Leonardo 'Flaco' Jiménez, legendary Mexican American accordion player and singer-songwriter who expanded the reach and popularity of conjunto and tejano music and was also known for his contributions to norteño,

The San Antonio native took his three-row accordion and gave it modern twists, taking Tex-Mex conjunto music to the national and world stages alongside many music superstars.

Born into a family of conjunto pioneers, Flaco Jimenez took his Hohner three-row button accordion from San Antonio to the stages of the world, becoming the music’s greatest ambassador. Jimenez died Thursday evening at one of his son’s homes following a long illness. He was 86.