Patricia Donita Torres (born 1957) is an American singer of Tejano music. Known for her vocal versatility, she has been referred to as the "princess of Tejano music" by The Monitor. Torres began her musical career as a trumpet player for Blue Harmony. The band was discovered by Albert Esquivel in 1980, after which they released their debut album with production handled by Manny Guerra. In 1982, Torres formed the Patsy Torres Band and signed with Bob Grever's Cara Records. After obtaining a college degree in science, Torres decided to pursue a career as a pediatrician.
After indie label Freddie Records expressed interest in signing Torres and she had signed a three-year promotional contract with Budweiser, Torres decided to continue her musical career. Her ranchera single "Ya Me Voy de Esta Tierra", an original 1947 mariachi, became the first number-one single of her career which elevated Torres into a regional successful singer. Torres became the first female Tejano singer to provide audiences with dance routines and costume changes during her concerts, distinguishing her apart from her predecessors. This led her to win the Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year at the 1987 Tejano Music Awards. At this point, Torres was named by Billboard magazine as the top female Tejano singer of 1989.
Torres became an activist after her best friend died of a cocaine overdose in 1989. She began her Positive Force Tour and campaigned in high schools across the United States, warning children of the dangers of doing drugs, affiliating with gangs, and teen pregnancy. She also spoke out against prejudices towards AIDS patients and donated her time to stay-in-school campaigns. In 1990, the singer signed with WEA Latina and became the leading female Tejano country music singer. Torres was the first Tejano singer to sing a bilingual song on The Nashville Network and was named as "one of the most impressive female Tejano artists" of her generation. During the height of Tejano music's popularity in 1994, Torres was considered a pioneer who helped expand the genre's prosperity. In 1996, Torres won the Songwriter Award at the BMI Latin Awards. The singer received doctorates in education and organizational leadership in 2011 at the University of Incarnate Word. She has been inducted into the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame and the Women's Hall of Fame in San Antonio. Considered one of the instrumental musicians who helped spearhead Tejano music's golden age, Torres considers her activism with children as one of the best accomplishments of her life.
Career
Early life and career beginnings (1957–1982) Patricia Donita Torres was born in San Antonio, Texas to Williado and Patricia Torres. The family lived in a poor barrio of San Antonio. Her role model was her beloved grandfather, Dr. William Torres, whom she hoped to emulate by becoming a physician. How she got into music is one of those serendipitous stories that only look logical in retrospect. Seeing her little sister — who played the saxophone — get out of class on various occasions because she was in the school band, young Patsy took up the trumpet so that she, too, could share in the fun. Patsy Torres joined the school's band as their trumpet player and then formed a group with her sister called Blue Harmony. { Wellington |2013 |p=26} She graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School She played the trumpet while someone else sang. Torres continued Blue Harmony with the hopes of raising enough money to attend college and become a pediatrician. Though the members changed after graduation, the Blue Harmony band survived and started playing for money. But the trumpeter was told that the new keyboard the group had acquired made the horns obsolete and that she could stay only if she could sing. So she did. “And six months later I was discovered,” she says. “ We were performing at a wedding, and I sang just one song, the only one I knew, but this record producer who heard me didn't know that. He took us into the studio, and we won a recording contract.” { Wellington |2013 |p=26} The record producer was Albert Esquivel, who signed Blue Harmony in 1980. The group recorded their first album with production handled by Manny Guerra. Torres was also influenced by Laura Canales, who was instrumental in providing opportunities for women participation in Tejano music. The two eventually toured together and formed a bond, with Canales jokingly referring to Torres as the "Chicana Madonna" because of her costume designs.The single "Mi Casa Esta Vacia" provided Blue Harmony with moderate success. In 1982, the group disbanded and Torres formed the Patsy Torres Band.