Freddy Fender (June 4, 1937 ? October 14, 2006), born Baldemar Huerta in San Benito, Texas, USA, was a Mexican-American, Tejano, country, and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados. He is best known for his 1975 hit "Before the Next Teardrop Falls". As a child, Fender and his parents traveled throughout the United States as a circus act. At age 5, he turned a sardine can and screen door wire into a homemade guitar, and by age 10, had his first radio appearance on Harlingen's KGBS-AM radio station, where he sang "Let's Spend The Night Together" and reportedly won a tub of food worth $5.