Austin Music Hall of Fame inductee
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Texas Music
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Known as the King of Tex-Mex rock and roll, Joe King Carrasco creates a stylistic borderland of pop rock and Latin rhythms. His cross-cultural stew blends cumbias, vamp, salsa, surf, reggae, blues, and Latin-tinged polkas.
It has been a long road, coming from Dumas,Texas, a dusty little west Texas town where in the 7th grade he started playing in garage bands. In his late teens, he was often lured to the beaches in Southern Mexico and was drawn to the Mexican music he was hearing around him. Back in Texas he joined up with future members of the Texas Tornados and formed a band known as Joe King Carrasco & El Molino and in 1978 released his 1st LP titled “Tex-Mex Rock & Roll”. Somehow this record made its way to England and was re-released by Big Beat Records.
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In 1979, he formed Joe King Carrasco and the Crowns featuring Vox organ-driven Tex-Mex pop. The Crowns, released their first single, “Party Weekend”, and the label chase began and soon the band was playing chic New York venues and generating lines around the block. The band became one of the first American groups signed to England's legendary Stiff Records. During this time Joe toured extensively throughout Europe, Central America, Bolivia and Columbia as well as across the USA and Canada, consistently delivering high energy performances where dancing was the numero uno priority.
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Rounding out his assault on the International music scene was an in-depth interview in Rolling Stone Magazine and an appearance performing his music on Saturday Night Live. His song “Party Weekend” which is still known as the quintessential party anthem, was re-released by MTV as Party Christmas, making Joe King Carrasco a household name to MTV viewers across the country.
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Even with all this going on Joe knew he was ready to take his music to a new level. It was on the Stiff Records, Sons of Stiff Tour, while traveling with a British-born Jamaican band called The Equators, that Joe picked up much of his reggae influence. After returning from a very successful year on the road, he put this experience to work and recorded the reggae flavored song "Don't Let a Woman (Make a Fool Out of You)" on his album Synapse Gap for MCA Records where he had the King of pop, Michael Jackson, singing background harmonies.
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Joe's music is enhanced with an even greater Latin influence after living and studying in Nicaragua in the mid 1980's. His songs dealt with the unjust political situation of that period in Central America, and the resulting albums were; "Bordertown", "Bandido Rock" (off of which the song "Pachucco Hop" was recorded by the French group Mano Negra, headed up by Manu Chao, on their first platinum selling CD), and "Royal Loyal & Live" (with the only live recording of the hit song “Party Weekend”).
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Several years ago, His Majesty took a few left turns at Nogales and wound up playing with his band at a bar called Pancho y Lefty's in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. There, the Tex-Mex fell into a slow cool cumbia/reggae groove. This style seemed to be the musical answer to what Joe had been searching for from the Mayan pyramids to the shores of Lake Titicaca. This mystical combination of Latino and Caribbean, with a little bit of Sam The Sham thrown in for a spicy flavor, has evolved into a style Joe has termed "Tequila Reggae".
This influence can be heard on several of his recordings including “Dia de Los Muertos”, “Hot Sun”, and “Hay Te Guacho Cucaracho”.
In early 1996 Joe’s song “Tell Me” was recorded by The Texas Tornados, and sung by Freddy Fender, on their CD ‘4 Aces’. His music has been placed on numerous movie soundtracks including “Breathless” with Richard Gere, James Gardners' “Rockford Files”, and he also played on the "Tin Cup" sound track.
Joe King Carrasco has been involved in acting for many years but in 2009 he stepped into the roles of writer and director with the release of his first film "Rancho No Tengo". The soundtrack with the same name was released in 2008.
Because dogs are such an important part of his life, in 2011, Joe along with his three Jack Russell Terriers who go everywhere he goes, started a nonprofit group, Viva Perros (www.vivaperros.org) which helps homeless, abused and neglected dogs find a better life. Part of the profits from the “Concierto Para Los Perros” CD and T-shirts are donated to dog rescue groups via Viva Perros.
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Through the years, fans have always been impressed by the energy Joe King Carrasco brings to the show with antics such as climbing up onto the speakers, taking leaps off the drum rise and closing the gap between him and the audience by taking his guitar through the crowd and climbing onto tables and bars without missing a beat. There were times when he amazed everyone by climbing above the audience and doing a full flip landing on the audience.
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Joe King Carrasco was awarded in both 1979 and 1983, The Buddy Award for Best Latin Artist. In 2003, Joe King Carrasco was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame and in 2012 Joe was inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame for a second time with his band The Crowns. The Academy of Texas Music awarded Joe King Carrasco a Lifetime Achievement Award in March of 2012.
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When not touring, Joe King Carrasco can be found at his musical home in Puerto Vallarta, Nacho Daddy, a Mex-Tex restaurant and club with walls tapered with memories, such as posters and photographs of Joes' musical history and travels around the world. Holding court at Nacho Daddy gives Joe King a palace to rock his Tex-Mex and transport those who drink the magic flavored "margaritas" to a place where the "Party Weekend" goes on forever.
Joe King Carrasco, with over 24 albums to his name, now spends much of his spare time writing music and relentlessly searching for the perfect desolate beach to hang out with his dogs. He can often be found exploring the twisty back roads from Coahuila all the way to Chiapas, chasing down good inspiration for another Tex-Mex song.
TESTIMONIALS
"Bruce Springsteen lists him as one of the four best rock artists in the world. Michael Jackson has sung on his albums. He even had a No. 1 hit in Nicaragua." THE PHOENIX NEW TIMES
"The conjunto spirit wraps it all up, Carrasco’s lighting fires on the mountain." NEW YORK VILLAGE VOICE
"As soon as he starts keening the ay yi yi of the Mexican battle cry, little doubt remains that here is a genuine soldier in Pancho Villa’s army, reborn, by a smirk of nature, into a gringo’s body." TORONTO’S NOW MAGAZINE
"Joe King Carrasco is one wild and crazy guy - an original party animal - and his band The Crowns is hotter than a jar of jalapeno peppers." DC METROLAND
"Carrasco and his band ‘The Crowns’ have been steadily earning the attention of the rock press in both the U.S. and England." ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE
"Carrasco led his group through two 75-minute sets that were hot as jalapeno peppers, doffing his trademark cape and crown during 96 Tears and marching one of his cordless guitar solos all the way out the door to the middle of Washington Street." THE BUFFALO NEWS
"This ‘Mexican wild man in a gringo’s body’ has the reputation of working audiences into a frenzied dance party - while on stage Carrasco is outdoing them with every step." KANSAS CITY STAR
"Every night is a party weekend when the irrepressible Joe King Carrasco is in charge of the festivities. There’s no question about it - he’s still a wild and crazy guy." BOSTON GLOBE
"Carrasco had the waitresses dancing on the bar and leading mambo trains through the club. He perched on railings, ripped out guitar solos, crowned dancers with his famous sparkling crown and he delivered one of the spiciest, hottest rock and roll shows anyone is likely to see around here this year." THE ALBANY TIMES UNION
"Carrasco plays a smorgasbord of Latin verve - polkas, cumbias, calypso and salsa, oh and don’t worry folks, if the crowd is willing, encores last as long as the main act." THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN
"Tex - Mex Jalapeno rock and roll with a vision to convert the masses." LAS CRUCES SUN NEWS
"If there’s one thing he’s known for - from Texas to New York - it’s delivering a Texas sized party no matter what the circumstances." PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE
"Carrasco, the unchallenged King of Tex-Mex, is in his element in front of a wild and crazy crowd, preferably a cerveza soaked gathering on the beach." AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN
"A funky cross between party rock and Mexican tunes, and its goal is to keep your feet moving." MIAMI NEWS
"Hold on to your crowns! It was a wild and crazy time as the King and his court rocked the Skipperdome with mighty Texas rock’n’roll." TAMPA TRIBUNE
"Carrasco’s version of 96 Tears shows that he and his band are honor graduates of the James Brown School of Show Bidness." ASPEN CHRONICLE
"An exuberant call to accordion arms, aimed right at the feet, as in ‘I theeenk he wants us to dance senor’." NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS
"A band that has a reputation for delivering a Texas-sized party everywhere they play." THE MACOMB JOURNAL
"Pure Jalapeno Radio. Brings to mind dimly-lit stucco-walled cantinas with flies, sweat and dust the main motif." NEWPORT DAILY NEWS
"Tales of Tequila and Revolution." PARIS MATCH
"A Jalapeno stuffed enchilada feast, straight from the hip, salsa grit. The Gulf of Mexico sound has never been hotter." THE PUEBLO JOURNAL
"Play it again Zeus, the Greek gods are with Joe King Carrasco." THE HOUSTON POST
AWARDS AND CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
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2013 - Academy of Texas Music Entertainer of the Year award recipient
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2013 - Received the Historical Significance Award from the Academy of Texas Music
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2012 - Austin Music Hall of Fame inductee with his band The Crowns
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2012 - Received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Texas Music
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2003 - Austin Music Hall of Fame inductee as a solo artist
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1985 - Buddy Award recipient for "Best New Wave Artist"
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1979 - Buddy Award recipient for "Best Latin Artist"
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3 Albums and an Anthology CD released by MCA Records
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Music placed in the soundtrack of the movie "Breathless" with Richard Gere
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Music placed in the soundtrack of James Gardner's "Rockford Files" movies
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Music placed in the soundtrack of "Tin Cup", a movie starring Kevin Costner
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Song "Tell Me" released by The Texas Tornadoes on their "4 Aces" Album
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Song "Pachucco Hop" released by French group Mano Negra on their Platinum selling CD "Puta's Fever"
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Michael Jackson sang 5 part harmony on his song "Don't Let a Woman Make a Fool Out of You".
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Performed on Austin City Limits
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Musical guest on Saturday Night Live
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6 Videos in rotation on MTV
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Featured in Rolling Stone Magazine
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Playboy Magazine
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Creem Magazine
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...and dozens more major publications
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Song "It's a Party Christmas" featured on MTV for 4 decades
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Featured in radio and television P.S.A.'s supporting Mothers' Against Drunk Drivers and Keep Texas Clean campaigns