Doug Sahm
| Doug Sahm | |
|---|---|
Sahm in 1974
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Wayne Douglas, Doug Saldana |
| Born |
November 6, 1941 San Antonio, Texas, United States |
| Died | November 18, 1999 (aged 58) Taos, New Mexico, United States |
| Genres |
Americana Roots rock Blues rock Tejano/Tex-Mex Country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician singer-songwriter Bandleader |
| Instruments | Guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, violin, keyboards |
| Years active | 1952–1999 |
| Associated acts |
Sir Douglas Quintet Texas Tornados Los Super Seven Grateful Dead |
Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999) was an American musician from Texas. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he was a child prodigy in country music but became a significant figure in roots rock and other genres. Sahm is considered one of the most important figures in what is identified as Tex-Mex music. He was the founder and leader of the 1960s rock and roll band, the Sir Douglas Quintet. He would later co-found the Texas Tornados with Augie Meyers, Freddy Fender, and Flaco Jiménez as well as Los Super Seven.
Sahm was proficient on multiple musical instruments and was a lifelong baseball fan.
Sahm began his musical career singing and playing steel guitar, mandolin and violin. He made his radio debut at the age of five. He released his first record "A Real American Joe" at age eleven. On December 19, 1952, at the age of eleven, he played on stage with Hank Williams Sr. at the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas. It was Hank Williams's very last performance. Williams died on New Year's Day of 1953, on the road to his next show, in Canton, Ohio. Sahm was offered a permanent spot on the Grand Ole Opry at age thirteen, but his mother wanted him to finish junior high.
One of Sahm's earliest recordings was rejected by Mercury Records in 1953. In the mid-1950s, he started sneaking into San Antonio rhythm and blues clubs, such as the Tiffany Lounge and the Ebony Lounge, and he was soon performing in them. Sahm formed his first band, the Knights, in 1957. Later in the decade, Sahm joined up with Spot Barnett's band, playing mostly black San Antonio blues clubs. In 1960, Sahm travelled across the country promoting a record. He met Freddy Fender in 1958 and met Roy Head, of Roy Head and the Traits, from San Marcos, Texas, in 1959, when they shared the stage at a sock hop in San Antonio's Municipal Auditorium.
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Wikipedia