Flaco Jiménez, Grammy-Winning Conjunto Accordionist, Dies at 86

Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, the influential accordionist who brought conjunto music from the dance halls of San Antonio to stages around the world, died on July 31, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas, after a long illness. He was 86.

Born on March 11, 1939, in San Antonio, Jiménez was part of a storied musical lineage. His father, Santiago Jiménez Sr., was a pioneering figure in conjunto music, and his brother, Santiago Jiménez Jr., is also an accomplished accordionist. The nickname “Flaco,” meaning “Skinny,” had once belonged to his father before becoming the son’s moniker.

Jiménez began playing accordion at an early age, performing publicly with his father by the time he was seven. He honed his skills under the guidance of local musicians, including Toby Torres, Joey López, and Los Caminantes, and gained early recognition in San Antonio’s saloons and dance halls.

Conjunto, a tradition rooted in the 19th-century musical combination of Mexican and European influences, became the foundation of Jiménez’s career. The diatonic button accordion, central to the style, was introduced by German, Polish, and Czech immigrants to South Texas, and embraced by Mexican American communities in the Rio Grande Valley.

Jiménez’s musical reach extended far beyond Texas. In the 1960s, he began collaborating with Douglas Sahm of the Sir Douglas Quintet, and later performed with Bob Dylan and Dr. John in New York. His partnership with Ry Cooder brought conjunto music to wider audiences through international tours and recordings, most notably on Cooder’s acclaimed Chicken Skin Music album.

Throughout his career, Jiménez was a central figure in several high-profile musical groups. In the 1990s, he co-founded the Grammy-winning Texas Tornados with Sahm, Freddy Fender, and Augie Meyers. He later joined the Latin supergroup Los Super Seven, alongside Fender, Joe Ely, Ruben Ramos, Rick Treviño, and members of Los Lobos, earning another Grammy for their self-titled debut.

Jiménez received multiple Grammy Awards, including three for his solo work. His first, in 1986, honored Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio, featuring a title track written by his father. He later received a Grammy for “Soy de San Luis,” also penned by Santiago Jiménez Sr. and recorded with the Texas Tornados.

His achievements earned broader recognition beyond the recording industry. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Billboard Latin Magazine in 1999; was inducted into both the National Hispanic Hall of Fame and the International Latin Music Hall of Fame; and was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2012.

Over the decades, Jiménez expanded the scope of conjunto music, mixing it with country, rock, and jazz. His legacy endures in the generations of musicians he inspired and in the global audiences he introduced to a uniquely Texan tradition.