José Alfredo Jiménez

Lore & Background

José Alfredo Jiménez was born in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato. His father died when he was ten, and his mother moved the family to Mexico City. He worked from a young age, taking a job as a waiter at a typical Mexican restaurant named La Sirena in Santa María de la Ribera. There he began writing songs and singing with a group called Los Rebeldes. In his youth, he played football as a goalkeeper and competed for the position at amateur club El Oviedo with Antonio Carbajal in 1942.

Singer Miguel Aceves Mejía claimed to have discovered Jiménez from Los Rebeldes. According to Mejía, Jiménez did not play an instrument and did not know the Spanish word for 'waltz' or what keys his songs were in. Following Mejía's instruction, Jiménez auditioned at Radio Station XEW's Amanecer Ranchero with Mariachi Vargas and Rubén Fuentes, performing a cappella including his song 'Ella'. Mejía subsequently recorded 'Ella', 'Yo', 'Serenata huasteca', and 'Tu Recuerdo y yo'.

Jiménez composed more than 1,000 songs, including famous ones such as 'El Rey', 'Si nos dejan', 'Media vuelta', and 'Camino de Guanajuato'. One of his last television appearances was in 1973, months before his death, where he introduced his last song, 'Gracias', accompanied by a mariachi. He died at age 47 in Mexico City on 23 November 1973 due to complications from cirrhosis.

Reader's Guide

José Alfredo Jiménez is a central figure in Mexican music, with his compositions forming the bedrock of modern Regional Mexican and Rancheras. His songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including Selena, Miguel Aceves Mejía, Little Joe Hernández & The Latinaires, and the Mexican rock group Maná. Joaquín Sabina paid homage to Jiménez with his song 'Por el Bulevar de los Sueños Rotos'. Jiménez is buried in his hometown of Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, in a mausoleum shaped like a traditional shawl and sombrero. His legacy continues through his children: singer José Alfredo Jiménez Medel wrote a prologue to a commemorative book titled 'En el último trago nos vamos', and his daughter Paloma Jiménez Gálvez released a book titled 'Es Inútil Dejar De Quererte: 50 Años Sin José Alfredo' at the Guadalajara International Book Fair. His discography includes studio albums such as 'La Sota De Copas' (1970), 'El Cantinero' (1971), 'El Rey' (1971), and 'Gracias' (1972), as well as compilation albums like '15 Exitos Inolvidables De' (1983) and 'Lo Esencial' (2008).

Did You Know?

• He competed for the goalkeeper position at amateur club El Oviedo with Antonio Carbajal, who later became a legendary Mexican goalkeeper.
• His tomb in Dolores Hidalgo is shaped like a traditional shawl and sombrero.