SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio icon known as ‘Hispanic Elvis’ received his final blessing and goodbye on Saturday.
His funeral service was held at the Hillcrest Funeral Home and it was attended by many family members and friends.
George Cisneros tells KSAT his brother was hospitalized in January due to “an infection in his esophagus” as well as Covid-19. He passed away on March 30th at the age of 76.
Hispanic Elvis’ death came as Fiesta preps were underway. Dozens of people shared photos, stories, prayers and memories of the man who has entertained Fiesta crowds for more than two decades.
“Walking around seeing everyone at Fiesta was just really hard to see that he was not there in his spot where he normally was with his music and his guitar dancing,” said Virginia Vasquez, Hispanic Elvis’ niece.
Although in mourning, the service was filled with laughs and smiles. Memories from Hispanic Elvis’ brother, nephew and nieces reminded those in attendance of the good times.
“I saw him out there (in Market Square) and he said ‘hey, what’s the matter with you? You look older than I do’… like what? Really, bro?” said Cisneros.
“The main thing I remember about our tio is he used to always have nicknames for everybody,” said two of his nephews, adding, “He used to always be dressed sharp. That’s one thing I remember about him.”
Cisneros said his brother is “very private,” but he and his family “appreciate all the support” and the prayers he’s received.
“When I saw all the crowds that he had, I was like man, a lot of people are behind you, they love you. It made me very proud,” said Cisneros.
He added that he wanted to thank the Cortez family for allowing his brother to be inside Mi Tierra all these years and thanked the owners of a nearby michelada stand for allowing Hispanic Elvis to perform and meet visitors in their area.
Hispanic Elvis, 76, was born and raised on the city’s West Side. Cisneros said they grew up in a small house behind the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.
While many people are aware of his current persona as Hispanic Elvis, Cisneros said his brother also played guitar in a band in the 1960s, performing at historic venues like Patio Andaluz near downtown.
Cisneros said his brother always had a penchant for wearing nice clothing and would buy his clothes at Penner’s.
He said that his brother liked the way Elvis dressed, but was “more of James Brown fan,” noting he would mimic Brown’s dance moves during performances.
Before he spent the majority of his time at Market Square, Cisneros said Hispanic Elvis started his street performances in front of the Alamo and would like to pose as a mannequin in front of Ripley’s Museum to have fun with visitors.
In September, local artist Colton Valentine paid tribute to Hispanic Elvis by painting a mural of the man on San Pedro Avenue.
The mural shows Hispanic Elvis riding his bicycle, a common sight near downtown and the West Side, with his homemade guitar, sunglasses and flashy attire.
“I’m so grateful to the artist who drew that mural,” Cisneros said.
Hispanic Elvis did not have a cellphone and Cisneros said he “was old school like that.”
Despite many opportunities to cash in on his popularity, Cisneros said his brother turned down multiple offers to star in commercials, saying his brother lives by his own rules.
“My brother is living his dream. He didn’t want to make commercials or be more famous,” Cisneros said. “He just wants to entertain people.”