Freddy Fender would return to the studio to record his final album, “La Música de Baldemar Huerta”, an album that brought Fender back to his Spanish language roots. He considered the album as a blend of musical genres he termed as ‘Mariachi Country’. The album would win a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album in 2002. Freddy would later tell Billboard the following when asked about his win, “I really feel great. I’ve been going to the Grammys off and on since the ’70s and have been wanting to win one since then…I won the awards with the Tornados and Super Seven, but this is my first individual win, and that really makes me feel real nice and warm.”

Fender’s blend of Country, Rock & Roll and Tejano opened a path for the next generation of borderland artists to shine in the years after like Rick Trevino, The Mavericks, Emilio Navaira and all the countless others who have continued to move freely across genres, languages, and cultures.