European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Profile Freddy fender knows who s Numero Uno by John Windrow Magazine editor Al Ilii knit ii , the hot tin-1 Riecl w a jumping ind then in in Ppd Freddy i i Milit. Ivhon Bills himself .14 Al Numero Uno Tex Miv Al ,1 Roth no performance at the country i a Lorn Luh in of Dunkich across 1he River from url he was resplendent in a while suit Black Lowboy hols a Gold said Freddy incl .1 Gold Belt buckle looked big enough in serve As Armor put on a ship. Ii said Freddy for ukr finder s music ,1 in it Lik nil of rhythm and blues ballads not minus Ami country All spiced wild tin hot throbbing rhythm of his heritage has carried him a lung four Grid sinks and four Gold albums. During ,111 inner View he Fliri Iho Shiv to his i Nipin tinier was inn la his Wilri dirty rolling bark in Albuquerque n.m., in it Sumi filming. Tin Milgra 8c.in film u in Din tied l y Rishi to i dined. Tin a Vii Kisi i on Srihn nit Hills Novi a tells of .1 Small Kirmit s Bailie for rights in Northern new Max to. A i Kerr i scr brr his rot his i be got .1 Small irl. Incl tin movie s l i j. It s my firs Bujor Nui Vii i in i Nanys � diking Wilh Redl Oral is director. I Elurd Villi i . He even Zelfi me Htow to \\.ilk. Hi1 . Gnu walk Over Here then you turn this , you blink ind Wilk Back this any which is 1 a i ton t have to plan i i a ctr Lus Beon in Hoo Oiler movies. In 5/io/f yrs i played .1 Tonkin fender . His Ulvi rink in so id Rufic . I ply Leif pin to he i m lit cd. I roil in p the lure it Nii Ivie fit fender Musk will his san Iii suit. ii , unless i Lieton in Acar Femy air Jacl Horn c. Hui rat in the Valley Border town of Benilo Texas he out poor. His parents were Mir jul farm workers working been in Michigan pickles in Ohio bucking in Indiana Ond picking Collin in Arkansas. His Fri mily would follow the crops North then head Back for Cotton picking time in Dixie. After the Cotton Harvest they resumed to the Alloy for the holidays. Fender he alway asked for a guitar for Christmas. He Learned to play a three Turing guitar and picked up the Songi of the working people he Songi about Good times and bad limes. It save me very much exposure to the people he said right straight up from the ground. When i was Wilh the people picking Collon in Arkansas and i heard the music they were , especially the music the Bucks were playing. There were people working Wilh me who were Good enough to be playing professionally but they were Oul there picking Cotton to make a it was in the Collon Field where the Young Chaj got his exposure la he blues that helped Mold his style. The blues he Sard nodding his head definitely the blues. The blues has always been an influence on me from the very he spoke warmly of . King Muddy Waters Ray Charles and Elmore , Black music really did something to me he said from the time i was a kid hearing it come Oul of a Jukebox in a Camp near Crawford Ark my folks were Oul buying groceries for the week at the company Kore. T remember sneaking into a Black joint la hear the music. The blues really affected me especially the guitarists that and of course co Junta the Texas mexican music he heard is a child. Thai s the people i was Freddy Fendt his his Cottan picking fingers info aft kinds at music. Raised with he . I Ron l know to Call them now. First it Tex men then Chic nos then hispanics. They were my own people from the o. You d go walking Down the Street there were no Street lights on the Corners just the lights from the s they were lighting. And the people were listening to accordions and the music from but fender moved on moved away. I was just in Junior High when i started sins Fig in English. Vou know Jam Bay by Hank Williams and old Deacon lanes by red Foley. For some reason i went against the tradition direction of Chicano. E took a Complete Lurn i even got a lot of negative feedback furn Otti Irr Inus Kijiki. They d say hey Man you think you re hot stuff singing in English " he joined the marines fora three year hitch and admits spending ,1 considerable part of his Lime in the Brig. I Loo Young he said. I was it when 1 joined. Uit Plain irresponsible. I started making mistakes getting into after the corps he returned to Texas playing Beer joints and dance Halls. He recorded in Spanish and then turned out a number of Tex mex rockabilly titles. Crafty crazy baby and wasted Days ind waited nights were Bighill in the South in 1959. He re released wafted Days and woled nights years later and it made an even bigger splash. Be Ore the next Teardrop fulls Wal no. I on the country Fock and pop Charti in 1975, probably his most famous hit. But it was t All Good and it was t All easy. Fender and Hii Bass player were arrested in 1960 in Baton rogue la., for Possession of marijuana. He served three years in the Penitentiary Al Angola. It was hard fender said Wilh resignation but no bitterness in his voice. Now if they catch you with it they just Fine you or maybe just Lake it he paused far a moment to was the first time i Ever saw sugar be he said. And he fell in Ioup Wilh Louisiana music. Released in 1963, he played the clubs in new Orleans for several years picking up More musical influences cajun and Funk. I fell in love with the music he said that s the first time i Ever heard Funk just a Bast Drums and maybe an Organ just the Best hot licks music. You be got to hear the new Orleans musicians Piny Funk. Thi a were ahead of their although fender plays the country Western circuit he does t consider himself a purely country be former. No he said. "1 was a blues Baliad cer Wilh the Good for Lune of making my in country music. I just think country music has expanded to where musically it s attractive enough Lor the Rock n rollers and blues people. The people who like the blues ballads that have always been on the radio a lol of what we used to Call rhythm and blues and Rock v Roll Back in the 50s." fender said country music like the blues always tells a Story. Yeah the blues can be taken Back i guess to any kind of times where anybody is iad and telling a Story about How bad things Are you can Tell what happened and put it into a Lory and it s True and it s real like Willie Nelson singing Blue Cypei crying in the when he took the stage. Fender touched All the bases. He Sang truck driving songs Tex mex country Rock blues ballads rockabilly and Marty bobbins. He Sang Rancho Grande in Spanish. The mostly German audience decked out in Cowboy hats vests jeans and Bool Clappe cheered and Polk aed to the music. His wife Vangie Huena blood against the Back Wall and commented on the colourful costumes she does t Cane for Cowboy hats she said. She got Freddy to Stop wearing one when he performed. We had fights about that hat she did Wilh a laugh he just thinks he s hot stuff in that Cowboy Hal or no Freddy fender is red hot. 20 Tripet a Flint a omber 13, Ash
