Tony Guerrero was born February 20, 1944 in San Angelo, Texas. When he was 8 years old his grandparents, Alfredo & Nora Martinez bought him a cornet and started him on private lessons. He dedicated himself to practicing several hours every day to the extent that his neighbors would complain that they couldn't get any sleep at or in the wee hours of the morning. In summers he took trumpet lessons and music theory from his "Tio" Pablo Martinez, in Houston, Texas along with other name musicians, such as Luis Gasca and Larry Martinez. In Jr. High & High School band director ordered the group to disband because he said band music was "his domain". Nevertheless, Tony's starred with his trumpet playing winning not one but several gold medals in UIL competition. When he was 11 he played rock and roll with some other local kid musicians. At 16 he was invited to play with a local dance band. A year later he was getting an education on jazz standards with Johnny, "El Cabezón" Ornelas, and Tony Garcia. The Local trio became the most musically sophisticated group in town. The following year, when Tony was only 18 he traveled all over the U.S. and Canada with Johnny Long and his Orchestra from New York.

He came back to San Angelo to graduate from High School where he was offered a scholarship to the Berklee School of Jazz. After graduation he went to San Francisco and played salsa while he studied jazz. A family friend, Dan Alonso financed a Tejano band for him and he made a name for himself in that field. In 1968, he joined Little Joe and the Latinaires. Tony soon became the musical director for Little Joe and revised his music. He showed the group how to voice the instruments and how to play chord progressions. Soon he integrated some of the best musicians in Texas into Little Joe's band. Name musicians such as Joe Gallardo and Luis Gasca played "polkas" with jazz chord progressions. In 1973 Tony and Joe Gallardo formed albums most of which were on the top 10 of Billboard charts. In 1987 Tony and his family moved to Austin, Texas where he has been playing Latin Jazz and Salsa. And now in the year 2000, he and his son and 2 daughters, "the new generation" have recorded their first salsa/Latino international album on Hacienda Records.

In 2002 The New Tortilla Factory CD has been released. Two more recording projects are in the works.

Tony was inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame on August 3rd, 2002!

For Booking Information

Contact THG Productions at:

(512) 837-5324

tonyhamguerrero@sbcglobal.net