Best
known nationally and internationally for his unobtrusive yet
fortifying guitar licks and the warm, smooth vocals behind such
groups as the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados
(Freddie Fender, Flaco Jimenez, Augie Meyers and Doug Sahm),
Louie Ortega can and does stand on his own as a
singer/songwriter/guitarist.
With a career
spanning more than three decades, Ortega got his start in 1969
as the front man for Columbia and Atlantic recording artists
Louie and the Lovers. When the group disbanded, Louie joined
forces with his friend Doug Sahm for a series of recording
projects and European tours. His songs, such as "Little Georgie
Baker" and "County Line," were mainstays of the group’s releases
on Sweden’s Sonnet Records. During this period, Ortega also
quietly pursued a career as a solo performer and songwriter in
his hometown of San Luis Obispo, California.
From 1989 to 1996,
Ortega toured extensively throughout the U.S and abroad with the
Texas Tornados. His performance and translation of "Soy de San
Luis" on the group’s first album helped secure the band a Grammy
in 1990. Their CD Four Aces, released in 1996, features
two of his compositions, "Amor de mi Vida" and "Mi Morenita."
He has performed
with the newly revitalized Sir Douglas Quintet (Doug Sahm, Doug
Clifford, Augie Meyers and John Jorgenson) on Elektra Records.
He has also released two solo CDs: You & I and In My
Heart, featuring a collection of well-crafted tunes that
demonstrate Louie Ortega can take front and center stage with
the best of them.
