TEJANO LEGACY / MYTEJANO BRIEF

Plácido Salazar: a voice with roots. A life of service.

From a Valley guitar to the radio microphone, Plácido Salazar’s story connects music, service and the people who keep Tejano culture alive.

MyTejano desk · Source published October 29, 2026

A song can carry a hometown with it. Plácido Salazar’s story connects South Texas music, broadcasting and service. In UT Austin’s Voces oral history, Salazar recalled learning guitar from his father at seven and performing in talent shows near Edcouch in the Rio Grande Valley, alongside school, fieldwork and helping his family. After retiring from the Air Force in 1976, he worked as a radio and television host and continued singing in Texas, Mexico, and wherever he had the opportunity to share his music, according to Voces. Tejano Nation’s 2024 profile traces recording connections with Pedro Ayala and Flaco Jiménez, documents his KLMO-FM work and reports TTMA’s announcement of a Tejano Music Awards Lifetime Achievement honor. His legacy spans stages, recordings and airtime. Joint Base San Antonio documents the February 2013 presentation of his Bronze Star Medal with valor and Purple Heart for actions in Vietnam. Voces also records his later veterans’ advocacy. You can hear Salazar perform on Wednesdays at Flor de Chiapas in San Antonio, Texas, and tune in to his Saturday radio show on KLMO 98.9 FM from 10 a.m. to noon Central. His story is also coming to the screen. A documentary about his life by Efraín-Abran Gutiérrez Jr., narrated by Efraín Gutiérrez, is coming soon. Give the songs a listen. Give the voices their flowers. Que siga la música.

By Efraín-Abran Gutiérrez Jr. | MyTejano

Music background: tejanonation.net Service: jbsa.mil Show schedule: klmo989.com