It’s been 45 years since Patsy Torres put down her trumpet and picked up a microphone.
Almost half a century since she auditioned to stay in a cover band that was scrapping its horn section.
After Torres sang Linda Rondstadt’s “Ooh Baby Baby” at a tryout in 1980, Blue Harmony had a new singer. After a promoter heard her perform the same song at a wedding, Tejano music had a future star.
Torres signed with a record label but aspired to something different: becoming a doctor. Music, she thought, was a vehicle to get her through college and into medicine.
“I fought singing all those years,” said Torres, a 1976 graduate of Jefferson High School. “I wanted to quit. I needed my school. I needed money to pay for school.”
The reluctant singer-turned Tejano legend will perform Saturday at 10 p.m. at the Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair at Hemisfair Park. The fair, which is free, begins Friday at noon and continues through Sunday with a lineup that includes Michael Salgado, Jay Perez, Stefani Montiel, Siggno and others.
Torres will perform songs from her latest album Viva con Ganas (Live with Passion) along with favorites that established her as a pioneering force in Tejano music.
One of the first Tejano artists to incorporate dance moves and costume changes into her performances, Torres cemented her place in history before current stars, such as Destiny Navaira and Gabriela Martinez, were born.
Torres was named Female Entertainer of the Year at the 1987 Tejano Music Awards. She has won a plethora of awards since and has performed in Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Korea, Mexico, Japan and the Philippines.
A conversation with her grandfather persuaded her to give up those medical aspirations.
“My grandfather told me I was making a difference with my music and voice and that I should sing,” Torres said. “He said I could be a doctor of the spirit and do preventative medicine. That was the turning point that made me finally embrace my music career.”
The Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair last year drew more than 100,000 to Hemisfair Park. The size and diversity of the crowd impressed Torres. She’ll hold a 90-minute, meet-and-greet with fans on Saturday, starting at 4 p.m.
“It’s not only hometown fans of Tejano, but people from all over the country come,” Torres said.
“These are hardcore Tejano fans from Colorado, Michigan,Washington state. They come from everywhere. I’m thrilled to meet them and they are thrilled to meet me. I’ll talk with them and sign CDs,” she said. “It means a lot when they tell me what my music means to them.”
Patsy Torres comes home
Singing in San Antonio stirs memories.
At Jefferson High School, Torres played trumpet in the marching band. She eventually found a place in the horn section of Blue Harmony, a pop band composed of musicians from Jefferson.
After high school, the band shuffled personnel. A decision was made to eliminate the horns. Torres was told she was not needed unless she could sing. She rehearsed the song by Rondstadt overnight. With zero vocal experience, Torres nailed the audition.
“Even then,” she said, “I felt like I was fooling everybody.”
Her trumpet collected rust for four decades. A few years ago, Tejano singer and good friend Shelly Lares asked Torres to pick up her instrument and play with her in Las Vegas. At first, Torres demurred. But then she agreed to perform.
“I’m playing the trumpet again,” she said.
Will she play it again at the Tejano fan fair?
“I’m not sure,” she said. Her set will be only 40 minutes, not much time for her smooth transitions between trumpet and microphone.
And besides, Torres added, “I’m not as good as I was when I was at Jeff.”
