by Jason AnkenyA seminal force in the development of Tex-Mex music, Tejano star Roberto Pulido was born and raised in Edinburg, Texas; upon graduating from high school, he attended Pan American University on a music scholarship, later moving into a teaching career while continuing to perform club dates on weekends. In 1974 Pulido formed his backing band Los Clasicos, honing a distinctive and innovative sound fusing the traditional Tejano orquesta brass style with accordion-based Conjunto; quickly the group became a sensation, scoring a hit with the single "Copa Tres Copa." Pulido -- affectionately dubbed "El Primo" by fans -- remained at the forefront of the Tejano industry throughout the years and decades which followed, issuing dozens of LPs and notching countless hit singles.