Flaco Jiménez, Legendary Tejano Accordionist, Dies Aged 86 Surrounded by Family and Fans

1 August 2025

Flaco Jiménez in the 1990s. Photograph: Michel Linssen/Redferns

Legendary accordionist Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez passed away on July 31, 2025 at the age of 86 in his San Antonio home, surrounded by loved ones a final farewell to the man whose instrumental mastery helped define Tejano, conjunto, and Tex‑Mex music across continents.

A post shared on Flaco’s official family Facebook page conveyed the grief and gratitude his children express: “He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely,” they wrote. They thanked his fans for cherishing his music and asked for privacy during their mourning, underscoring just how deeply this loss is felt across communities who loved the man as much as his music. No cause of death was reported, though family had announced earlier in January that he had been hospitalized facing a medical hurdle, and at one point was in recovery at home.

Born in 1939 into a musical family, Flaco’s destiny was clear from early childhood. As the son of conjunto pioneer Santiago Jiménez Sr., he first performed with his father at age seven and was recording professionally by fifteen. His accordion work fused the soul of Tex‑Mex roots with blues, country, zydeco, and rock influences and over more than seven decades he became widely recognized as the greatest in his field.

Jiménez earned six Grammy Awards, including Best Mexican‑American Performance in 1986 for Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio, Tejano Music Performance awards in 1996 and 1999, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. His 1991 album Partners was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2020 recognized for its significance in American musical heritage. He also received the National Medal of Arts from President Biden in 2022, accepted on his behalf by his son due to ongoing health struggles. The attitude behind these honors was summed up in his own words: he played his accordion “to yell and scream and make it happy.”

Jiménez’s influence reached far beyond Texas dance halls. He collaborated with a who's-who of American music: Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson, the Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder, Dwight Yoakam, and members of Los Lobos. Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos called Jiménez “my musical mentor and dear friend” and remembered how his example inspired a generation to embrace Tex‑Mex instrumentation boldly.

His reach in musical communities was mirrored by personal warmth. Flaco often told fans that simple truths guide musicians: community, joy, and love. His final words, recalled by his son Arturo, were “Ya estoy cansado” “I’m tired” a quietly human moment before leaving a legacy both joyful and enduring.

Tributes poured in from across the music world. Legacy institutions including the Texas Conjunto Music Hall of Fame, the Texas Music Office, and venues like Gruene Hall reflected on his boundless gift of accordion notes that elevated dance floors and recordings alike. Fellow musicians vowed to honor his example by keeping traditional music alive in new contexts.

His albums more than twenty solo releases alongside group recordings with Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven, remain vivid musical road maps connecting generations. From early nights in San Antonio clubs to global stages, Flaco invited audiences into the shared rhythms of heritage and humanity. With each tribute, historians reaffirmed that the soundtrack of the American Southwest and beyond would be incomplete without the sound of his squeezebox.

Flaco Jiménez’s death marks the end of a living chapter in American music but the legacy he leaves is timeless. His six Grammy wins, lifetime achievement award, National Medal of Arts, and Grammy induction are milestones of formal recognition. Yet the greatest honor is in the dance halls filled with laughter, the multicultural fusion born in his hands, and the inspiration he passed on to every accordionist who followed.

As memories and music echo indefinitely, Flaco remains part of a story larger than any single stage: cultural pride, musical innovation, and the joy of sound rooted in both place and love.