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Flaco Jiménez
FYIInternational
Obituaries: Tex-Mex Musical Pioneer Flaco Jiménez, Opry Country Star Jeannie Seely
This week we also acknowledge the passing of East Coast country star Brent Williams, Philip Glass collaborator Robert Wilson and Junkyard frontman David Roach.
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Brent (Levi Brenton) Williams, a renowned East Coast country singer-songwriter, died on July 28, at age 85.
An obituary forwarded to Billboard Canada by Larry Delaney (Cancountry) reports that "Williams was born in Hassett, Nova Scotia. As a teenager he performed and recorded in the duo Brent & Harry with friend, the late Harry Cromwell.
"During the early 1960’s they both performed with The Beck Family band; and went on as founding members of the Bluegrass band The Birch Mountain Boys. With group leader Vic Mullen, they became an in-demand act on the East Coast circuit, appearing on the famed Don Messer’s Jubilee show. Later, Williams headed-up The Maritime Playboys.
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"On the recording scene, Williams and Cromwell released a pair of albums on the Rodeo Records label, with several singles, 'It Hurts To Say Goodbye' and 'Columbus Stockade Blues,' released to radio.
"Brent Williams's next musical venture was based out of Drummondville, Quebec during a three-year stint with Quebec legend Marcel Martel. He then moved to Toronto in 1965, where he worked the popular Yorkville folk music scene, alongside such notables as Gordon Lightfoot and Ian & Sylvia."
During the early 1970’s Williams scored a pair of nationally charted singles with his Boot Records releases, “Back Home In Georgia” and “Till I Can’t Take It Anymore.” He later signed with Marathon Records, releasing a series of solo albums including On The Go.
His single, “Soft Shoulders And Dangerous Curves,” was released on the Canuck Records label, again attracting national airplay. Williams would go on to record charted singles on the Grand Slam, Boot and Bash Record labels, and then a number of self-produced CD releases on his own Digby Gap label.
He earned a nomination for Outstanding Performance in the 1978 Big Country awards. He also won several fiddle music competitions. During the 1980s, he operated The Welland Hotel, a popular country music club in Ontario.
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In recent times, Williams appeared in the film Steel Kiss working in the musical Café Of Romance and providing musical input for the CBC series, Studio Black.
He was a 2013 inductee of the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award by the African Nova Scotia Music Assoc.; and in 2020 was the recipient of the Stompin’ Tom Music Award presented by the East Coast Music Awards. He recently published his autobiography, Levi Brenton Williams -Before & After Notoriety.
In 1973, Williams was one of the group that founded the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), and he served on the original Board of Directors.
Read a biography on his website here.
International
Flaco Jiménez, the Tejano accordion virtuoso and Grammy winner who helping bring international attention to the conjunto sound, died on July 31, at age 86.
A Billboard obituary called him "a music icon whose virtuosic accordion playing and pioneering contributions to conjunto and Tex-Mex music brought global acclaim to a cherished South Texas tradition."
"Born Leonardo Jiménez in San Antonio, Texas, in 1939, he emerged from a lineage of accordionists. His father, Santiago Jiménez Sr., and grandfather, Patricio Jiménez, were stewards of traditional conjunto music. But Flaco took the accordion beyond its roots, marrying the borderland sounds of polkas, waltzes and rancheras with genres such as country, rock and blues.
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"In doing so, he became the genre’s most visible ambassador, collaborating with international artists such as Willie Nelson, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. Some of these team-ups were with his Tex-Mex supergroup Texas Tornados, alongside Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers and Doug Sahm."
Jiménez began performing at the age of seven with his father and began recording at age fifteen as a member of Los Caporales. Jiménez's first instrument was the bajo sexto, but he later adopted the accordion after being influenced by his father and zydeco musician Clifton Chenier.
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He began working with Doug Sahm, the founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet, in the 1960s. Jiménez later went to New York City and worked with Dr. John, David Lindley, Peter Rowan, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan. These appearances led to greater awareness of his music outside of America. After touring Europe with Cooder he returned to tour in America with his own band, and on a joint bill with Peter Rowan. Jiménez, Rowan and Wally Drogos were the original members of a band called the Free Mexican Airforce.
In 1988, he performed on the hit country single "Streets of Bakersfield" by Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens. The song reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Jiménez also had an entry on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1996 via his collaboration with The Mavericks on their hit "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down," which reached No. 13.
Jiménez won his first Grammy award in 1986 for his album Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio, whose title song was composed by his father. His third Grammy was for another song written by his father, "Soy de San Luis," recorded by the Tejano fusion group Texas Tornados.
The acclaimed Texas Tornados released nine albums between 1990 and 2010 and were a popular attraction on the world/roots music festival circuit.
Starting in 1998, Jiménez was also a member of Los Super Seven, a supergroup that won a Grammy Award for their eponymous album.
An NPR obituary noted that "up until the mid-'70s, Flaco was largely unknown outside of Spanish-speaking Texas, still undiscovered by the anglo music world. He would go on to collaborate with Ry Cooder, Dr. John, Dwight Yoakam, the Texas Tornados and Carlos Santana, and win a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. But the essential Flaco — his nickname means skinny — never lost his roots in the rich musical traditions of Mexican Texas."
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Jiménez collaborated with the Rolling Stones on the track "Sweethearts Together," featured on Voodoo Lounge, and he worked frequently with Ry Cooder, including appearing on Cooder's classic Chicken Skin Music album in 1976. Jiménez appeared on NBC's Saturday Night with Cooder in Nov. 1976.
He appeared as a band member in the 2000 movie Picking Up the Pieces, with Woody Allen and Sharon Stone, and was also featured on the film's soundtrack. His music has been featured on the soundtrack for other movies, including Y Tu Mamá También, El Infierno, The Border, Tin Cup, Chulas Fronteras, and Striptease.
Billboard states that "Jiménez’s storied career spanned more than six decades and brought him countless accolades, including six Grammy Awards. His 1992 album, Partners, was added to the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in 2020, which hailed him as a “champion of traditional conjunto music and Tex-Mex culture.”
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In 2015, the Recording Academy honoured Jiménez with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the National Heritage Fellowship.
In its official tribute, the Texas Music Office stated that "Flaco's cross-genre partnerships helped expose conjunto music to broader audiences and established Flaco as a musical bridge between cultures and generations.
"His influence can still be heard in modern Tejano, norteño, and folk music, where his signature accordion style remains a source of inspiration. As tributes pour in from across the globe, fans and fellow musicians remember not just the virtuosity of Flaco Jiménez, but the joy, pride, and cultural richness he brought to every note. His music lives on, forever woven into the fabric of American and Mexican musical heritage.Flaco was, and will forever be remembered as, a true legend of Texas Music. He will be greatly missed."
As news of his passing spread, Jimenez's peers quickly paid tribute. On their Facebook page, famed Mexican-American band Los Lobos posted that "We're all grieving today at Los Lobos HQ as we react to the sad news of Flaco Jiménez's passing. Cesar [Rosas] shared these words with the San Antonio Express: 'Not only was Flaco my musical mentor, but he was also a dear friend to all of us Los Lobos. He was such a musical influence on me that he made me run out and buy a bajo sexto and start using it in my band. He will forever be in my heart. What a tremendous loss."
Jiménez is also being remembered fondly by Canadian musicians and industry types who were fans of his work.
Veteran Music Express writer Roman Mitz tells Billboard Canada that "I never interviewed Flaco but I did get to meet him after a show at the Horseshoe when he and the other Texas Tornados signed my TT poster. I have a fond memory of when a buddy of mine threw him a Blue Jays hat, which he wore throughout the whole performance."
Noted Toronto drummer Michelle Josef (Prairie Oyster, Hey Stella) was at that same Texas Tornados show, and she offered Billboard Canada this reminiscence: "I had made a record and did a tour with Doug Sahm (Return Of The Formerly Brothers). Fast forward a couple of years and he was in town with the Texas Tornados. I went to hang out and after the show at the Horseshoe I I wound up on the tour bus. Doug, Flaco, Freddie Fender- I was among royalty. Flaco and I became instant buddies and I took him to [music bar[ Grossman's. Flaco had his squeeze box and happily got up and jammed with the band the rest of the night!"
Dave Bidini (Rheostatics, Bidiniband) posted on Facebook that "I met Flaco once, at Ontario Place in Toronto. Have a picture somewhere. One of my favourite musicians of all-time. Pure legend."
Jeannie Seely, a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and trailblazing Grand Ole Opry country music legend, died on August 1, at the age of 85.
Billboard reports that "her death was, due to complications from an intestinal infection. Seely had been battling health issues since last fall and underwent multiple back surgeries this spring, as well as two emergency abdominal surgeries."
Billboard notes that "by 16, Seely was performing on TV station WICU in Erie, Penn. At 21, she moved California and eventually landed a job at Liberty and Imperial Records in Hollywood. She began writing songs for Four Star Music and was a regular alongside Glen Campbell on the TV series Hollywood Jamboree. She also earned a recording deal with Challenge Records.
In 1964, Seely earned the most promising female artist honor from the Country and Western Academy (now the Academy of Country Music). She then moved to Nashville and inked a deal with Monument Records, which released her signature song, “Don’t Touch Me,” in 1966.
2911 Media issued a tribute that notes that "Seely became a vital voice in country music’s evolution from the 1960s onward. With her 1966 breakthrough single 'Don’t Touch Me' — penned by Hank Cochran — Seely earned a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and established herself as a vocalist of deep emotional resonance and stylistic individuality.
"Affectionately nicknamed 'Miss Country Soul,' Seely brought a new level of emotional intimacy and sophistication to the genre, paving the way for generations of female artists to follow. In 1967, she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and later made history as the first woman to regularly host and emcee Opry segments — a major milestone in a traditionally male-dominated institution. She was a mentor, a trailblazer, a truth-teller, and a tireless performer — appearing on the Grand Ole Opry stage over 5,000 times, more than almost any other artist in history."
With duet partner Jack Greene, Seely found chart and touring success in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their hits, including “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You,” earned CMA nominations. Over the course of her solo career, Seely placed more than two dozen singles on the Billboard country charts, including enduring favorites like "Can I Sleep in Your Arms" (later famously recorded by Willie Nelson) and" Lucky Ladies." She also enjoyed success as a songwriter — most notably penning "Leavin’ and Sayin’ Goodbye," a Top 10 hit for Faron Young.
In her later years, Seely launched her own SiriusXM show, “Sundays with Seely,” and released several critically acclaimed albums, including Written in Song and An American Classic, which featured duets with Willie Nelson, Ray Stevens, Steve Wariner and Lorrie Morgan.
Peers paying tribute to Seely included Lee Greenwood, John Berry, Janie Fricke, T. Graham Brown, Moe Bandy, Johnny Lee and T.G Sheppard.
The Aug. 2 Grand Ole Opry show was dedicated in Seely's honour. A memorial service will be announced soon. Friends and colleagues share their fond memories of the star.
Robert Wilson, an experimental theatre stage director and playwright who collaborated with Philip Glass and Lou Reed, died on July 31, at age 83. His website reported that this came "after a brief but acute illness."
That statement also noted that "His works for the stage, on paper, sculptures and video portraits, as well as The Watermill Center, will endure as Robert Wilson’s artistic legacy.”
A Variety obituary reports that the Texas-born Wilson "moved to Brooklyn to pursue a career in art and architecture. While at university, Wilson found himself drawn to the careers of choreographers such as Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and George Balanchine. In 1968, Wilson founded the Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds where he directed his first major works, beginning with 1969’s The King of Spain and The Life and Times of Sigmund Freud.
"As a frequent collaborator with Phillip Glass, Wilson wrote Einstein on the Beach, a seminal opera. Wilson worked with several major figures in the theatre and literature world such as William Burroughs, Susan Sontag and Lou Reed."
"Previously, Wilson was the recipient of the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, an Olivier Award and received a Pulitzer Prize nomination. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the German Academy of the Arts, and held eight honorary doctorate degrees."
On Facebook, esteemed Canadian singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright posted this tribute: “We lost one of the greatest human beings and artists of our time: Bob Wilson. He was not only a visionary but also a man deeply dedicated to his friends and collaborators. He created a gigantic family of like minded people and I was honoured to be part of that.
"I owe so much to Bob. We collaborated on the Shakespeare Sonnets, he came to my premiere of Prima Donna in Manchester, he introduced me to my future husband and great love Jorn, the Watermill Center became a place where I feel welcome and at home. Heaven is lucky to have you and the lighting is going to greatly improve there. Miss you down here."
David Roach, lead singer of L.A.-based hard rock band Junkyard, died on Aug. 1, of an aggressive form of cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma. He was 62.
Roach joined an early version of the band, and was featured on their 1989 self-titled first album, as was guitarist Brian Baker (ex-Dag Nasty/Minor Threat). Junkyard signed to Geffen Records in January 1988, and the Tom Werman-produced debut was described by AllMusic as incorporating "elements of Southern rock, boogie-woogie, and AC/DCism into one compact sound." The album featured the singles "Hollywood" and "Simple Man".
Junkyard toured extensively with the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Black Crowes, who actually opened for Junkyard.
Two years later, Junkyard released Sixes, Sevens & Nines, produced by Ed Stasium and featuring the ballad "Slippin' Away," co-written by Steve Earle.
The band was dropped by Geffen in 1992, with a third album recorded but not released, and disbanded shortly afterwards. The unreleased third album was subsequently issued as XXX and The Joker.
Roach then founded Borracho with members of Promise and Dogs D'Amour, while Baker later joined Bad Religion.
A live Junkyard album, Shut Up – We're Trying to Practice!, was issued in 2000, and Baker, Roach, Patrick Muzingo and Todd Muscat reformed the band, with Tim Mosher (guitar/vocals) added to the lineup. The new lineup recorded the 2003 mini-album Tried and True and toured Europe.
In 2008, the band released an album of previously unreleased material, Put It on Ten and Pull the Knobs Off. In 2017, Junkyard released its first studio album in almost 20 years, High Water, on Acetate Records, and it reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hard Rock Album Sales chart. It was followed, in 2019, by a studio album recorded in 1992, Old Habits Die Hard.
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