Flaco Jiménez, the Tejano music icon whose virtuosity on the accordion and pioneering contributions to conjunto and Tex-Mex music brought global recognition to a South Texas tradition, has passed away at the age of 86. His family confirmed his passing on Thursday night, July 31, through a statement shared on his official social media pages.
“It is with great sadness that we share tonight the loss of our father, Flaco Jimenez. He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely,” wrote family members Arturo and Lisa Jimenez, Gilbert and Cynthia Jimenez, and Javier and Raquel Fernandez on his Facebook page. “His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans.”
The family also requested privacy during this difficult time and expressed their gratitude to the fans who supported his music throughout the years. The Grammy-winning artist had been hospitalized since January, when a message posted on his Facebook account mentioned he was “facing a medical hurdle.
” From Musical Heritage to International Icon Born Leonardo Jiménez in 1939 in San Antonio, Texas, Flaco came from a lineage of accordionists. His father, Santiago Jiménez Sr., and grandfather, Patricio Jiménez, were keepers of traditional conjunto music. But Flaco took the accordion beyond its cultural roots, blending the borderland sounds of polkas, waltzes, and rancheras with genres like country, rock, and blues. In doing so, he became the most visible ambassador of Tex-Mex music on the global stage.
Throughout his career, he collaborated with international artists including Willie Nelson, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones. Many of these collaborations took place through his Tex-Mex supergroup Texas Tornados, alongside Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers, and Doug Sahm.
Over Six Decades of Musical Legacy Jiménez’s career spanned more than six decades and earned him numerous honors, including six Grammy Awards. In 2020, his 1992 album Partners was added to the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry, which recognized him as “a champion of traditional conjunto music and Tex-Mex culture.”
