Posted 9-18-06

Grammy Winner Battling Cancer
Freddy Fender fans around the world are saddened over the announcement last month that the Grammy award-winning singer has been diagnosed with incurable cancer after doctors found multiple tumors on his lungs. The tumors were discovered when the singer went in for an operation to remove the upper left lobe of his lung because of a fungal infection.

An entertainment icon since the ‘50s when he emerged as a Hispanic/pop star, a country pop star in the ‘70s and a member of the Grammy award-winning Texas Tornadoes in the ‘90s, his amazing career has spanned nearly four decades. Growing up in a poor Hispanic barrio, he is a self-taught singer who learned by watching and listening at weddings and other events in the neighborhood. He made his first performance at age 10 on radio singing a current hit “Paloma Querida,” followed by another performance that won him a tub of food worth about $10 as the first prize in an amateur talent contest.

The blues music he heard in the field where he worked alongside his migrant worker parents and fellow workers who were black laid the groundwork for the sound that would become an integral part of his own unique style.

He joined the Marines at the age of 16 for a three-year stint and after his discharge, began playing Texas honky tonks and dance halls. Two of his first records, Spanish versions of Elvis’ “Don’t be Cruel” and Harry Belafonte’s “Jamaica Farewell” on Falcon Records went to Number One in Mexico and South America in 1957. When Hollywood called two years later, he changed his given name, Baldemar Huerta, taking Fender from the headstock of his electric guitar and picking Freddy for his first name.

Among his most famous hits, “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” (1960), became a national hit; “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” (1974) reached the number one spot on Billboard’s pop and country charts, the first time in history an artist’s first single reached number one on both charts. When his album went multi-platinum, Billboard named him Best Male Artist of 1975.

Fender’s broad appeal has been reinforced by his success with cinema and television projects, including his breakthrough performance in the Robert Redford 1987 epic “Milagro Beanfield War. In the ‘90s, his role as vocalist/guitarist in the Texas Tornados delivered the venerable performer to major marketplaces and audiences traditionally oriented toward roots rock and progressive blues music.

Introduced by David Letterman to his late night audience as “one of the greatest voices in all of music,” Fender’s talents have been widely recognized with numerous awards and honors. They include the South Texas Music Walk of Fame Star; Louisiana Hall of Fame – Congressional Recognition for the Freddy Fender Scholarship Fund; Nashville Sidewalk of Stars; Hollywood Walk of Fame Star; Phoenix, AZ Hispanic Walk of Fame Star; Texas Music Hall of Fame; ALMA Pioneer Award; Golden Eagle Awards; Chicano Music Awards; Tejano Music Hall of Fame; European Walk of Fame Star, Rottendam, Holland; and the list goes on and on.

Fender is said to be resting at his Corpus Christi home as he and his wife explore his options and pray for a miracle. More information regarding his incredible career and his optimistic outlook on dealing with his current dilemma is available on his Web site: www.freddyfender.com.

Ugly Betty Coming to ABC
Salma Hayek’s much anticipated comedy series, “Ugly Betty” will air Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC, premiering Sept. 28 at the same time. Based on the popular Colombian soap opera, “Yo Soy Betty La Fea,” the hour-long program was adapted for American audiences by Hayek through her production company Ventanarosa and Touchstone Television. Hayek fans can look forward her occasional appearances as she portrays an actress on a fictional telenovela (no doubt drawing from her own experience as a former telenovela star) watched by the main character and her family.

The cast features Imagen Award winner America Ferrera (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) in the lead role as a sweet, intelligent and hardworking unstylish girl from the Queens who is thrown into the cutthroat world of high fashion.

Other cast members include Eric Mabius (The L Word), Alan Dale (JAG, 24), Tony Plana (Resurrection Blvd.), Ana Ortiz (Boston Legal;), Ashley Jensen (Eleventh Hour), Becki Newton as Amanda, 12-year-old Mark Indelicato as Justin and Vanessa Williams (Chicago Hope).

Whether this type of programming will catch on with Spanish language telenovela viewers (if simulcast in Spanish) remains to be seen, but standing on its own, America Ferrera’s performance may just make it a winner with American audiences. Catch a video preview on the comedy on the program’s official site: abc.go.com/primetime/schedule/2006-07.

GOAL! Goes DVD
“Goal! The Dream Begins,” the soccer spectacular starring Kuno Becker is finally out on DVD. Directed by Danny Cannon, this feel good, must see film is about a kid from East L.A., who dreams of being a professional soccer player. Becker turns in an incredible performance as Santiago who travels half way around he world to fulfill his dream. The film features Tony Plana as Santiago’s father and Miriam Colon.

Production on Goal! 2: Living the Dream has been completed with an anticipated release date of December 2006. The plot centers on Becker’s character heading off Spain to join Real Madrid. Nick Cannon will also appear as a player for Real Madrid. The cast and crew are now working on the third continuation of this exciting series.

The Imagen Blog
is updated weekly on Thursdays (or when news happen), so please check back next week for more Imagen and Industry news.

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