This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a true visionary who helped redefine Texas-Mexican music.
Balde González was born on May 30, 1928, in Beeville, Texas. As a child, he attended the Texas School for the Blind in Austin, where he learned to play a variety of instruments. In 1948, González returned to Beeville. By the 1950s, he was leading one of the most popular orquestas, or orchestras, in the state. Blending traditional Texas-Mexican music with pop, jazz, and big band swing, Balde González helped pave the way for the emergence of Tejano by the late 1970s.
Balde González moved to Houston in the 1960s, where he continued to perform until his death in 1974. In 1985, he was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame.
Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll celebrate an educator whose legacy continues to resonate across the state.
