Musician. A keyboardist, he was a founding member of the 1970s music group El Chicano. Born into a family where music was an important part of life, he began his career while a teenager performing in the surf band Mickey and the Invaders. He helped form the group The VIPs during the late-1960s, which evolved into El Chicano, also including members Mickey Lespron, Andre Baeza, Freddie Sanchez, Johnny De Luna and Ersi Arvizu. The Los Angeles-based Latino group introduced a unique blend of Pop, R&B, Jazz and Salsa sound. After signing with the Kapp record label (later MCA Records), they enjoyed a successful period artistically, beginning with the chart-placing of their hit "Viva Tirado- Part 1" (peaking at number 28 in May 1970), and "Tell Her She's Lovely" (reaching number 40 during the winter of 1973). The group continued to perform and record into the 1990s.
Musician. A keyboardist, he was a founding member of the 1970s music group El Chicano. Born into a family where music was an important part of life, he began his career while a teenager performing in the surf band Mickey and the Invaders. He helped form the group The VIPs during the late-1960s, which evolved into El Chicano, also including members Mickey Lespron, Andre Baeza, Freddie Sanchez, Johnny De Luna and Ersi Arvizu. The Los Angeles-based Latino group introduced a unique blend of Pop, R&B, Jazz and Salsa sound. After signing with the Kapp record label (later MCA Records), they enjoyed a successful period artistically, beginning with the chart-placing of their hit "Viva Tirado- Part 1" (peaking at number 28 in May 1970), and "Tell Her She's Lovely" (reaching number 40 during the winter of 1973). The group continued to perform and record into the 1990s.
Bio by: C.S.
Advertisement
See more Espinosa memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
