National Endowment for the Arts Statement on the Death of National Heritage Fellow Leonardo "Flaco" Jimenez

Washington, DC—It is with great sadness that the National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the passing of Tejano accordionist, vocalist, and songwriter Leonardo "Flaco" Jimenez of San Antonio, Texas, recipient of a 2012 NEA National Heritage Fellowship as well as a 2022 National Medal of Arts. Born into a family of conjunto musicians in 1939, Leonardo Jimenez led the way in expanding conjunto music from his San Antonio community to new audiences throughout the United States and worldwide.

By age seven, Jimenez was already performing with his father, conjunto pioneer Santiago Jimenez, Sr., earning a nickname that had in the past been attached to his father, "Flaco," or "Skinny."

Conjunto dates back to the 19th century and is a uniquely Texas tradition. It has a distinctive style, featuring influences from the German, Polish, and Czech immigrants who settled in the predominantly Mexican region of the Texan Rio Grande valley and brought with them popular forms of dance music such as the polka, waltz, schottische, mazurka, and redowa. Tied to this style of music is the diatonic button accordion, which was adopted by tejanos, or Texans of Mexican descent. For an audio explanation of the conjunto style, listen to an excerpt of No Seas Tonta Mujer (composed by Manuel Valdenz Cuellar), performed by Flaco Jimenez from the album Best of Flaco Jiménez, used courtesy of Arhoolie Records, by permission of San Antonio Music Publishers Inc. (BMI).

Jimenez apprenticed on the accordion with various San Antonio musicians and built his reputation by performing in San Antonio saloons and dance halls. In 1958, Flaco and his younger brother, Santiago Jiménez, Jr. recorded El Pr’ncipe y el Rey del Acordeón (The Prince and the King of the Accordion).

In the 1960s, Jimenez began playing with Douglas Sahm, the founding member of the Sir Douglas Quintet, and went on to New York to perform with Bob Dylan and Dr. John. He continued to introduce new audiences to conjunto music, expanding to touring internationally.  

In 1999, Jimenez received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Latin Magazine and was inducted into the National Hispanic Hall of Fame and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in New York City. He received five Grammy awards—including three awards for his solo work—plus the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

In 2022, Jimenez was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government. The White House citation read, “For harnessing heritage to enrich American music. The son of a musical family in Texas, Flaco Jimenez mastered the accordion and Spanglish lyrics as a trailblazer of Conjunto. Blending Norteño, Tex Mex, and Tejano music with the Blues, Rock n’ Roll, and Pop Music, he sings the soul of America’s Southwest.”

After learning of his National Medal of Arts, Jimenez said, “This is more than just a career; it has been my life’s work, a way to take care of my family and share a piece of my soul with the world.”