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
Pledging My Love
Freddy Fender Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always and forever I’ll love only you
Just promise me darling
Your love in return
May this fire in my soul dear
Forever burn
To keep, love and to hold
Making you happy's my desire
Keeping you is my goal
Forever I'll love you
For the rest of my days
I’ll never part from you
Or your loving ways
Just promise me darling
Your love in return
May this fire in my soul dear
Forever burn
My heart's at your command dear
To keep, love and to hold
Making you happy's my desire
Loving you is my goal
Forever I'll love you
For the rest of my days
I’ll never part from you
Or your loving ways
Just promise me darling
Your love in return
May this fire in my soul dear
Forever burn
The lyrics to Freddy Fender's song "Pledging My Love" express a deep and unwavering devotion to a loved one. The singer is promising to love their partner forever, with an unbreakable commitment to keeping them happy and fulfilling their desires. The repetition of "Forever my darling" and "Forever I'll love you" emphasizes the enduring nature of this love, and the sense that nothing can come between the two partners.
The second verse reinforces these ideas, with the singer offering their heart to their partner and promising to do whatever it takes to keep them happy. The final verse echoes the sentiments of the first two, with the singer insisting that they will never part from their partner or their "loving ways." Throughout the song, the idea of "burning" with love is emphasized, suggesting a passionate and all-consuming connection between the partners.
Overall, the lyrics to "Pledging My Love" are a powerful expression of devotion and commitment, with a sense of deep emotional intensity that is underscored by the song's soft, romantic melody. It speaks to the power of love to sustain us, even in difficult times, and the importance of finding someone to share our lives with in a loving, supportive way.
Line by Line Meaning
Forever my darling our love will be true
Our love will last forever and will always be true.
Always and forever I’ll love only you
I will always love you and you alone forever.
Just promise me darling
Your love in return
May this fire in my soul dear
Forever burn
Please promise me, my dear, that you will always love me in return and keep the love between us burning bright forever.
My heart's at your command dear
To keep, love and to hold
Making you happy's my desire
Keeping you is my goal
My heart belongs to you, and I will do anything to keep and make you happy, because my goal is to spend my life with you.
Forever I'll love you
For the rest of my days
I’ll never part from you
Or your loving ways
I will love you forever, for all of my days, never leaving your side and always cherishing your loving ways.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Robey, Fats Washington
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hwright212
This man will in my heart as a all time great.I don't know if he sang from experience but it always came across as what everyone could relate to in life. Have enjoyed listening to him for years Thank you all you done for the music industry. R. i p . .Your music will live on forever !
@beanyrich2764
THESE OLD SONGS ARE SO GRATE ,MAKES YOU JUST CRY. REMEMBERING OLD LOVE.
@looneytunes1957
I listen to Mr. Finder in my Grandma 1967 ford truck on 8 track, I'm 63 now RIP Mr. Finder, thank you 4 the great music
@elenaprichard1846
Love this song I close my eyes and see my husband and I dancing to it
@sharonlinville261
I. Can. Too. My. Husband. And. Me. I. Love. And. Miss. My. Husband f. Emmett.
@KSW1313
beautiful song.....love Freddie Fender
@veronicabaca9143
I absolutely love this song 🎵 My grandfather gained his angel wings about a month ago. Him & my grandmother were married over 75 years❤ I call her weekly and sing this song to her!
@charlottegrubb1793
I think that Freddy could have sung the telephone directory and made it sound good. Love this song.
@bdlestacio
I.m retired, all i have to do is listen to a good music like this one.
@rosiefuqua5520
I met Freddy at airport, We talked for awhile,. He was so friendly.. Talked like we had been friends for years . will always love him . Gone but never forgotten.RIP me amor .