Freddie Gonzales
Frank Alfred Gonzales was born in Tucson on February 19, 1949. His first musical influence was his mother, Cora. Cora had brief singing career during the 1940's. She would often sing to her young son and encourage him to tap along to the beat. It wasnt long before this tapping led to drumming. Freddie began to assemble his own drum set out of Quaker Oatmeal bins. To his parents' surprise, Freddie ultimately ditched the bins and began banging out tunes on pots and pans. At the age of 6, he made his musical debut at a family wedding reception where he joined the band on stage.
The Dorame Brothers recruited Freddie to join their group (The Gents) in 1962. The 13 year old with the "thunderous hands" as one Travelers' fan put it, took his craft very seriously but enjoyed his new-found fame as a local rock star. Tom Dorame recalls, "One day we were signing records downtown and the girls were going crazy! Freddie loved it!"
After The Travelers broke up in 1965, Freddie started his own group (Lil' Tater & The Spuds) who went on to win the Tucson Battle of the Bands. Following their break-up, Freddie continued his career as a drummer playing with various groups around town. He graduated from Tucson High School in 1967. Two years later, after returning from a West Coast tour with The DeCastro Sisters, he was drafted.
Freddie became a combat medic for the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. He received the Purple Heart and was honorably discharged in July of 1971. Freddie married in 1978 and had a son (Max) in 1983. His job as a Telecommunications Engineer briefly ended his career as a Tucson musician when he was transferred to Denver, Colorado in 1993. Freddie returned home after seven years and picked up right where he left off. In February of 2004, he retired from Qwest after 32 years of service.
Sadly, Freddie suddenly passed away a month later on March 5 at the age of 55. Ron Story writes, "Freddie was always the best musician in the group, and everyone who heard him immediately recognized his extraordinary talent."
