Ram Herrera

Ramiro “Ram” Herrera, a smooth-voiced tejano singer and songwriter honored with multiple awards, stands as a fixture and acknowledged legend of the Texas music circuit. The Tejano Music Association presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He launched his professional path in 1980 as a member of David Lee Garza y los Musicales, contributing to the group’s recordings Cuatro Caminos (1981), Todavia No Me Muero (1982), and Especialmente Para Ti (1983). The next year he departed to form Ramiro Herrera y Montana, releasing the albums Que Lindo Es el Amor and Rosas Para una Rosa with the new ensemble. Strong regional radio support and dynamic stage performances earned him a contract with Sony. His first solo effort, Most Wanted Man Ram, marked his initial English-language release, attained gold status, and quickly became a tejano standard. The Outlaw, his third solo album from 1989, matched that success and prompted the band’s rechristening as the Outlaws. Over the ensuing fifteen years he issued nearly one record annually while appearing alongside artists such as Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender, and Selena, who performed as his opening act at a rodeo during one of her earliest concerts; footage of that set later appeared in Lourdes Portillo’s Oscar-nominated documentary Corpus: A Home Movie for Selena. Herrera’s stylistic reach encompasses cumbias, rancheras, power ballads, salsa, and Latin and roots rock & roll. His 2001 release Ingrata received a Latin Grammy nomination. He has lent his support to numerous charitable causes, an involvement recognized with a humanitarian award conferred by Texas governor Ann Richards. EMI issued the compilation Sólo Hits in November 2016.