The Texas Talent Musicians Association (TTMA), producers of the annual Tejano Music Awards, has issued a corrected bio for Joe Lopez, one of the recipients of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The original bio, which was submitted by Lopez’s team, contained misleading and incorrect information about his career and achievements, according to the Forever Jimmy G. Organization, a group that honors the legacy of late Tejano icon Jimmy Gonzalez.
Gonzalez and Lopez were co-founders of the iconic Tejano supergroup Mazz, one of the most successful and influential bands in Tejano music history. However, the original bio minimized Gonzalez’s role and contributions to the group and claimed that Lopez was the sole creator and leader of Mazz. Gonzalez passed away in 2018 and received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award from TTMA at the 38th Tejano Music Awards that year.
The Forever Jimmy G. Organization, which includes Gonzalez’s family, friends, and fans, raised their concerns in a public statement on social media and demanded that TTMA correct the bio and acknowledge Gonzalez’s legacy.
TTMA responded by sending an email to their followers and media outlets with a revised bio for Lopez, which removed the inaccurate claims and gave more credit to Gonzalez. The email also apologized for any confusion or offense caused by the original bio.
“TTMA harvested the bio information from input provided to us by ‘in-the-know sources’,” the organization said in the email. “It has come to our attention that some pertinent specifics may have been misleading or incorrect. This updated bio is corrected and updated to the best of our knowledge. Our apologies for any misunderstandings or misrepresentations.”
However, TTMA did not address another controversial issue regarding Lopez’s recognition: his status as a paroled sex offender. Lopez was convicted in 2006 of raping his 13-year-old niece and spent 12 years in prison before being released in 2018. He is currently on parole until 2026 and must register as a sex offender for life, according to the Texas Public Sex Offender website.
Many Tejano music fans and industry professionals have expressed their outrage and disappointment that TTMA would honor Lopez with a Lifetime Achievement Award, given his criminal history.
TTMA has not commented on this matter, nor has it indicated any plans to rescind or reconsider Lopez’s award. The Tejano Music Awards are scheduled to take place on October 21, 2023, at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.
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