Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, the legendary accordionist and Grammy-winning master of conjunto and Tejano music, died Thursday evening at age 86 at his son’s home in San Antonio, Texas. He was surrounded by family members when he passed away following a long illness.
Jiménez’s son Arturo told The Associated Press that his father had been hospitalized in January after developing a blood clot in his leg, during which doctors discovered vascular issues. According to Arturo Jiménez, his father’s last words were “Ya estoy cansado,” which translates to “I’m tired.”
Born on March 11, 1939, in San Antonio’s La Piedrera neighborhood, Jiménez came from a renowned musical family. His father, Santiago Jiménez Sr., and grandfather, Patricio Jiménez, were pioneering figures in the conjunto movement. The younger Jiménez earned his nickname “Flaco,” meaning skinny in Spanish, and began performing with his father at age seven.
Jiménez achieved his first recording success at age 15 as a member of Los Caporales, with his local hit single “Hasta La Vista” released in 1955 on the Tipico label. He refined his conjunto musical skills performing in San Antonio saloons and dance halls throughout the 1960s before gaining broader recognition through his collaboration with fellow San Antonio native Douglas Sahm, founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet.
Throughout his seven-decade career, Jiménez collaborated with numerous acclaimed artists including Bob Dylan, Dr. John, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, Dwight Yoakam and the Rolling Stones. He released more than 25 studio albums across five decades on various labels, from D.L.B. and Arhoolie to Warner Bros. and Arista.
Jiménez won six Grammy Awards during his career, beginning with his first in 1986 for best Mexican-American performance for his album “Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio,” which featured a title song composed by his father. He earned additional Grammys in 1991 as part of the Tejano supergroup Texas Tornados for the song “Soy de San Luis,” and again in 1999 with the supergroup Los Super Seven. His solo albums “Flaco Jiménez” in 1994 and “Said and Done” in 1999 also received Grammy recognition.
In 2015, Jiménez received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also named a 2022 National Medal of Arts recipient by President Joe Biden, though his son Arthur accepted the award on his behalf due to ongoing health issues.
The Texas Tornados, which included Jiménez alongside Sahm, Augie Meyers and Freddy Fender, became known for their Spanglish style and cult classic song “(Hey Baby) Que Pasó?” The group’s fusion approach helped introduce conjunto music to broader audiences beyond traditional Tejano communities.
Conjunto music, which originated in South Texas more than a century ago, blends Mexican heritage with accordion music influences from German, Polish and Czech immigrants. According to the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin, the genre came to represent the Tejano way of life, particularly among agricultural workers, and remains largely unchanged as a symbol binding many Tejano communities.
Jiménez’s musical skills were so widely recognized that German instrument manufacturer Hohner collaborated with him in 2009 to create a signature line of accordions. His album “Partners” was inducted into the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in 2021, and he was inducted into both the National Hispanic Hall of Fame and NYC International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Arturo Jiménez described his father as a humble man who never wanted to be a showman and remained focused on playing music for his fans. He said he was ready to go,” Arturo Jiménez told reporters, noting that his father had begun saying his goodbyes several days before his death.
When Jiménez was named a 2022 National Medal of Arts recipient, the White House honored him for “harnessing heritage to enrich American music” and for blending Norteño, Tex-Mex and Tejano music with blues, rock and roll, and pop music to sing “the soul of America’s Southwest.”
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, described Jiménez as a paragon of Tejano conjunto music who drew millions of listeners into a rich musical world they might not have discovered otherwise. The Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame and Museum expressed appreciation for his musical talent, which brought joy to countless fans.
Jiménez lived his entire life in San Antonio, earning the affectionate title “el hijo de San Antonio” (the son of San Antonio). His family plans to hold a private funeral service followed by a public celebration of his life. A cause of death has not yet been determined.
