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
I Can't Stop Loving You
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I've made up my mind
To live in memory
Of such an old lonesome time
I can't stop wanting you
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life
Those happy happy hours
That we once knew
Though long ago
They still make me blue
They say that time
Heals a broken heart
But time stood still
Since we've been apart
I can't stop loving you
So I've made up my mind
To live in memory
Of such an old lonesome time
I can't stop wanting you
It's useless to say
So I'll just live my life
In dreams of yesterday
The lyrics to Freddy Fender's song "I Can't Stop Loving You" express the deep and painful longing that comes with losing someone you love. The singer of the song has made up their mind to accept that they can't forget their lost love, but instead of moving on and trying to forget, they choose to live in the memory of happier times. The pain of their separation is still a constant presence, making them feel blue even when thinking back to happy moments. The lyrics suggest that, although time is supposed to heal all wounds, this particular heartache still feels fresh and raw, and time has stood still since the breakup.
The chorus of the song highlights the intensity of the singer's feelings: they can't stop loving or wanting their lost love, even if it seems useless to say so. Instead, they will keep on dreaming of times gone by, cherishing the memories they shared even if they can never truly relive them. The lyrics are a poignant reminder that some losses leave a lasting mark, and that even after time has passed, the pain can still feel just as real.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't stop loving you
Despite my efforts, my love for you persists and I cannot overcome it.
So I've made up my mind
I have come to a decision and accept that my love cannot be changed.
To live in memory
Instead of moving on, I will continue to dwell on the past.
Of such an old lonesome time
I recall the time we spent together fondly, but it now feels distant and lonely.
I can't stop wanting you
My desire for you persists, despite the futility of expressing it.
It's useless to say
There is no point in expressing my feelings since you are no longer here.
So I'll just live my life
Despite the longing, I will have to move forward with life as it is.
In dreams of yesterday
I will try to find solace in the memories of our past experiences together.
Those happy happy hours
I hold dear the moments we spent together, when we were both happy.
That we once knew
These moments are now distant and lost in the past.
Though long ago
Even though so much time has passed, the memories still linger.
They still make me blue
Recalling the past is bittersweet and leaves me feeling sad.
They say that time
It is believed that time can heal all wounds.
Heals a broken heart
The pain of heartbreak can fade with time.
But time stood still
However, since we parted, time has not healed my heart.
Since we've been apart
Since our separation, I have not found closure and continue to long for you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Gibson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind