Mazz

Mazz was a Tejano band originally from Brownsville, Texas.^[1] The band was known for their unique and innovative form of Tejano cumbia which made them distinguishable among their counterparts.^[2][3] Mazz became one of the most popular Tejano music bands during the genre's 1990s golden age. Mazz won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and in 2009, the most wins for a Tejano musician.^[2] They landed their first major recording contract with EMI Latin in the early 1990s, before switching to Freddie Records in 1999.^[2] Joe Lopez and Jimmy Gonzalez formed Mazz in 1978 before disbanding and creating smaller bands throughout their careers.^[2] Gonzalez was known for blending a variety of genres into his basic Tejano sound, a formula he continued to use up until his final release, Porque Todavía te Quiero (2018).^[2] Gonzalez was pronounced dead in San Antonio, Texas on June 6, 2018, after suffering from low blood sugar as a result of his diabetes.^[2]

Mazz
Mazz band in the 1980s
Background information
Origin	Brownsville, Texas, United States
Genres	Tejano, Mexican cumbia
Years active	1978–Present
Labels	Freddie Records, Capitol EMI Latin, Cara Records

History

Mazz was founded by Joe Lopez and Jimmy Gonzalez in 1978.^[2] Grupo Mazz were known for using the synthesizer and blending rock and roll into their original Tejano music sound.^[4] They earned a marketing contract with Coors in the mid-1980s that provided the band with exposure.^[4] The marketing success of Coors enabled the band to tour in Florida, California, and much of the southwest and Pacific coast states of the United States.^[4] The band's repertoire included award-winning songwriter Luis Silva who provided the band's earliest success with "Laura Ya No Vive Aquí", "Borraré Tu Nombre", and "Otra Vez".^[4] Grupo Mazz began receiving top honors at the Tejano Music Awards, winning Single of the Year, Best Tejano Album, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Showband of the Year.^[4] By 1986, Grupo Mazz began selling 50,000 units and became one of the top-selling Tejano acts.^[5] The group had a reputation as being "bad boys" of the Tejano music industry, they were known to be late at their shows.^[5] The single "Laura Ya No Vive Aqui" peaked atop Billboard's Latin music charts in March 1987.^[4] The band's 1987 album Beyond took Album of the Year honors at the 1988 Tejano Music Awards, while Lopez and Gonzalez won Vocal Duo of the Year.^[6]

In 1988, Mazz signed with CBS Records and released Straight from the Heart (1989), and the following year they signed with EMI Latin.^[7] At the 1990 Tejano Music Awards, Grupo Mazz took Songwriter of the Year (Lopez), Vocal Duo of the Year, and Song of the Year (for "Now I Want You to Love Me") honors.^[8] The band's album No Te Olvidare (1990) reached atop the Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart in July 1990.^[9] It spent five consecutive months at number two behind Bronco.^[9] In March 1990, the album received a gold award from EMI Latin, signifying 50,000 units sold. That July, the company announced that No Te Olvidare sold 75,000 units in the United States.^[9] Mazz performed at RodeoHouston for 14 consecutive years, starting in 1991 as part of Go Tejano Day.^[2]

Lopez and González separated in summer 1998 and pursued solo careers with their own bands.^[10] Gonzalez signed a recording contract with Freddie Records in 1999.^[2] Mazz won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tejano Album in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and in 2009, the most wins for a Tejano musician.^[2] Mazz's albums No Te Olvidare, Para Nuestra Gente, Una Noche Juntos, and Mazz Romanticos Que Nunca, sold 100,000 units each by June 2018.^[3]

González's death

As González's health began to worsen, mostly due to diabetes, he began sitting during performances.^[2] In February 2018, González was hospitalized after difficulties breathing during a show.^[10] Following a show on June 5, González planned on returning to Brownsville.^[3] He decided to visit relatives in San Antonio and was hospitalized on June 5 following a drop in blood sugar. González experienced cardiac arrest and was momentarily revived,^[10] but died on Wednesday, June 6, 2018, of complications from diabetes.^[3] Within hours of the announcement of his death, Tejano musicians including Shelly Lares, David Lee Garza, and Raulito Navaira (brother of Emilio Navaira who died two years earlier) shared tributes on social media,^[11] and Tejano music stations in San Antonio began a constant play of Mazz music.^[12]

His group was scheduled to perform at the Shrimporee in Aransas Pass on June 9,^[13] and during the Puro Tejano Texas Showdown on June 23 and June 24, 2018, as part of the Puro Tejano 101.7 launch party.^[2] The June 24 event will be a tribute to González.^[2]

Controversies

In April 1994, the bus driver for Mazz was convicted after being found with 49 pounds of marijuana at the Falfurrias checkpoint. The group was in Chicago at the time of the arrest.^[14]

Joe Lopez's conviction and sex offender status

In 2006, Joe Lopez was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and a count of indecency with a child when his niece provided testimony against Lopez in court.^[15] Lopez originally was sentenced to 20 years but was paroled in February 2017.^[15] As the board was considering his parole, court documents showed that Lopez also fathered a child with another underage girl, who was 14 years old at the time. Since there were two separate instances of sex with underage girls, advocates objected to his parole.^[16]

Lopez is required to register as sex offender for the rest of his life and can be found on the Texas Public Sex Offender Website.^[17]

Band members

First lineup (1978-1984):

• Joe Lopez - vocals
• Jimmy González - guitar, backup vocals
• Juan Murillo - bass and backup vocals
• Hector Augusto Flores - keyboards
• Adolfo Garcia: - drums

Second lineup (1984-1997):

• Joe Lopez - lead vocals
• Jimmy González - vocals, guitar
• Tommie Gonzalez - conga, saxophone
• Alfonso Gonzalez (Super Boy) - accordion
• Frankie Caballero - accordion
• Robert Chavez- bass
• Mario Gonzalez - bass
• Brando Mireles - keyboard
• Adolfo Garcia - drums
• Ricardo Barron - percussion
• Rebecca Valadez - vocals
• Homero Esquivel - accordion

Joe Lopez y la Nueva Imagen Mazz (c. 2001 - c. 2001)

• Joe Lopez - lead vocals
• Brando Mireles - keyboards
• Richard Barron - drums
• Larry Villanueva - drums
• Ben Ramos - keyboards, accordion
• Danny Rodriguez - bass
• Tony Cisneros - guitar

Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz (1998 - 2017)

• Jimmy Gonzalez - lead vocals, guitar
• Mike Gonzalez - drums
• Adolfo Garcia - drums
• Joseph Gonzalez - percussion
• Johnny "Johnny Rod" Rodriguez - keyboards
• Xavier Padilla - keyboards
• Frankie Caballero - accordion
• J.R. Gomez - accordion
• Tommy Gonzalez - saxophone
• Art Ramirez - bass
• Carlos Gonzalez - bass
• Jay Alaniz - bass
• Joe B. - vocals
• Danny Ortiz - vocals
• Rebecca Valadez - vocals
• Kaci Zavala - vocals

Joe Lopez y Grupo Mazz (2017 - Present)

• Joe Lopez - lead vocals
• Brando Mireles - keyboards
• Homero Esquivel - accordion

Studio albums

Mazz

• 1978: Mazz
• 1978: Más Mazz, Vol. 2
• 1979: El
• 1980: 1980
• 1980: Class
• 1981: The Look Of Mazz
• 1982: Command Performance
• 1982: Pesado (La Mujer Del Año)
• 1983: The Force
• 1984: It's Bad!
• 1984: Standing Ovation (It's A Killer)
• 1985: The Bad Boys
• 1985: Number 16
• 1986: La Continuación: Number 16 Part II
• 1987: Dance Your Mazz Off
• 1987: Beyond
• 1988: Straight From The Heart
• 1989: No Te Olvidaré
• 1990: Para Nuestra Gente
• 1991: Una Noche Juntos: Live
• 1992: Lo Haré Por Ti
• 1993: Mazz Románticos Que Nunca
• 1993: Qué Esperabas
• 1994: Regalo De Navidad
• 1995: Solo Para Ti
• 1996: Mazz Mariachi Y Tradición
• 1997: Al Frente De Todos
• 1998: Cuántas Veces
• 2006: Mazz Live Reunion - The Last Dance

Joe Lopez y la Nueva Imagen Mazz

• 2001: Mazz Fuerte Que Nunca

Joe Lopez

• 2003: A Mi Manera
• 2004: A.B. Quintanilla III Presents Joe Lopez
• 2005: Qué Te Hice
• 2005: Aqui Estare

Jimmy Gonzalez y Grupo Mazz

• 2000: Quien Iba A Pensar
• 2001: Siempre Humilde
• 2002: Si Me Faltas Tu
• 2003: Live En El Valle
• 2004: Para Mi Gente
• 2005: Mejor Que Nunca
• 2006: It's Christmazz
• 2007: Incomparable
• 2008: The Legend Continues
• 2009: Eternamente
• 2010: Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor
• 2011: The Return of the Bad Boys 2011
• 2013: Forever Mazz
• 2014: Iconic
• 2016: Que Cante El Mundo
• 2018: Por Que Todavia Te Quiero

Joe Lopez y Grupo Mazz

• 2020: Freedom Tour
• 2022: Love From the Heart

Awards

Latin Grammy^[18]

• 2001: Tejano Album
• 2002: Best Tejano Album
• 2003: Best Tejano Album
• 2004: Best Tejano Album
• 2009: Best Tejano Album
• 2014: Best Tejano Album

Tejano Music Awards^[19]

• 1981: Most Promising Band of the Year
• 1983: Male Vocalist of the Year (Joe Lopez)
• 1986: Vocal Duo Of the Year; Album of the Year – Orchestra
• 1988: Vocal Duo Of the Year; Album of the Year – Orchestra
• 1989: Vocal Duo Of the Year; Male Vocalist of the Year (Joe Lopez)
• 1990: Vocal Duo Of the Year; Song of the Year; Songwriter of the Year (Joe Lopez)
• 1991: Vocal Duo Of the Year; Male Vocalist of the Year; Album of the Year – Orchestra; Single of the Year; Male Entertainer of the Year (Joe Lopez); Song of the Year; Songwriter of the Year (Joe Lopez)
• 1992: Vocal Duo Of the Year; Male Vocalist of the Year; Album of the Year – Orchestra; Single of the Year; Male Entertainer of the Year (Joe Lopez); Song of the Year; Songwriter of the Year (Joe Lopez)
• 1993: Single of the Year; Song of the Year
• 1994: Vocal Duo Of the Year
• 1996: Album of the Year – Orchestra
• 1999: Album of the Year – Group
• 2002: Male Vocalist of the Year (Jimmy Gonzalez); Male Entertainer of the Year (Jimmy Gonzalez); Song of the Year;
• 2003: Song of the Year; Album of the Year – Group; Crossover Song of the Year;
• 2004: Song of the Year; Album of the Year – Group
• 2005: Album of the Year – Tejano
• 2006: Song of the Year; Album of the Year – Tejano; Vocal Duo of the Year (Jimmy Gonzalez & KC Zavala)
• 2007: Vocal Duo of the Year (Jimmy Gonzalez & Freddie Martinez)
• 2009: Song of the Year; Album of the Year – Group; Crossover Song of the Year
• 2010: Entertainer of the Year; Decade Ballot Winners: Male Vocalist 1980’s (Joe Lopez)
• 2014: Male Vocalist of the Year; Vocal Duo of the Year (Jimmy Gonzalez & Elida Reyna)
• 2018: Lifetime Achievement Award (Jimmy Gonzalez)