Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, who passed away on July 31, 2025, at the age of 86, leaves behind one of the most influential legacies in American music. Born on March 11, 1939, in San Antonio, Texas, into a family of conjunto pioneers, Jiménez inherited both the instrument and the ethos of a regional style that he would carry across the world.
His father, Santiago Jiménez Sr., was a foundational figure in conjunto music. Jiménez began playing with him at the age of seven and made his first recordings as a teenager. “Music was in my blood,” Jiménez once said in an interview, explaining that his grandfather Patricio was also an accordionist. The nickname “Flaco,” meaning “skinny,” was inherited from his father as well.
In his early years, Jiménez performed locally in South Texas, joining groups like Los Caporales and Los Caminantes. While deeply rooted in traditional Tejano and conjunto, he always had an ear for experimentation and collaboration. His big break outside Texas came through his work with Doug Sahm in the early 1970s, eventually introducing him to musicians such as Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. “We did it for the love of the music, not for money,” Jiménez recalled in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News, referencing the roots-rock scene that embraced him.
By the 1980s and 1990s, Jiménez had become a bridge between cultures and genres. He recorded with the Rolling Stones on Voodoo Lounge, performed with Carlos Santana and Peter Rowan, and contributed to soundtracks for “Y tu mamá también”, Tin Cup, and Chulas Fronteras. He was a session player on more than 100 albums, easily crossing genre lines. “I just play from the heart,” he often said.
Recognition followed. He won his first Grammy Award in 1986 for the album “Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio”, a tribute to his father. He later earned Grammys with the supergroup Texas Tornados and with Los Super Seven, as well as two additional solo wins. In 2015, he was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. That same decade, he was also awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Medal of Arts in 2022.
Flaco Jiménez never stopped innovating while preserving tradition. His performances often mixed conjunto with polka, cumbia, zydeco, and country. He referred to his fusion style as “música alegre,” or “happy music.” Hohner, a prominent accordion manufacturer, even collaborated with him to produce a line of signature accordions.
Despite worldwide acclaim, Jiménez remained committed to his hometown. He was a regular fixture at San Antonio’s Tejano Conjunto Festival for decades. When health issues kept him from attending in 2025, it marked an emotional moment for the local community. As musician Santiago Jiménez Jr. told the San Antonio Express-News, “When he missed that, we knew something had changed.”
Flaco Jiménez’s final days were spent with family. According to his son, his last words were: “Ya estoy cansado” — “I’m tired.” His passing marks the end of a life that shaped the sound of a genre and expanded the reach of an entire musical tradition. His recordings, his accordion, and his spirit endure. As music historian Ramón Hernández once said, “Flaco didn’t just play conjunto — he globalized it.”
