Tony De La Rosa
#240273 Most Popular
About
Accordionist and innovator in conjunto music who updated the sound of Tex-Mex. He was known by his nickname El Conde or The Count.
Before Fame
He began taking accordion lessons when he was nine, purchasing one from the Sears catalogue for $9.
Trivia
He added electric instruments and amplifiers to border music, which was previously only acoustic music.
Family Life
He was born on a Texas ranch as one of 12 children. He remembered his mother playing the harmonica on the front porch.
Associated With
He and B.B. King were both honored by the National Endowment for the Arts.
