It’s in his blood — the rhythm, the talent, the drive and the passion. It’s in his past — the struggles, the pain, and the day-to-day worries of trying to make a living in the Latin music industry.

Freddie Martinez Sr. was born to play, write, compose and sing music. The two go hand-in-hand.

“I love being in the studio,” Martinez, 67, says. “I’m here every day from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m., and I truly enjoy what I do because music is my life. It’s all I’ve ever done.”

In the past 52 years, Martinez has devoted his life to creating music for the masses. But although his independent music label, Freddie Records, is one of the premier independent Latin record labels in the business, Martinez’s journey from aspiring trumpet player to being a multi-Grammy Award winner is an unpaved road filled with bumps, hills and everything in between.

The Little Trumpet Player

Born in Corpus Christi in the early ‘40s, Martinez was the youngest of three children. His family was no stranger to music. All four of his uncles from his mother’s side and his older brother, Lee Martinez Jr., were musicians, not just any musicians but avid trumpet players. It’s no surprise that when Martinez began embracing his musical calling at the age of 9, the trumpet was his instrument of choice.

“In middle school and junior high, I would practice three to four hours a day to be the best trumpet player,” Martinez says.

Martinez took after his musically-inclined family quite well. So well that at the age of 14, he was sitting in as a substitute in his uncle Ralph Galvan’s orchestra. One year later in 1958, the then 15-year-old formed the Freddie Martinez Orchestra.

Unfortunately, Martinez wouldn’t find the success he knew he was capable of achieving until many years later – 11 years to be exact. Within that time, Martinez married his junior high school sweetheart, Joann.

“I was really struggling to get a hit song,” Martinez says. “Times were tough, but between my wife’s job as a hairdresser and my side jobs, we made enough to live a good life. My wife was always very understanding and supportive.”

Freddie Records Is Born

After relentless attempts to get a hit song, Martinez and his wife were forced to look at different alternatives.

“I was 28 years old when I started Freddie Records,” he says. “I’d recorded many records and I couldn’t get a hit song. So finally when I ran out of labels to turn to, I decided to save up some money and start my own label.”

With only $400 and a leap of faith, Martinez and Joann created Freddie Records in 1969. Success in the form of a slew of hit songs soon followed.

“By the summer of the following year, I had hit songs and everybody started calling to book my band,” he says. “My first hit song was ‘Botoncito De Carino,’ and then I had a string of other hit songs come after. But ‘Te Traigo Estas Flores’ was by far my biggest hit. It was unbelievable because at the time it felt like my success happened overnight, but I had been working at it for so long. Thank God I found success with my own label.”

Once success was evident, Martinez kept striving for more.

“The hardest part was finding out what the people wanted,” Martinez says. “It’s very difficult to get a hit song, but once you find out what the people want, you just keep giving it to them.”

That’s exactly what Martinez did. Because of this, the label continued to flourish for years. But in 1977 after recording nearly 30 albums, Martinez decided to retire his orchestra and focus more time developing Freddie Records and spending time with his family.

“When I was younger I used to love to travel and perform on the road,” he says. “I still like to perform, but it’s being away from my family that I don’t like. I don’t think I could handle that anymore.”

Martinez now focuses on producing and writing songs for the label’s artists and enjoys the artistic give-and-take of recording sessions. Since then, more than 150 Grammys have been accumulated between all of Freddie Records’ artists. The company now includes artists such as Michael Salgado, Solido, Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz, Los Terribles Del Norte, Siggno, La Tropa F, Masizzo, and Ramon Ayala y Sus Bravos Del Norte.

As Freddie Records nears its 40th anniversary, Martinez looks back at how it all began. “I remember starting the label when I was getting paid $1.25 to perform at small little clubs,” Martinez recalls. “It started as a small independent label but has turned into the largest independent label in the United States.”

A success, Martinez’s eldest son, Freddie Martinez Jr., credits to his father.

“My father has always exhibited an astute business sense that has allowed our business to flourish in a nontraditional music market,” Freddie Jr. says. “This November marks the 40th anniversary of Freddie Records. Not many companies, particularly independent record companies, reach that milestone.”

What Matters Most

Though Martinez has spent a large part of his life engrained in the music industry, his main priority has always been his family.

“When I was a young boy, my father spent a lot of time on the road touring and performing for fans throughout the Unites States and Mexico,” Freddie Jr. says. “He worked extremely hard to establish himself as an artist and a music entrepreneur. Although it was tough for him at times, he always made it a point to be at Little League football games, birthdays and special events. To this day, family time is extremely important to him and my mother.”

Martinez has three children: Freddie Jr., John and Marc. The three brothers run the day-to-day operations of the company while their father writes and produces songs in the studio.

Second eldest son, John, admires his father for being a devoted family man.

“My father’s dream was always to have his family involved in the day-to- day operations of the business,” John says. “He never really encouraged us to be entertainers because of the hardships of this career. He had lived and witnessed this life and did not want this for us. Instead he wanted us to learn the many different aspects of the record business and to continue the legacy of Freddie Records.”

Freddie Jr. has enjoyed working side-by-side with his father.

“A lot of family-owned businesses often run into situations were family members don’t always agree on various aspects of the business,” Freddie Jr. says. “I can honestly say that we think very much alike when it comes to Freddie Records … I respect my father’s experience and his judgment when it comes to making hard decisions. I still go to him for advice whenever I need to.”

The Dream

After more than 50 years in the music business, Martinez is appreciative of his loyal fans.

“When a fan comes up to me, whatever I’m doing I always give them the time they deserve because they buy our CDs, and I know I could not have done it without them,” he says. “It’s very gratifying to have fans come up to me and tell me that their mothers and fathers used to love our music and now their children love my music.”

Although his talent, family and fans made his success possible, Martinez’s faith in God played a huge role as well.

“I credit God for everything that I have and everything that I am,” he says. “Whatever success I have, I credit to God.”

Martinez is no stranger to success, but more importantly this success has come from embracing his destiny, his true talent and above all, his passion for music.