Freddie Martinez
After 50 years of making music,

Some Story. A talented trumpet player and vocalist, Freddie was a musician’s musician during the years in which he toured the Tex-Mex circuit at the head of his 8 piece orchestra. In 1977, while still at the peak of his popularity, Freddie made a business decision to store away his trumpet, quit the road, and devote his energies and full time attention to developing the record label he had started some eight years before. The decision was to be an important one for Freddie and his family. It was to place Freddie in the position of helping to shape the direction of Latin music from a perspective far removed from the dance halls and endless blacktop roads he had experienced as a performer.

Born Alfredo Ricardo Martinez in Corpus Christi on April 15, 1942, Freddie Martinez was the youngest of three children. Freddie’s father, Lee Martinez Sr. owned and managed several night spots in Corpus Christi. Freddie’s mother, Rosa, was a Galvan, sister to orchestra leaders Ralph, Sammy, Eddie, and Bobby Galvan. The Galvan Ballroom, one of Corpus Christi’s premier dance halls, and a venue visited by large nationally known orchestras such as Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, the Glen Miller Orchestra and others, was owned by Rafael Galvan, Freddie’s grandfather.

It is safe to say that Freddie grew up with music and was constantly influenced by it. Older brother Lee Martinez, Jr. was and still is an outstanding trumpet player. Up until his retirement in March 2001, Lee fronted one of the most popular orchestras in South Texas. In the 50’s, Lee was an in-demand trumpet player with connections to some of the top orchestras in the circuit, including the legendary Isidro Lopez.

Young Freddie took up the trumpet at the age of nine. Although he loved athletics, he bowed to his mother’s wishes and stayed away from football and track, sticking it out in band. Given that he was musically inclined to start with, and with musical influences all around him, it followed that he would excel once he got to the junior and high school levels. He was a drum major at Wynn Seale Academy of Fine Arts, and owned first chair trumpet throughout his school years.

By 14, Freddie was sitting in as a substitute in Uncle Ralph Galvan’s Orchestra. In 1958, while still in high school and only 15 years of age, he formed the Freddie Martinez Orchestra and became a professional musician. Freddie immediately ran into problems. Because he was still a youngster in the eyes of the members of his orchestra, he was forced to deal with some management problems. Vocalists, in particular, were difficult to deal with. Although he was a trumpet player by choice, he decided to try his hand at singing so he could bring some consistency into that aspect of the music.

In 1959, Freddie landed a DJ job on Corpus Christi radio station KCCT. Now, young Freddie Martinez was going to school full time, managing and fronting his orchestra, and working part time as a DJ to boot. He was also busy in the studio, recording mostly 45’s and an occasional

album for the smaller South Texas record labels. In 1963 Freddie married his junior high school sweetheart JoAnn. When Freddie and JoAnn realized that there were no other record companies
that Freddie could go to, they decided to take a shot at starting a label of their own. In November of 1969, with $400.00 Freddie Records began its journey.

The first album released on the Freddie Records label “Botoncito De Cariño”, made a substantial initial impact. The album produced several hits, including the title track, a tune written by noted composer Johnny Herrera. “Muñequita De Canela”, Freddie Records’ second album was also a hit, as the third, “Un Par De Ojitos”. But in 1971, with the release of an album called “Te Traigo Estas Flores”, Freddie Records and Freddie Martinez hit the big time. Avenues opened everywhere. The Freddie Martinez Orchestra was being heard on radio all over the United States and Mexico, and offers to perform were coming in from venues all over the country. Freddie and his bandmates performed before capacity crowds in Los Angeles’ Million Dollar Theatre, The Hollywood Palladium, and New York’s Madison Square Garden. He was also offered and accepted a role in the movie “La Muerte De Pancho Villa”, co-starring with famed ranchero performer Antonio Aguilar. “Te Traigo Estas Flores” eventually sold more than one million copies in the United States and Mexico and was covered by such well known international artists as Lucha Villa and Antonio Aguilar. Freddie Records was still just a one artist label.

In 1977, after 11 years on the road and after recording nearly 30 albums, Freddie decided to retire his orchestra and devote more time to his family. The record label was also demanding more of his time and it was going through some growing pains. Artists such as Tony De La Rosa, Little Joe, Joe Bravo, Augustin Ramirez, and Sunny and the Sunliners signed with Freddie. Ramon Ayala, who had made a name for himself as one half of Los Relampagos Del Norte came under the Freddie Records label in 1974. Curiously, but representative of their styles, Ayala and Freddie did not have a recording contract for the first 15 years of their business association. A handshake was all there was between them. Ayala, now a Norteño music superstar, has been a Freddie Records artist continuously since 1974.

Today Freddie Records is one of the premier independent Latin record labels in the business. Few independent record labels can claim the longevity, solid success and growth that Freddie Records has achieved under Freddie Martinez.

Although Freddie has turned over the day to day operations of the label to his sons Freddie Jr., John and Marc, he continues to keep his hand in the business. He takes great pleasure in producing and writing songs and enjoys the artistic give and take of recording sessions. His talents have earned him numerous accolades including five Grammys for his work with his Tex-Mex supergroup The Legends and for his production and songwriting work on Ramon Ayala’s Grammy-winning album, “DEL OTRO LADO DEL PORTON”. 
  
In Early 2002, Freddie and his family opened their highly anticipated new corporate facility on Corpus Christi’s southside. At nearly 40,000 square feet, the building serves as Freddie Records’ new headquarters and houses the company’s sales, distribution, marketing, promotion, and publishing departments. In addition, the site features Legends Sound Studios, Freddie’s state of the art recording facility which houses two world-class studios, a mastering suite and a production/demo room to accommodate Freddie Record’s growing roster of music acts. Today, Freddie’s artist roster includes well known and top-selling acts such as Michael Salgado, Solido, Jimmy Gonzalez Y Grupo MAZZ, Los Terribles Del Norte, Siggno, La Tropa F, Masizzo and of course, Ramon Ayala Y Sus Bravos Del Norte.

Freddie Martinez is also very active in several local community organizations. Freddie is especially active in helping several churches within the Corpus Christi Catholic Diocese. He is also involved with children’s programs in Corpus Christi and is on the Board of Directors for the Ark Assessment Center for Youth.

Freddie has been inducted into practically every Latin Music Hall of Fame that there is. He has been given many honors by different organizations in the USA and Mexico. He has been called, “El Embajador De La Musica Tejana,” “El Rey De La Musica Tejana,” “El Cariñoso,” and “The Don of Tejano Music”. Freddie is also recognized as one of the single most influential businessmen in the Latin music industry.

Earnest and soft spoken, Freddie lets his accomplishments speak for themselves. A generous, humble and religious man, Freddie is a man of honor, a throwback to the days when a man’s handshake and his word were as good as gold.