|
Little Joe & La Familia is one
of the most popular Tex-Mex bands around today. Joe Hernandez has been
entertaining for more than 35 years, and has been described as the “King of The
Brown Sound.” He also helped pioneer “Tejano” music, a mix of traditional
“norteno” music and country, blues and rock styles. Jose Maria DeLeon Hernandez
“Little Joe” was born to Salvador “La Cotorra” Hernandez and Amelia DeLeon
Hernandez in a three wall dirt floor car garage in Temple, Texas on a cold and
stormy night on October 17, 1940. He was the seventh child of thirteen. In
1953, Joe’s cousin, David Coronado, who fronted a band called “David Coronado
& The Latinaires” recruited Joe for guitar, Cino Moreno for drums and Tony
Matamoros on saxophone to join his band. In 1955, Joe would make his first
paying performance in Cameron, Texas for $5.00 at a high school Sock Hop. He
was so excited. He realized that picking a guitar beat picking cotton and he
still got paid for it. In 1958, Joe would make his recording debut as a
guitarist for Torrero Records in Corpus Christi, Texas. The song was an
instrumental single entitled “Safari Part I & II” which was composed by all
the members of the Latinaires. In 1959, Jesse,
Joe’s younger brother who was the bassist, singer and songwriter would join the
band, David Coronado was leaving. Joe took over the band renaming it “Little
Joe & The Latinaires”. In 1964,
Jesse was killed in an auto accident. Joe then made a vow at Jesse’s graveside
to carry his music to the top, not
realizing how high his music would take him or how many doors he would open for
other artists or how many trends he would set. In the 60’s Joe would sign with
the Texas based independent record companies, starting with his first record
deal, Corona Records in San Antonio. The next deal was with Valmon Records in
Austin, and later Zarape Records in
Dallas. Joe ventured into his own independent company in 1968, “Buena Suerte
Records” for his Spanish recordings and “Good Luck Records” for his English
recordings. Also to follow would be “Leona Records”, a label also owned by Joe
and a distribution deal with Freddy Records in Corpus Christi, Texas which would keep Joe independent through the
70’s and early 80’s. In 1970, after playing and spending
much of his time in San Francisco and the Bay Area, Joe discovered “Latinismo”,
a strong Latin musical world which was not found in Texas at that time. It had
a profound change in his music and his cultural values which prompted him to
change the name of the band from The Latinaires to La Familia. Joe wanted more
knowledge of his heritage and roots. In 1983, Joe signed his first major deal
with WEA International. After leaving WEA, Joe would once again go independent
and form “Redneck Records” where he recorded the live double album “25th Silver
Anniversary” in 1985. This album was placed with CBS which later became Sony
Discos International. While with Sony Discos, Joe would
be a two-time Grammy nominee. In 1992 Joe received his Grammy Award for “Diez Y
Seis De Septiembre” for the Best Mexican American Performance Category in 1991.
Part of his vow to Jesse would be fulfilled.
After leaving Sony the following year, going independent once again, Joe
would receive his third Grammy nomination for his first recording “Que Paso”
under his record label, Tejano Discos International. In 1996, Joe would appear on the 1997 Grammy
nominated album “Frank Yanchovich & Friends, Songs of the Polka King, Vol.
1” in which he performed a duet with Frank Yanchovich on the song “Just
Because/Si Porque.” |