He won multiple Grammys and was inducted into the National Hispanic Hall of Fame and NYC International Latin Music Hall of Fame and was named a Texas State Musician in 2014.

The San Antonio native took his three-row accordion and gave it modern twists, taking Tex-Mex conjunto music to the national and world stages alongside many music superstars.

Best known for his song "Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio" ("Ay, I Leave You in San Antonio"), the accordionist also collaborated with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan