By Sam Kindrick length about his life with nally won out. I became Joe Anna helping him clean the Joe Teutsch remembers three Jack Russell terriers on King Carrasco.” plate, Joe King mused about the date and location well. the beautiful beaches of Patoski is a noted free- music labels, his love for It was August 16, 1976, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico lance Austin writer who has dogs, the melding of West exactly one year to the day where he now lives most of penned articles for Texas Texas country with Mexican before Elvis Presleyʼs Au - the time. Monthly and sundry other and South American political gust 16, 1977 death. A true character who says publications in the Lone Star songs, and what he calls an The location was the old he works for pesos and State. And the Patoski touch enduring love for Mexican ZAZ Studios, squarely in the shrimp tacos in the beach may be evident in some of slang. middle of San Antonioʼs West bars along the 70-mile long Joe Kingʼs press hype which “Call it what you like,” Joe Side. Puerto Vallarta bay area, Joe includes this interesting pas - King says. “Itʼs Tequila Reg - Occasion for the ZAZ King is no peon in a vast en - sage: gae and itʼs Nuevo Wavo gathering was the recording tertainment world which has Several years ago, ʻ“His and plain old Mexican rock- of Joe Teutschʼs very first carried the acclaimed king of Majesty” took a few left turns and-roll. And thereʼs country single, Tell Me on the A-side, Tex-Mex all over Europe, at Nogales and wound up in it, too, although Iʼm not ex - with Mescal Road on the flip. Central and South America, playing with his band at a bar actly known for country This was before Dumas, and Canada. called Pancho y Leftyʼs in music. I was born in Dumas Texas native Joe Teutsch He is a movie actor, movie San Miguel de Allende, Mex - in North Texas, and I grew up was to morph into Joe King producer, member of the ico. There the Tex-Mex fell there and in California where Carrasco, a Tex-Mex icon Texas Music Hall of Fame, into a slow cool cumbia/reg - I spent some early years be - and Texas Music Hall of and a former MTV host who gae groove. This style fore coming back to Austin to Fame member who brought has recorded with Michael seemed to be the musical play music. You canʼt ride the his own brand of N uevo Jackson and the Texas Tor - answer to what Joe had roads of Texas as long as I Wavo rock-and-roll to Austin nadoes. Joe King has ap - been searching for from the have without having some stages during the cosmic peared on Saturday Night Mayan pyramids to the country in your soul. And I cowboy era of the 1970s Live, been interviewed ex - shores of Lake Titicaca. This guess some of mine comes and 1980s. tensively by Rolling Stone mystical combination of out in the sound track of my Influenced heavily by Magazine, and he has Latino and Caribbean, with a new movie which is being re - such Tex-Mex pioneers as recorded some 14 CDs, all little bit of Sam The Sham leased this fall.” Augie Meyers and the late available at Joeking.com. thrown in for a spicy flavor, Titled Rancho No Tengo Doug Sahm, accordion whiz As for his fanciful stage has evolved into a style Joe (a ranch I do not have), the Steve Jordan, and Sonny name, Joe King Carrasco has termed “Tequila Reg - film is about love in a trailer Ozuna, the talented singer, Teutsch admits that the fatal gae.” park between a long-haired songwriter, and hot-handed and headline-grabbing As usual, Joe was wound and middle-aged cat in a guitarist who was to later as - prison break attempt in the tight for his local show last cowboy hat and a damsel sume the mantle of Joe King 1970s by drug kingpin Fred month, jumping through the half his age. Carrasco remembers that Carrasco might have figured crowd and across the dance Although Joe King Car - night at ZAZ Studios well. into his eventual “crowning.” floor with guitar in hand, and rasco has acted in countless “I went over there with Joe King said, “I started while the driving rhythm def - independent films over the Speedy Sparks,” Joe King hanging out in Mexico when I initely had a south seas qual - years, many of them shot in recalls. “Man, we had a horn was 17, and I was playing ity to it, I detected a sound in the Austin area, this repre - section for that session. around with a bunch of con - Carrascoʼs nimble guitar sents his first directed fea - Rocky Morales was there. junto bands when Carrasco picking which had a distinc - ture, and the soundtrack for Louie Bustos. Frank Ro - tried to bust out of prison. tive Willie Nelson resem - Rancho No Tengo is being darte. Speedy Sparks and The name Carrasco was blance. released with the movie this Charlie McBirnie. I know we everywhere, and some musi - Then it hit me. Carrasco fall. must have consumed at cians started jokingly calling picks a guitar with gut strings “There is country music in least 15 cases of Schlitz be - me Carrasco. I was sorta as Nelson has been known the soundtrack,” Carrasco fore the recording was done. looking for a special name, a to do on many occasions. Itʼs smiles. “This is a sort of It was just one of those mag - royalty thing like Sir Doug a different and distinctive western in a trailer park. And ical times that come only a and Lord August (Augie Mey - sound. I think I will have a part in an few times during a lifetime. ersʼ first stage handle), and I The next Carrasco show upcoming movie titled No My ties to San Antonio have was thinking about Count at Casbeers will be in De - Mexicans or Dogs Allowed, always been strong.” Carrasco when my friend cember, the exact date to be but I donʼt have all the details Here last month for a Joe Nick Patoski started in - announced. on this one yet.” rousing performance at Cas - sisting I call myself King Car - With a platter of Casbeers In 1978, and after that ini - beers, Joe King Carrasco rasco. I wanted Count, Joe enchiladas under his nose, tial recording experience with Teutsch was interviewed at Nick wanted King, and he fi - and his Jack Russell female San Antonioʼs West Side Horns and others, Joe re - Armadillo World Headquar - Mexico in the first place. I kets in ventilated sacks leased an LP titled Tex-Mex ters, although Joe concedes was hanging out in Mexico hanging around his neck and Rock & Roll with his first that he might have suffered when I was 17 years of age, across his back makes per - band El Molino. This record some minor head trauma learning the language and fectly good sense to me. made it to England where it which is only now making it - playing with musicians who What is there not to love was re-released by Big Beat self manifest. were a lot like some of the about Joe King Carrasco? Records. “Iʼm 53 years of age now,” old players you once found As Peteyʼs kidneys began By 1980, Joe Teutsch was Joe King laughs. “But I on the San Antonio River - to fail during his final days on Joe King Carrasco, and with stopped diving off stages walk. And not just mariachis, this earth, I simply spread a his new band, The Crowns, when my business contractor but musicians who played rain slicker across the bed he released that groupʼs first told me to stop it.” standards as well. They were and kept my sleeping partner single titled Party Weekend Joe King has a hearing in it more for the music than in his customary spot until and things really began to problem. A doctor asked if he for the money, and I guess his last day and the final pop. had shot skeet or fired shot - Iʼm still that way today. goodbye. The band became one of guns for other reasons over “In Puerto Vallarta I have “A lot of people just canʼt the first American groups the years. everything I need. I have an understand,” Joe King said. signed by Englandʼs leg - “It wasnʼt guns that hurt apartment with a manager “I have a son by a former endary Stiff Records, and my hearing,” Joe said. “It who allows me to keep the marriage, and there have there followed Rolling Stone was drums and cymbals.” dogs in my sleeping quar - been numerous girlfriends acclaim, Saturday Night Live, When living in the United ters, and I can get my car through the years. But I a tour with a British-born Ja - States, Joe King and his fixed, my computer over - guess none of them were re - maican band called The three Jack Russell terriers-- hauled, and all the shrimp ally keen on sharing the bed Equators (where Joe picked Anna, Peanut, and tacos I can eat within five with me, Peewee, Anna and up a lot of his reggae influ - Peewee--can be found in an minutes from my apart - Peanut all at the same time. ence) and an eventual con - adobe cabin on eight acres ment.” So for now, itʼs just me and tract with MCA where he had of Hill Country turf just out - Joe King says nothing that the Jack Russells. The dogs Michael Jackson, the king of side of Llano. happens in Puerto Vallarta need me and I guess I need pop, singing background har - This represents about two “goes on your permanent them as well.” monies on his album months out of every year, for record.” But on a more seri - At the annual Puerto Val - Synapse Gap. Joe King lives the rest of the ous note, he says that at 3 or larta all-breeds dog show this After living and studying in time in Puerto Vallarta, Mex - 4 in the morning itʼs just you past year, Joe Kingʼs Jacks Nicaragua in the mid 1980s, ico where he has returned to and the cops out there on the swept the costume division. Joeʼs music took on an even his roots and some faithful streets. “I had them all dressed in greater Latin influence. Ac - musician friends in a popular “I keep everything really sombreros and serapes,” he tivist albums dealing with un - beach band known as The straight, and because of my laughed. “They were the hits just politics of the times in PV Allstars. dogs, I go out of my way not of the show.” Central America included Fronted by Corpus Christi to make waves or cause any Carrasco also hauls his Bordertown, Bandido Rock, native Roy Hollingshead on friction,” Carrasco said. “I dogs to the Jack Russell ter - Dia De Los Muertos, and vocals and drums, and in - carry plastic bangs and clean rier field trials in Brenham Royal Loyal & Live. cluding former San Antonio up the poop where ever I go. and other Jack Russell out - With a blistering guitar saxman Gil Herman and Iʼm really fastidious about the ings in Texas. style and a penchant for the Puerto Vallarta native Mike dog scene.” “I was here last winter wild and sometimes bizarre, Cervantes on bass, the PV Although Joe King Car - playing a fundraiser for Kinky Joe King thrilled Austin Allstars just needed Joe King rascoʼs relationship with Friedman,” Joe King said. “I crowds during the 1980s with Carrasco to become the three Jack Russell terriers hope Kinky runs for governor what became known as the hottest band on the coast of might seem a mite extreme again. If he does, Iʼll damn ”Carrasco Leap of Faith.” Mexico. to some, the bond between sure be back to help support With drums rolling and Carrasco said Holling - man and dogs strikes a note him. cymbals crashing, Joe Kingʼs shead, who was with him at deep within my soul. As a “A lot of people donʼt know signature finale to most the Casbeers gig, first urged Jack Russell owner myself (I the real Kinky. They see a shows included him running him to join the PV Allstars. now have 6-month-old pups comic and musician puffing and hurling his body head- “Itʼs a good life and I love Henry and Annie), I am still on a big cigar, but what they first off of some elevated it,” says Carrasco. “We work enduring the pain and grief fail to recognize is a man stage and into the arms of about five nights a week in from the loss of Petey the who has literally saved the his faithful fans. some 10 clubs that line a Wonder Dog, my 17-year-old lives of hundreds of dogs. Without fail, they always couple of bays in the Puerto Jack Russell who passed “Kinkyʼs campaign people managed to catch him before Vallarta area. I guess you from this earth in May. missed a bet in not playing his neck was broken or his might say that I work for A musician who smuggles heavier on his wonderful love brains splashed out on some pesos and shrimp tacos, but his Jacks into hotel rooms, for animals and the animal concrete floor like the one at thatʼs what attracted me to restaurants, and supermar - rescue ranch he runs near Utopia. I carried seven stray dogs to him and he took them all in without a ques - tion. He saves dogs and he loves every single one of them with all his heart. Hell yes, Kinky Friedman would make a great governor.” Come to think of it, Joe King Carrasco would get my vote if he never decided to throw his sombrero in the ring, and Iʼll back Kinky if he decides to make another gu - bernatorial run. Great musicians and comics the likes of Kinky Friedman and Joe King Car - rasco are few and far be - tween, but world-class showmen who display real love of a faithful dog are true rarities in this nasty old world. Joe King will probably be playing Casbeers again sometime in December. “Itʼs the only San Antonio place I play,” says Joe King Carrasco Teutsch. “And the only place to get real Tex- Mex enchiladas. They ainʼt got nothing like Casbeers enchiladas down in Puerto Vallarta.”