Emilio Guerrero

Emilio Guerrero was born in Corpus Christi, Texas in April of 1948. Emilio's musical career started
while he was attending Wynn Seal Jr. High in Corpus Christi. Emilio and a group of his friends put
together a band and started playing around town at private parties, record hops, and what kid’s use
to call jives. After graduating from Roy Miller High School in 1967, Emilio joined the U.S. Army and
was shipped to Ft. Polk, LA for basic training. While stationed at Ft. Polk, Emilio and four other
soldiers from New Jersey and New York formed a vocal group that began singing at the NCO club
on base. The band even won second place in a talent contest sponsored by the base. In 1968
Emilio’s musical career came to an abrupt halt when he and two other soldiers in the group were
shipped overseas. In June 1970 Emilio returned home after being Honorably discharged from the
Army and got his musical career started again. Instead of singing though, he started playing
keyboards for several local bands. He played with the Johnny Canales Band, Los Lemans, and
finally with T.J. & Company. Emilio got started back singing by accident. One night the singer for
the band did not show up and Emilio was asked if he could fill in. Emilio agreed. From then on he
became one of the band’s singers. In 1977 Zeke Saucedo (guitar), and Sam Deleon (keyboards),
convinced Emilio to start his own band. In 1977 with the help of his brother Leonard Guerrero to run
sound, Zeke and Sam, Charro Band was born. The band’s sound was influenced by jazz since the
majority of the band members belonged to the Del Mar Jazz Band at Del Mar College in Corpus
Christi. The group was most influenced by the group’s, Tower of Power and Chicago.

The band started playing parties, weddings, and some local clubs in town. In 1978 the band caught
the eye of Supremo Records' owner Oscar Serrato. The band released approximately nine albums
from 1978 to 1988. "Emilio Guerrero and Charro Band Volume I", became the bands first album.
The band recorded with other labels such as Hacienda and Cara Records. The band then started
playing in Houston, Galveston, The Valley and West Texas. In July of 1980 they performed at the
Texas Jazz Festival held in Corpus Christi, TX. The first local Chicano group to play the festival. In
1981 Emilio decided to relocate the band to San Antonio, the hub of Tejano Music. The band
continued playing around Texas and even toured in Florida and Ohio. In 1989 the band decided to
call it quits. It was time to move on in life. That year was the last chapter on Emilio Guerrero and
Charro Band. Part of the band went back to Corpus Christi while Emilio stayed in San Antonio.
Emilio wrote some of Charro Band’s biggest hits like, Estoy Cansado, Corozon Enamorado and
several others. Emilio along with his brother Leonard, were very much involved in the producing
and mixing of their albums. His brother Leonard moved to Houston where he is currently working as a
Medical Technician since 2002 at one of the local hospitals. Emilio went to work for the Bexar County Sheriff's
Office as a Deputy in the early 90's. Emilio is currently retired from the San Antonio Park Police
Bike Patrol Division, where he has been since 1995. Emilio has been married to his childhood
sweetheart, Hedy Martinez for 54 years. They have three daughters, Ann Marie Cantu, Esther
Wallace and Lorraine (Rainy) Guerrero. They also have five grand daughters, Madeline and Viola
Cantu and Taylor and Meagan Santos and Codie Rodriguez.