Lalo Guerrero was born in Tucson, Arizona on December 24, 1916 (Christmas eve). His father’s origins were in La Paz, Baja California, Mexico and his mother was originally from Santa Ana, Sonora, Mexico. They were married in Cananea, Sonora and came to Tucson in 1911 where they remained the rest of their lives except for a brief attempt at living in Mexico in 1935.
Beginning his recording career in 1938, Lalo Guerrero is called “the father of Chicano music” and “the original Chicano hepcat.” Lalo mused the joys and sorrows,
dreams and frustrations of the Latino-American community and Chicano popular culture and music.
Lalo was invited to the White House in 1980, in celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts, hosted by President and Mrs. Jimmy
Carter. The coveted “Golden Eagle Award” was given to Lalo Guerrero that same year by the Hispanic arts an entertainment organization
Nosotros for his contribution to music. More recently, on June 9, 1989, he again received the “Golden Eagle” for life-time achievement in music. Throughout his lifetime Lalo toured the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico with considerable success, eventually settling into his own nightclub “Lalo’s” from 1960 to 1972. The following year he moved to Palm Springs, California to live and entertain friends and fans at Las Casuelas Nuevas Restaurant in Rancho Mirage.
Lalo was also an author that wrote of his early Latino and black musical influences in Tucson, his budding career in Los Angeles in 1938 that began a recording career with the Los Carlistas quartet, and of his National Medal of the Arts award presented by President Clinton at the White House in 1997.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
RECORDS
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SONGWRITER
|
Vocalion Records (1937)-
Los Carlistas Quartet |
“Cancion Mexicanall (Ranchera)- Lucha
Reyes (1941) |
Imperial Records (1946-52)- Trio Imperial
and solo artist |
Lola Beltran (1960), Performed by Linda
Rondstadt in “live” Mariachi Concerts (current) |
RCA Victor Records (1953)- Solo artist |
“Nunca Jamas” (Bolero)- Trio Los
Panchos (1956) |
Colonial Records (1957-72)’- Solo artist |
Xavier Solis (1960), Jose Feliciano (1970) |
EMI Capitol (Mexico) (1962-92)- Lalo Guerrero
y Las |
Los Randall (1977), Carmela & Rafael
(1978) |
Ardillitas- over 20 Children’s L.P.’s |
“La Minifaida de Reynaldall (Norteno/rock)-
Lalo Guerrero (1968), Los Johnny Jets (1968), Grupo el Tiempo(1992), |
Cap Latino (EMI) (1968-69)- Solo artist-
“La Minifalda de
Reynaldall- (#I song in Latin America) |
Bronco (1992), Mariachi Campana de America
(1993) “El Guiri Guirill (Novelty)- Lalo Guerrero (1962) |
Ambiente Records (1981-82)- Solo Artist-
Parody L.P. Earthbeat Records (Dist. by Warner Bros.) (1994)- Guest
artist with Los Lobos “Music for Little People” |
Luis Perez Meza (1963), Trio Los Mexicanos
(1963) “Pancho Lopez” (Novelty)- Lalo Guerrero (1955) |
|
Los Hermanos Reyes (1956), Motion Picture
(Mexico) (1958) starring Luis Aguilar and Manolin |
“Vamos a Bailar,” “Chicas
Patas Boogie,” Los Chucos Suaves,” and “Marijuana
Boogiell (1950) |
Appeared in the play and movie “Zoot
Suit’ by Luis Valdez. Stage productions; the Mark Taper Forum (1977)
and the Aquarius Theater (1978) in Los Angeles, and the Schubert
Theater (1979) on Broadway in New York; the movie by Universal (1980) |
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AWARDS & HONORS
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TELEVISION
|
National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the
Arts (1991) |
“Steve Allen Show” (1955) |
Golden Eagle Awards-Achievement in Music (1980) and Lifetime Achievement
Award (1989) (Nosotros) |
“Art, Linkletter Show” (1955) |
Smithsonian Institution Bicentennial Folk Music Festival (1976) |
“Siempre en Domingo” (Mexico City) (1970’s) |
Invitation to the Jimmy Carter White House (15th anniversary of
the NEA) |
“Sabado Gigantell (Miarii) (1990’s) |
Tejano Music Hall of Fame |
“La Pastoreiall (PBS) film by Luis Valdez (1991) |
Tribute to Lalo Guerrero- “Lalo & Amigos” at the
McCallum Theater in Palm Desert, California (1992) with guests Edward
James Olmos, Paul Rodriguez, Cheech Marin & Cesar Chavez |
“The Paul Rodriguez Show” (Un4Lvision) Co-host 1993
season |
|
“Culture Clash” (FOX) (1994) |
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