Jiménez, José Alfredo

(José Alfredo Jiménez Sandoval)

(1926-1973)

   prolific singer/composer of rancheras, José Alfredo Jiménez also appeared in numerous Mexican films of the 1950s. Many other movies took their titles from his compositions: Amanecí en tus brazos, Qué bonito amor, La mano de Dios, La vida no vale nada, Me cansé de rogarle, ad infinitum. Jiménez was born in the state of Guanajato, but moved with his family to Mexico City after the death of his father. He got a job as a waiter in the restaurant "La Sirena," and formed a musical group with the owner's son and another young man. It was not until 1950 that one of Jiménez's own songs was recorded professionally. Over the next two decades Jiménez wrote many classic songs; he also became a popular movie, TV, and radio performer. The singer had had problems with alcohol for many years, nearly dying of cirrhosis of the liver in 1968; after several years of good health, he began drinking again and died in November 1973. Jiménez was married to Julia Gálvez (whom he called "Paloma") in 1952 and had two children; he later married the daughter of comedian Manuel Medel and fathered three; much later, he married singer Alicia Juárez, who was 27 years younger than he was (he wrote a song about her entitled-in translation - "I Should Have Fallen in Love with Your Mother"). Jiménez's life was the subject of a 1988 film biography, Pero sigo siendo el rey, starring Leonardo Daniel (the film was based on a story by Paloma Jiménez, which may explain why the Alicia Juárez character - not referred to by that name - is not very favorably portrayed).