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
Turn Around
FREDDY FENDER Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn around I'll be following you, when you need someone to care
And you need a love to share, turn around I'll be following you
Turn around I'll be walking behind you, with a love that's true and never ever die
Maybe someday honey you'll see, that this love was meant for only me
Turn around I'll be following you,
Turn around I'll be walking behind you, with a love that real and never ever die
Maybe someday you're going to see that your love is meant to be for only me
Freddy Fender's hit song 'Turn Around' is a soulful ballad that speaks about the loneliness and pain one feels in life when they are devoid of any love and support. The opening verse talks about being all alone, feeling low, and the world looking down upon you. The singer urges the person in distress to turn around and see that he is following them and is always there for them. He promises to be there for them whenever they need someone to care and a love to share. The lyrics bear witness to the true compassion and love that the singer holds for the subject, and he reassures them that he will never leave their side.
In the subsequent verses, the artist continues to express his love and devotion with lines such as "with a love that's true and never ever die." He hopes that someday the subject will realize that the love he offers is meant for only him. The recurring refrain "turn around I'll be following you" reinforces the idea of the artist being a constant support system in the subject's life.
Overall, the song is about the unwavering support and love that the singer offers to the subject, even in the darkest of times. The lyrics are simple yet heart-touching, and the melody adds to the emotional depth of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
When your all alone and blue and the world looks down on you
Whenever you're feeling lonely or disheartened, and everything seems to be against you
Turn around I'll be following you, when you need someone to care
Just turn around and I'll be there, whenever you need someone to take care of you
And you need a love to share, turn around I'll be following you
Whenever you feel like you need someone to love and share your feelings with, I'll be there for you
Turn around I'll be walking behind you, with a love that's true and never ever die
I'll be walking behind you with a love that's genuine and will never fade away
Maybe someday honey you'll see, that this love was meant for only me
Perhaps one day you'll realize that the love between us was destined to be ours alone
Turn around I'll be following you
Just remember to turn around, and you'll find me following you
Turn around I'll be walking behind you, with a love that real and never ever die
I'll be right behind you with a love that's true and will last forever
Maybe someday you're going to see that your love is meant to be for only me
Perhaps one day you'll realize that your love belongs to me alone
Turn around I'll be following you
Just remember to turn around, and you'll find me following you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRIS SMITH, LEWIS SAM NITIKMAN, MATTHEW R T GERRARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind