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For some, a famous family member can cast a dark shadow on one’s endeavors.
In the case of Kikker Daddy Legacy, the band’s spotlight points directly on its predecessor. The daughters and grandson of Country Roland want only to spread his music to the masses.
“Our goal is to get my grandfather — although he’s been recognized by the music industry — is to get him the full recognition he deserves,” said grandson Rene Gonzalez Jr., lead vocalist and rhythm guitar for Kikker Daddy Legacy.
Roland — officially Rolando Garcia Sr. — was an icon of his genre, dominated the Rio Grande Valley music scene, and was successful internationally. The pioneer of Chicano Country music joined the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Edinburg Walk of Fame in 2004, received a key to the city of McAllen in 2003 during a tribute at the renowned Villa Real, and the Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame in 2010 during Borderfest in Hidalgo before his death in 2012.
On Oct. 18, the Country Music Association of Texas awarded Country Roland its 2024 Hispanic Heritage Lifetime Achievement award at the Dosey Doe Barn in The Woodlands. The band was also invited to perform.
“It was a really great experience,” Gonzalez said. “We got to sing three songs. We got a really great response. The buzz was going. We felt right at home. They embraced us with open arms.”
“They started following us on social media platforms,” said Aurora “Gore” Hernandez, Roland’s daughter, who provides vocals, harmonies and plays tambourine.
Kikker Daddy Legacy recently signed with CHR Records, based in Harlingen, and looks to produce a compilation of Country Roland’s music, as well as record new material.
“We’re working on a new project with a few of my granddad’s songs as well,” Gonzalez said. “We feel it’s part of our heritage and our bloodline. It’s an emotional thing, because he asked me to keep it going, and to keep that style of music alive.”
KIKKER DADDY LEGACY IN CONCERT
Kikker Daddy Legacy will headline the McAllen Heritage Center’s La Placita Festival from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday at 301 S. Main St. in McAllen. The free event, which includes food, art and vendors, will also feature the music of Chulita Vinyl Club and Habanera.
BECOMING ‘KIKKER DADDY’
Kicker, a slang term associated with pearl snap shirts, boots, hats, and ranch life, describes a lifestyle Roland’s music embodied.
“People that call themselves kickers are cowboys and cowgirls,” Gonzalez said. “If they said they were a kicker in the ’60s and ’70s, they meant they followed the Country Roland band.”
He recalled how Roland earned the nickname the band has adopted: Television host Romeo Sanchez said “Tu eres un kicker daddy!” a reference to both the music and his role in the family band. Country Roland released his album “Kikker Daddy” in 1978, solidifying the title.
Roland and his group performed consistently, often traveling Thursdays through Sundays or weekly from Laredo to Brownsville, as well as dates in Mexico and throughout Texas.
“We had our convoy,” Hernandez remembered of life on the road. “At least half of it was from the Valley.”
Gonzalez said his grandfather honored his commitments for shows locally, which kept him from exploring larger music opportunities. Roland was once asked when he was going to pursue national fame, Gonzalez said, but he replied, “This is my Nashville. The Valley is my Nashville, these are my people.”
At the same time, Roland juggled a career with the McAllen Fire Department, using the call sign “Papa One,” until 1978. He also served as Hidalgo County Fire Marshal from 1985 to 1992.
While he was dedicated to the community, the music always called, Hernandez said.
Hernandez and sister Judy Garcia recalled the musical talent of father Roland, as well as their mother, Aurora.
“We were really blessed from both sides,” Hernandez said.
“I started when I was 12 years old playing the bass guitar,” Garcia said. “They went out and bought me my guitar and amplifier.”
She remembered practicing to a Conway Twitty song, learning “to walk it” like the musician on the record.
“I started when I was 17 or 18,” Hernandez recalled. “Dad gave me a microphone and I was like, ‘OK.’ Dad was practicing with Judy on the bass and I just practiced harmony.”
When Roland died at age 80, after a 50-year music career, the family struggled to return.
“Dad passed in 2012, and it was very emotional for us to do anything, so we had to get our bearings,” Hernandez said. “We couldn’t get out there and perform without him. It took a while to get back out there.”
Gonzalez said “the tradition and the heritage” left behind by their patriarch is what Kikker Daddy Legacy looks to preserve.
“He took a lot of rancheros and mariachis, and added a country flavor,” he said. “Whatever we’ve got to do to get that out there, that’s what we want to do.”
Find the group at www.facebook.com/KikkerDaddyLegacy and @kikkerdaddylegacy on TikTok.
