Ladies and gentlemen, Freddy motherfucking Fender!

I can't really explain why I love Freddy Fender so. Honestly, I think it is purely nostalgic, but in a good way. He made a huge impression on me as a kid, even though I didn't always understand his songs, especially the tejano ones. I just learned about his time in Angola and was blown away. How did I not know this story?

From his website bio; "In 1960, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" became a national hit, it also proved to be prophetic for Fender. Early stardom was stolen that year when he and his bass player were arrested and sent to prison for possession of two marijuana cigarettes. Three years later, Fender surfaced in New Orleans, where he spent the next five years further developing his interest in rhythm & blues and Cajun funk. By 1969, Fender had returned home to "The Valley". He worked full time as a mechanic, enrolled at Del Mar College and played music only on weekends.

In 1974, he cut Before The Next Teardrop Falls" in Houston. The master was bought by ABC-Dot, and on April 8, 1975, it reached the Number One spot on Billboard's pop and county charts, the first time in history an artist's first single reached Number One on both charts. His remake of "Wasted Days And Wasted Nights," essentially the same arrangement that had been considered rock and roll the first time around, followed "Teardrop. . " to Number One on the country charts, and his third release, "Secret Love," and fourth release "You'll Lose A Good Thing" also hit the top spot. The album went multi-platinum. Billboard named him Best Male Artist of 1975, and he won both single and album-of the-year honors from The Gavin Report.