Little Joe y La Familia to Return to the Gallo Center, 10/11

Tejano music pioneer Jose Maria DeLeon Hernandez-"Little Joe"-and his La Familia band will perform in concert at the Gallo Center for the Arts at 8 pm on Friday, October 10. It is his first appearance at the performing arts venue since his 2011 debut.

Tickets for the event range in price from $19 to $59, and may be purchased online at www.galloarts.org, by calling (209) 338-2100, or from the Gallo Center ticket office at 1000 I Street in downtown Modesto. Groups of 15 people or more can receive a 15% discount on ticket prices. Group sales information is available by calling (209) 338-5062.

Little Joe was born to Salvador and Amelia DeLeon Hernandez in a three-wall, dirt-floor garage in Temple, Texas. The seventh child of thirteen, Little Joe began performing at the age of 13, his first paying performance being for $5 at a high school sock hop.

Considering these hardscrabble beginnings, some might not have imagined that Little Joe would have gone on to become the "King of The Brown Sound," helping pioneer a mix of traditional "norteno" music with country, blues and rock styles that has become known as tejano.

For his efforts, including the release of more than 50 albums, Little Joe has been recognized with Grammy Award nominations three times, along with critical acclaim for breaking down cultural and musical barriers.