Photos by Al Rendon
A native son of the Westside of San Antonio, Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez learned to play and write songs from his father Santiago Jiménez, who learned from his father, Patricio Jiménez. The family, all proud Texans, were once residents of the “Mexican Village” of Brackenridge Park early in the last century.
Jiménez is a music industry legend who has won six Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Other awards include the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award, the Tejano Music Award, the Texas Medal of Arts with his brother Santiago, a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts, a Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalists from the Americana Music Association, the Top of Texas Award from the Country Music Association of Texas, and
the History-Making Texas Award from the Texas State History Museum Foundation. All Texans can be proud of “Flaco” for his contributions to song and music over the past six decades.
Jiménez contributed to popularizing conjunto and accordion music with his performances with Willie Nelson, Buck Owens, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dlyan, the Texas Tornados, Flaco and Max; Max Baca and Los Texmaniacs, and with the Mavericks. In addition, he has performed in movies with Woody Allen.
A photograph of Flaco Jiménez by San Antonio photographer Al Rendon was recently acquired by the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
Jiménez is a musical genius whose music has entertained generations of music lovers from across the world. The National Recording Registry selected one of
his albums recently 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.”
***Flaco Jiménez merits the Hidalgo Award* or Lifetime Achievement Award* from the Bexar County Court for
enriching and promoting Tejano, Mexican, and conjunto music. Flaco is among the few Texas artists whose music has reached fans worldwide.
