82R11737 JH-D
By: Sheffield H.R. No. 831
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Legendary Texas musician Little Joe Hernandez and
his band La Familia added to their long list of accomplishments by
winning the Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album at the 53rd annual
Grammy Awards on February 13, 2011; and
WHEREAS, The award honored the group's album Recuerdos, and
it marked the fourth time that Little Joe y La Familia has taken
home a gold statuette from The Recording Academy; the band has also
received five other Grammy nominations through the years, and these
honors are just one measure of the success it has enjoyed in a long
and hugely influential career; and
WHEREAS, Born in Temple in 1940, Jose Maria De Leon Hernandez
began performing while still in his teens, and in 1959 became the
leader of Little Joe and the Latinaires, a group that also included
his younger brother, Jesse; when Jesse was killed in a car accident
five years later, Little Joe vowed to bring the dreams they shared
of musical success to fruition, and in the 1960s and early 1970s he
and his bandmates began to build a strong following while
pioneering an exciting new brand of music; mixing traditional
Mexican norteno with elements of country, blues, rock, and big-band
swing, their sound helped create the style that would later become
known as Tejano; and
WHEREAS, In the early 1970s, the ensemble took the name La
Familia, as the members more closely embraced their cultural
heritage, and Little Joe's songs became anthems of ethnic pride for
Hispanics throughout the United States and beyond; and
WHEREAS, Through the decades, this beloved group has released
more than 50 albums and realized many milestones, including
becoming the first Tejano act to claim a Grammy, an achievement that
took place in 1992; in collecting another award in 2011, Little Joe
y La Familia has demonstrated that its music remains as vital as
ever, and its leader and members may take justifiable pride in the
role they have played in furthering the notable musical reputation
of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Little Joe y La Familia on winning
the Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album at the 53rd annual Grammy
Awards and extend to Mr. Hernandez and the members of his band
sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the group as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.