In 1959, Fender recorded the blues ballad "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights." The song became popular in 1959, but he was beset by legal troubles after he and a band member were arrested for possession of marijuana. After a two years in Louisiana's Angola prison farm, he was released through the intercession of Gov. Jimmie Davis, also a songwriter and musician. Davis requested that Fender stay away from music while on probation as a condition of his release. By the end of the 1960s, Fender was back in Texas working as a mechanic, and attending a local junior college, while only playing music on the weekends.
Number One Pop and Country
In 1974, Fender recorded "Before The Next Teardrop Falls." The single was selected for national distribution, and became a number one hit on the Billboard Country and Pop charts. His next four singles, including a remake of "Wasted Days", all hit the number one spot on the Billboard Country charts. During the next few years, Fender had several major country hits, including the No. 1 hits "Secret Love" (1975) and "You'll Lose a Good Thing" (1976).
Texas Tornados
In the 1990s, Fender teamed up with fellow Tex-Mex musicians Doug Sahm, Flaco Jimenez and Augie Myers to form the Tex-Mex supergroup the Texas Tornados, whose work was widely acclaimed. Following the death of Sahm, the production of the Tornadoes slowed.
Los Super Seven
Freddy Fender continued to still be on top with a groundbreaking collaboration with several musical legends to produce another supergroup, Los Super Seven which consisted of David Hidalgo (vocals, guitar, drums, bass, percussion, requinto, hidalguera); Rick Trevino, Joe Ely (vocals, guitar); Flaco Jimenez (vocals, accordion); Cesar Rosas (vocals, six-string bass, guitar, guitarron, jarana); Freddy Fender (vocals, acoustic bass); Ruben Ramos (vocals). This Super Seven effort won a Grammy in 1999.
On February 4, 1999, Freddy's star was installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2004, the Texas Folklife Resources produced a widely acclaimed sell-out show at the Paramount in Austin, Texas " Fifty Years of Freddy Fender", where Freddy was honored and then performed to a packed house. Also in 2004, Freddy's hometown of San Benito Texas honored Freddy with his likeness emblazoned on their new watertower with "Hometown of Freddy Fender". Freddy would later say that this honor meant more to him than any other accolade he had ever won.
Freddy Fender's Masterpiece...
La Musica De Baldemar Huerta
Freddy delves deeply into the music of his forefathers: the boleros and rancheras that would have played in the ghettos of his native San Benito, Texas, and that he sang as a youth in border-town cantinas. Especially gorgeous are "Adios Muchachos," a melancholy meditation on final farewells, and the delicate opener, "Rayito de Luna." El Be Bop Kid isn't just back; he sounds reborn. Freddy won his last Grammy for this album.
Freddy Fender underwent a kidney transplant in 2002 donated by his daughter and a transplant of the liver in 2004. Nonetheless, his condition continued to worsen. He was suffering from an "incurable cancer" in which he had tumors on his lungs. On December 31, 2005, Fender performed his last concert and resumed chemotherapy.
Fender has Passed on...
Rest in Peace, Vaya Con Dios
Freddy Fender passed away on Saturday, October 14, 2006, after a long battle with lung cancer. He is buried in his Hometown of San Benito, Texas.
Plans are underway for a Freddy Fender Museum to be located in his beloved hometown, San Benito, Texas. Check back at: www.freddyfendermuseum.org or
www.freddyfender.com
After The Fire Is Gone
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
after the fire is gone.
The bottle is almost empty.
The clock's just now struck ten.
Darling I had to call you
to our favorite place again.
but the fire's gone out at home.
And there's nothing cold as ashes
after the fire is gone.
Love is where you find it
when you find no love at home.
And there's nothing cold as ashes
after the fire is gone.
(instrumental)
Your lips are warm and tender.
Your arms hold me just right.
Sweet words of love you remember
that the one at home forgot.
Each time we say it's the last time,
but we keep hanging on.
And there's nothing cold as ashes
after the fire is gone.
Love is where you find it
when you find no love at home.
And there's nothing cold as ashes
after the fire is gone.
And there's nothing cold as ashes
after the fire is gone.
"Nothing cold as ashes after the fire is gone” is a metaphor used to describe the aftermath of a relationship that has lost its flame or passion. The song tells the story of two people who are having an affair because the spark has gone out in their respective relationships. The first two lines, "The bottle is almost empty. The clock's just now struck ten," suggest that the two individuals are meeting at a bar or club. They both know that what they are doing is wrong, but their desires have taken over.
The lyrics create a sense of desperation and helplessness because the two individuals keep coming back to each other, even though they know they should stop. This is reiterated in the line, "Each time we say it's the last time, but we keep hanging on." The song highlights the idea that love can be found anywhere, even when there is no love at home.
Overall, "After The Fire Is Gone" is a powerful song that speaks to the complexities of human relationships and the ways we try to navigate them.
Line by Line Meaning
And there's nothing cold as ashes
There is nothing as bleak and dead as ash
after the fire is gone.
after our passionate love has ended
The bottle is almost empty.
We have been drinking heavily
The clock's just now struck ten.
It's still early in the evening
Darling I had to call you
I couldn't resist contacting you
to our favorite place again.
to the place where we've met before
We know it's wrong for us to meet,
We both acknowledge we are doing something wrong
but the fire's gone out at home.
The passion has been extinguished in my primary relationship
Love is where you find it
Love can be found in unexpected places
when you find no love at home.
when your significant other doesn't provide love
Your lips are warm and tender.
Your kiss is soft and loving
Your arms hold me just right.
Your embrace is perfect
Sweet words of love you remember
You say things that my partner has forgotten to say
that the one at home forgot.
things that my partner has neglected to express
Each time we say it's the last time,
We always state that we won't meet again
but we keep hanging on.
Yet we can't resist meeting up once more
And there's nothing cold as ashes
There is nothing as bleak and dead as ash
after the fire is gone.
after our passionate love has ended
Love is where you find it
Love can be found in unexpected places
when you find no love at home.
when your significant other doesn't provide love
And there's nothing cold as ashes
There is nothing as bleak and dead as ash
after the fire is gone.
after our passionate love has ended
Contributed by Natalie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ursula Dixon
My parents raised me on the greatest music of all time! Nothing but good times revisited listening to Freddy!
John Salas
He was my mom's all time favorite artist, I was fortunate to take my mom to a Freddie Fender show.
I also performed many of his songs. RIP ...Freddie
Richard Earnest Walters
i met Freddy Fender in a Bar in Abilene Texas. i bought him a beer. All he said to me was Son do you like my music? i said yes Sir! He said thank you! Downed the beer faster than a cat could lick it's butt and said thank you, and was gone just as fast!
RECYCLED HOOLIGAN
Great country music never gets old only better
Tom Thomson
Love this man's music. I was exposed to his music at a very young age. I like how he would sing some versus of his songs in Spanish. The late 60's to the mid 80's are my favorite period of country music
Ron Bevans
I grew up listening to all his songs my mom loved to hear him sing now she is in heaven to hear once again
Grace Wingert
Rr
Grace Wingert
Rr
Grace Wingert
RrRr
Ellinor Jacobsen
Just love Freddy Fender.. All of his songs <3