Flaco Jiménez performs in 2013 with fellow conjunto musician Max Baca. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Steve Terrell

Grammy-winning musician Flaco Jiménez is out of the hospital and “on the road to recovery,” according to an announcement on his Facebook page.

The public update on the health of the San Antonio conjunto legend is the first since his family revealed that he’d been hospitalized Jan. 12 to deal with an unspecified “medical hurdle.”

“Happy Sunday, Flaco fans!” reads the new message shared Sunday, Jan. 26. “We apologize for the delay in updates. Flaco has been home, doing well and on the road to recovery. A huge thank you to all for the prayers, love and continued support. Have a great week!”

Last fall, Jiménez received the National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden. However, in the lead-up to the ceremony, the virtuoso accordionist sent one of his sons to accept the award for him, citing “ongoing health issues,” the Express-News reports.

Born into an Alamo City family that included not one but two pioneering accordion players — father Santiago Jiménez Sr. and grandfather Patricio Jiménez — Flaco Jiménez emerged as a top-billed conjunto bandleader in his own right. He was known for expanding the genre by incorporating country, blues and other influences.

By the ’70s, Jiménez became a sought-after collaborator for musicians seeking to tap into the South Texas sound. He worked with artists including Doug Sahm, Ry Cooder, Linda Rondstadt, Emmylou Harris and The Rolling Stones.

Jiménez also achieved a major crossover success in the ’90s as a member of the roots-rock supergroup the Texas Tornadoes, which also included Sahm, Augie Meyers, and Freddy Fender — all South Texas music royalty in their own right.

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This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2025.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...