How old is trini lopez

His parents worked in the fields by day, his mother also taking in laundry while his father played music in bars.

Taught to play by his father, Lopez initially performed Mexican folk songs, busking and singing in Little Mexico bars. After leaving high school aged 16, determined to help support the family, he learned popular blues songs and began performing in Dallas bars and clubs, several of which were owned by Jack Ruby , the mob-connected impresario who would gain infamy by shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in But, according to Lopez, Petty disliked Hispanics and contemptuously insisted his band play only instrumentals.

Volk then told Lopez they wanted to change his surname to Roper but relented when he threatened to walk out, and his debut 45 did well in the Dallas area. For King Records, a Cincinnati label, he recorded singles ranging from country ballads to doo-wop, but failed to score a hit. A documentary about his life, titled My Name is Lopez, is currently nearing completion.

If you have a story suggestion email entertainment. Image source, Getty Images. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View original tweet on Twitter. Trini Lopez as he appeared in The Dirty Dozen. Related Topics. Film Music. He also starred in a self-titled TV variety show in , which began a fitful acting career.

This article is more than 1 year old. Trini Lopez.