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
Almost Persuaded
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Met a girl with a drink in her hand.
She had ruby red lips, coal black hair
And eyes that would tempt any man.
Then she came and sat down at my table,
And as she placed her soft hands in mine,
I found myself wanting to kiss her
For temptation was flowing like wine.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Then we danced and she whispered, "I need you!"
"Take me away from here and be my man."
Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it:
The reflection of my wedding band.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
Last night all alone in a barroom
Met a guy with a drink in his hand.
He had bay blue eyes, coal black hair
And a smile that a girl understands.
Then he came and sat down at my table,
And as he placed his hands over mine,
I found my self wanting to kiss him
For temptation was flowing like wine.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Then we danced and he whispered, "I need you!"
"Let me take you away and be your man."
Then I looked into his eyes and I saw it:
The reflection of my wedding band.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
The lyrics to Freddy Fender's song "Almost Persuaded" describe the singer's encounter with a beautiful woman in a bar. As she sits down at his table and they dance, the temptation to give in to his desires becomes almost overwhelming. He is "almost persuaded" to ignore his conscience and give in to her advances.
However, as they are dancing, he catches a glimpse of his wedding band in her eyes and is reminded of his commitment to his spouse. He ultimately resists the temptation and chooses to go home instead.
The second half of the song mirrors the first, but with the genders reversed. This time, the singer is the one being tempted by a handsome man in a bar. As they dance, the temptation again becomes almost overwhelming, but she ultimately resists when she sees her own wedding band reflected in his eyes.
Overall, the lyrics of "Almost Persuaded" explore the themes of temptation, fidelity, and the choice between fulfilling our desires and staying true to our commitments.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night all alone in a barroom
The singer was by himself in a bar last night.
Met a girl with a drink in her hand.
The singer saw a woman holding a drink.
She had ruby red lips, coal black hair, And eyes that would tempt any man.
The woman was attractive with bold features that caught the singer's attention.
Then she came and sat down at my table, And as she placed her soft hands in mine, I found myself wanting to kiss her For temptation was flowing like wine.
The woman approached the artist and held his hand, causing him to feel the temptation to be with her.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
The artist was close to giving in to the temptation and disregarding his morals.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
The singer was considering ignoring his sense of right and wrong.
Then we danced and she whispered, 'I need you!' 'Take me away from here and be my man.'
The woman expressed her desire to be with the singer and asked him to leave with her.
Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it: The reflection of my wedding band.
The artist noticed that the woman he was tempted by was not his spouse when he saw his own wedding ring in her eyes.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
The artist was almost convinced to cheat on his spouse with a stranger.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
The artist was able to resist temptation and return home because of his love for his spouse.
Last night all alone in a barroom
The singer was by himself in a bar last night.
Met a guy with a drink in his hand.
The artist saw a man holding a drink.
He had bay blue eyes, coal black hair, And a smile that a girl understands.
The man was attractive with features that the singer found appealing.
Then he came and sat down at my table, And as he placed his hands over mine, I found myself wanting to kiss him. For temptation was flowing like wine.
The man approached the singer and touched his hands, causing him to feel the temptation to be with him.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
The singer was close to giving in to the temptation and disregarding his morals.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
The artist was considering ignoring his sense of right and wrong.
Then we danced and he whispered, 'I need you!' 'Let me take you away and be your man.'
The man expressed his desire to be with the artist and asked him to leave with him.
Then I looked into his eyes and I saw it: The reflection of my wedding band.
The singer noticed that the man he was tempted by was not his spouse when he saw his own wedding ring in his eyes.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
The singer was almost convinced to cheat on his spouse with a stranger.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
The artist was able to resist temptation and return home because of his love for his spouse.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Billy Sherrill, Glenn Sutton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind