By Ben Cadena
Where do you start to talk about an old friend compatriot and fellow musician? He left us too early but had been faring poorly in recent months. Local bar owner Brigitte Tapia of the Keyes Club at Eighth and Keyes said, “We have to love him while we still have him.” This was just before Christmas. Strangely, Rudy had called me in October to complain and to try to find out who was spreading rumors of his demise. Rudy was born in Fresno Aug 4 th 1949, son of Manuel and Lola Dolores Madrid, compadres of Linda Ronstadt.
On a YouTube video this last August 24th at Rudy’s birthday and fundraiser bash, one could see Linda Pawlovich on piano, Ben Cadena (myself) on bass, Monico Flores on drums, Jim Flores on trombone, all came from the Andy Flores Band of the late ’60s .There also was longtime compatriot Abe Vasquez on sax and Bruce Kurasaki on trumpet. Tom Sosa played most of the night on bass. I remember Rudy sitting in, and then becoming the band’s vocalist in 1967 or so. Rudy was a young Overfelt High School student then and went to Santa Clara University later.
At San Jose State College, we would play for the Huelga gigs on Seventh Street with the late saxophonist Richard Herrera, Rudy’s compadre on sax. Then the University police would chase us off for not having a band permit. We had long hair drank Red Mountain wine (chicano gasoline) and at times we would play on the beach at Santa Cruz where the tide caught us instruments and all, or sneak into Professor Tino Esparza’s finals and play for them. We played for wine tastings and many times at Father Moriarty’s Sacred Heart Church on Palm in San Jose. Rudy's band always played for the 5 of May parades and of course Rigo Chacon's Abrazos and Books.
“Rudy was a truly gentle man and a community leader for United People Arriba in the ’60s and played for 250,000 people at the peace march in San Francisco,” recalled local labor organizer Fred Hirsch.Rudy was a C.O. during the Vietnam era. Rudy and I played for countless party’s and fundraisers, At the Keyes Bar we had just played for the 13 th fundraiser with Linda Pawlovich on piano and Monico Flores on drums and Rudy’s nephew Joey "Jam" Flores showed up, drummed and sang a few tunes also. The fundraiser was for an orphanage in Mexico and the local Carmelite nuns, Rudy could proudly say that we had raised some $73,000 for those institutions.
Rudy had also played with some famous names such as Little Joe, and Johnny Hernandez
of the Familia. He also played with Danny Valdez of Teatro Campesino fame. We toured in the 70s and played bars in Bakersfield and the Painted Wagon in Reno for the off duty bartenders and card dealers. In 1979 and 1980 Sweet Soul rudy's band representing San Jose was made up of Rudy, Monico Flores, Ben Cadena, Joannie Porras and Clay Shanrock on Bongos in Veracruz ,Mexico. 1980 found Rudy and Monico playing first in Las Vegas and later at the Willow Glen Inn on Lincoln in Willow Glen and the Greek owner recalled “Rudy put my kids through college.” In the 90s Rudy played at the Caravan downtown and with Steve Mendez's Big Band at the Three Flames Restaurant on Meridian. Rudy was a proud member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles and once boosted their membership by at least eighty members when he signed all his friends up.
Rudy was always a cheerful jokester and loved to treat his friends to good food and always knew where the eats were on, being at Patty’s Bar or the old Bears" on Alma.
At his party on Aug 24 th he was presented with 4 plaques from the Congressman Mike Honda to plaques from the City Council and true to form when they called him up to stage he was getting a cold one in the local pub at the G.I. Forum. Rudy was always social and willing to lend a hand for anyone’s benefit.
He will be missed by all of us in his extended family and tons of local musicians and artists. Vaya con dios, Rudy I know you’ll be playing for him in the mas alla.
Adios tu bajista, Ben Cadena.
9 comments:
Your article is awesome...!
Thank you!
I have photos taken of Rudy Madrid and Johnny Hernandez... (you are welcome to use them just contact me...)
Sincerely,
Valentina Estrada
(702)234-9606
E-Mail: valentina_estrada@valentinaonline.com
Uncle Ben.......This is Steven Bobby/Margo Hernanadez's son. i've been wanting to get ahold of you for years. I am hoping to come down to Rudys services. Hope to see you there.
Rudy was a huge inspiration on me. Not only musically, but as a human being.
I thought chewing on the side of my tongue was the funniest thing.
I used to love the way he would light up a room as soon as he entered it.
I used to love the way he made my Tata feel when he came over to visit on holidays, his love was endless!
Rest in Peace Rudy, gonna mis you buddy!
Steven Esquivel/Hernanadez
I had the opportunity to play with the Rudy Madrid and La Familia band from 1972 to 1975. I was just starting to play professionally as a keyboard player. Other members of the band included; Ben Cadena on bass, John on trumpet, George Nixon on trumpet, Richard Herrera on saxophone, Tony Valenzuela on drums and of course, front man, singer and guitar player Rudy Madrid.
We alternated with all the bands that came from Mexico and Texas and toured a little. We also played on local TV a couple of times. Our favorite hangouts were the Tropicana and the Starlight ballroom as well as the Sacred Heart Church dances.
Rudy became disolutioned after the band broke up and took to alcohol to deal with his regrets.
He continued to play as long as he could and never really gave up on his attempts of "Fame and Fortune"
I lost track of him and the rest of the San Jo musicians when I moved to Madera California to raise a family.
I heard various stories about Rudy's accomplishments and also about his continued alcohol abuse, this really made me sad. He was a very talented musician which gave his all to the trade.
May God have mercy on his soul and I pray that he may rest in peace.
I have alot of fond memories of Rudy and the rest of the Chicano musicians from San Jose that will accompany me forever.
The seventies in San Jose State U and the Rudy Madrid band will be missed. I am sure we would do many things differently if we could do it all over again. I am sure that God's will was done then and will continue to be done now and forever,
This post comes from Ignacio (Nacho) Ruiz. I now play only for the Lord and am completely off alcohol, thanks to HIM.
ruiz_i@madera.k12.ca.us
If you played with the "Rudy Madrid and the Familia band" during the years 1972 to 1976 and are still alive you will remember the following musicians: Ben Cadena, George Nixon, John Trumpet, Richard Herrera, Tony Valenzuela and Ignacio (Nacho Ruiz). We can all thank Rudy Madrid for all the good times we had playing at the Tropicana, Starlight Ballroom, and Sacred Heart church dances.
May God have mercy on our souls and bless the ones that are still surviving now.
ruiz_i@madera.k12.ca.us
This is Ignacio (NACHO) Ruiz and I played the keyboards with the Rudy Madrid y la Familia band from 1972 to 1976. The rest of the band was: Ben Cadena, Richard Herrera, Tony Valenzuela, John Trumpet, and George Nixon.
We played mostly at: The Tropicana, Starlight Ballroom, and Sacred Heart church dance hall.
We had many happy moments playing with Rudy's band during those years.
I was very sad to hear that Rudy had gone on ahead of us to the face the great Judge in Heaven.
I hope and pray that Rudy had God in his life and that he trusted Jesus as his Lord and Savior before he left this earth.
I still play the keyboards at church and am now getting old, as we all are.
I would like to hear from the rest of the many dedicated musicians that I had the opportunity to play with.
I can truly say that Rudy was dedicated to his music and always wanted to sound good. May God have him singing and playing his guitar in Heaven.
rudy was a family frend i remember my uncules my grandps would take us to antunas restraunt and bar on 10th and wiliamns we watch rudy play that was back in the late 70s he played at my grandps funeral 1985 my grandmas in 92 my fatherinlaws in 94 im sorry that i missed his much love and respect jimmy the duran and chavez family n3rd and 14st san jose
I was truly saddened to hear of Rudy's passing. To me he was an easy going ,friendly and funny guy. I was on the production staff of his brothers publication at 10th & William, in Sanjo in early 1980, when he invited me to join him and Tino Esparza on a visit to their good friend Father Moriarity in San Pancho where I was living then. We rode up in his VW Bug, and I recall Tino telling us a funny story about a gavacho chota stopping him on Hiway 17. Tino was irate and overbearing with the vato, telling him stuff like "I am a professor, and earn way more than you do!". When we got to The City Father Moriarity handed me two twenties and sent me to a liquor store for "some good scotch". We had a nice visit, getting quite buzzed,in the Sacred Heart Rectory, and after a couple hours Father Moriarity took us to the Sausage Factory nearby for a great Italian dinner, grumbling because it was on Castro Street, in the middle of the gay district. I said nothing. Those who knew Cuchelein Moriarity were aware that he liked the old Interlude lounge downtown on Santa Clara Street, remember that place? I recall one of the machista pendejo "activists", at S.J.S. making reference to "Rudy and the Rudimentary's". I automatically took that to mean that Rudy was cool. Rudy was varrio. Que descance en paz. Check out my bloga: xLowrider Times Pancho Villa.
This is Nacho (keyboard) Ruiz again and I would like to know if anybody has any pictures of the Rudy Madrid y la Familia band in the early 70's. I would like to compile a picture history of the musicians that played with Rudy throughout his musical career. I believe that those years were filled with good music that was later replaced by the (Disco) era and soon after the (Electronic rap) that is now so popular. Long live the memories of the "True musical endeavours" of the 60's and 70's bay area Chicano bands. My new E-mail is idruiz48@gmail.com. Hope to hear from the survivors and fond friends of that wonderful era.
I attended SJSU and knew the family, may he rest in peace. Was involved in the good old Chicano movement in the 1970s. Even went to the Tropicana in the Disco era, recall the bus ride concerning Reyes Tijerina land grants in those college years. As an artist check out Amazon and Google Play ebooks and music by me Alicia Villarreal Artist. Animator Musician Author, thanks.
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