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Little Joe Y La Familia
Biography
The traditional Tex-Mex style of Norteno, was fused, by Little Joe (born Jose Maria DeLeon Hernadez), with influences of country music, blues and rock to create the uptempo hybrid known as Tejano. Together with his band, Y La Familia Borrachera, Little Joe has enable his music to reach far beyond the Texas and Mexico borders. In 1992, their album, Diez Y Seis De Spetiembre received a Grammy award as Best Mexican American Performance. The seventh of 13 children, Little Joe began playing music in 1953 with his cousin's (David Coronado) band, David Coronado % the Latinaires. Two years later, he performed his first paid gig with the band at a high school sock hop in Cameron, TX. In 1958, Little Joe made his recording debut with the song, "Safari," released by Torrero Records in Corpus Christi, TX. The following year, Little Joe's brother, Jesse, joined the band on bass and vocals. When Coronado left, shortly afterwards, Little Joe assumed leadership of the group. Throughout the early '60s, Little Joe led the band through a series of recordings on small independant labels. Little Joe underwent a personnel transformation after Jesse died in an automobile accident in 1964. Determined to achieve commercial success, he altered his musical approach to include more rock and blues influences.
Selected Discography