Laredo, Texas

Everything Laredo is known for

69 songs mention this city 24 artists from here

Laredo, Texas, a vibrant border city on the Rio Grande, boasts a rich cultural heritage with a dynamic music scene. The city has been home to 25 artists and is mentioned in 39 songs, reflecting its enduring presence in music. Artists such as Adrian Quesada and Poncho Sanchez, known for their Latin music, hail from Laredo. The city's name also appears in well-known songs like "Streets of Laredo" by Marty Robbins and "Laredo" by Leon Bridges.

Music in Laredo

Songs About Laredo

New Year’s Day
Charlie Robison
98%
"Went down Camino Espinoza, gonna get me a divorce"
Nuevo Laredo
sir douglas quintet
90%
Streets of Laredo (Instrumental)
Logan Austin
82%
"Streets of Laredo (Instrumental)"
Streets of Laredo
Billy Walker
82%
"As I was a-riding the streets of Laredo"
Streets of Laredo (Arr. by Logan Austin)
Logan Austin
81%
"Streets of Laredo"
Somewhere Over Laredo
Lainey Wilson
80%
"Somewhere over Laredo"
Streets of Laredo
Marty Robbins
80%
"As I walked out in the streets of Laredo"
Laredo
Band of Horses
80%
"Song about Laredo"
Laredo
Leon Bridges
80%
"Song about Laredo"
Laredo
Angie K
80%
"Song about Laredo"
Laredo (Small Dark Something)
Jon Dee Graham
80%
"Well, I drove to Laredo"
Leaving Laredo (or the Night Gilberto Hit the Floor)
Lost Immigrants
80%
"Leaving Laredo"
Laredo Blue
Rodrigo Haddad
80%
"Laredo Blue"
Laredo
Chris Cagle
78%
"Oh, Laredo, don't let her go"
streets of laredo
mary kaye
78%
Christmas in Laredo
Bo DePeña
78%
"Christmas in Laredo"
Lady of Laredo
Paul Eason
77%
"Lady of Laredo"
Ay te dejo en San Antonio
Flaco Jimenez
55%
"Y en Laredo ya tenias otros dos"
Love from Lufkin
Rita Bliss
55%
"I'm sending you the moonlight from Laredo"
Letter to Laredo
Joe Ely
55%

Showing top 20 of 69 songs

Artists From Laredo

A
Adrian Quesada
latin
P
Poncho Sanchez
latin
F
Full Contact
metal
P
Pete Astudillo
latin
A
Adversor
metal
T
The Maples
indie
R
René y René
latin
L
LOUIEJAYXX
hip-hop
T
Thisistoodifficult
indie
V
Venereal Baptism
metal
R
René Barbera
classical
B
Bo Depena
latin
B
Beto Martinez
latin
M
Miles Zuniga
rock
K
Kix Garcia
latin
E
Eduard Laurel
latin
S
Seven Perfect
indie
N
Necrovision
metal
S
Sonja de la Paz
latin
T
The Reen
indie

Showing top 20 of 24 artists

Rivers & Roads in Song near Laredo

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Laredo.

U.S. Route 59 9 songs Interstate 35 43 songs Rio Grande / Río Bravo 163 songs Rio Grande / Río Bravo 250 songs

Musical Heritage

Adrian Quesada RoadyGoat

You've heard him even if you don't know the name. Adrian Quesada grew up in Laredo — three and a half hours from Austin, a world unto itself — and picked up a guitar at thirteen, classical and flamenco before he ever plugged in. In 2000 two bands he was in merged into Grupo Fantasma, a Latin funk outfit that won a Grammy and now and then shared a stage with Prince. Since then he's had a hand in more than fifty recordings — Brownout, Money Chicha, two solo albums in a single year. But the one that broke wide is Black Pumas, his soul duo with singer Eric Burton. Their song "Colors," a Best New Artist nomination, a set for the presidential inauguration. Not a bad run for a kid from the border who just kept making records.

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History of Laredo

The Seven-Flag City and the Republic of the Rio Grande RoadyGoat

Most people know Texas was under six flags, but Laredo is the 'City Under Seven Flags.' That seventh flag belonged to a country you've probably never heard of: the Republic of the Rio Grande. Back in 1840, the region was part of Mexico. But leaders in the northern states felt ignored and oppressed by the central government in Mexico City. So they did something radical: they declared independence. They formed their own nation, the Republic of the Rio Grande, and they made Laredo its capital. For 283 days, this brand-new country fought to exist. Its capitol building, a simple adobe structure, still stands in downtown Laredo. The rebellion was eventually crushed by the Mexican army, and the dream of an independent republic faded. But if you visit the museum today, you can stand in the very rooms where a new nation was born and died, a unique chapter in North American history.

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Jovita Idár Stands Down the Texas Rangers RoadyGoat

Imagine standing up to a force of armed men, all by yourself. That's what a 28-year-old woman named Jovita Idár did in Laredo in 1914. Idár, born right here in Laredo in 1885, was a journalist for 'El Progreso,' a Spanish-language newspaper that fiercely defended the rights of Mexican Americans. When the paper printed an editorial criticizing President Wilson's order sending U.S. troops to the border, it angered the authorities. The Texas Rangers were sent to shut the newspaper down. When the Rangers arrived at the newspaper office, as the story is told in Laredo, Jovita Idár stood in the doorway and physically blocked them from entering, arguing they had no right to silence the press. The Rangers backed off. They returned later when she wasn't there and destroyed the printing press, but her act of courage became an inspiration. In an era of intense discrimination, Jovita Idár's stand in a Laredo doorway was a powerful declaration for freedom of the press.

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The Engineered River of Commerce RoadyGoat

As you drive around Laredo, you're seeing the components of a massive, finely tuned machine built for trade. The heart of this machine is the World Trade Bridge, an eight-lane engineering marvel designed exclusively for commercial trucks. Every day, over 14,000 of them cross the border here, forming a constant, engineered river of commerce. Think about the logistics: each truck must be weighed, identified, and its cargo manifest checked. Many are sent through giant X-ray or gamma-ray scanners—a technology called non-intrusive inspection—to check for contraband without ever opening the doors. This entire process, from the bridge design to the software scheduling arrivals to the physics of the scanners, is a triumph of systems engineering. That truck you just passed on I-35 isn't just on a road; it's a data point in a complex, billion-dollar network that makes Laredo the most critical trade artery in the nation.

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Pvt. David Bennes Cantu Barkley

1899

Born in Laredo on March 31, 1899, David Bennes Cantu Barkley was the son of Josef Barkley, a career Army man stationed at Fort McIntosh, and Antonia Cantu. After the birth of David's sister Amelia, the family moved to San Antonio in 1904. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Army under the name of David Barkley. Most World War I military records misspell his name as 'Barkeley." On August 22, 1918, David sailed on the S.S. Sobral to France as part of Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division. On November 9th, the company received a 'must' order to cross the Meuse River near Pouilly, France. David volunteered along with another soldier to swim across and explore the surrounding German territory. Despite resistance, Barkley made it across, crawled 400 yards behind enemy lines, and drew the required maps. On his swim back through enemy fire, Barkley was seized with cramps and drowned. His exhausted scouting partner was able to return with the information they had gathered together. Two days later, the Armistice went into effect. Private Barkley was commended by General John Pershing and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was then one of only three Texans to have been given the decoration in the war. He also received the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, Victory Medal, Croix de Guerre from France and Croce al Merito di Guerra from Italy. In 1921, his body lay in state at the Alamo, only the second person to have that honor. He is buried under the name David B. Barkley in San Antonio National Cemetery. In 1989, David Barkley's Hispanic heritage was revealed, thus spurring the Army to recognize him as the first Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient. (2017)

Historical Marker → · 3.1 mi away

Santos Benavides

1823

Santos Benavides, son of Jose Jesus and Marguerita Benavides and great-great grandson of Laredo founder Tomas Sanchez, was born in Laredo on November 1, 1823. He married Augustina Villareal in 1842. Benavides, appointed procurador (administrative agent) of Laredo in 1843, openly cooperated with the forces of Mirabeau B. Lamar which occupied Laredo during the Mexican War (1846-48) in an effort to pacify the region. He was elected mayor of Laredo in 1856 and 1857 and chief justice of Webb County in 1859. During the Civil War Benavides raised a company of cavalry at Laredo which defeated Juan Cortina in the Battle of Carrizo in 1861. He became a colonel in command of his own regiment known as Benavides' Regiment. On March 19, 1864, his regiment successfully defended Laredo with only 42 men against a Union force of more than 200 men. During the late 1860s and 1870' Benavides engaged in mercantile and ranching activities with his brother Cristobal. He served in the Texas Legislature during the 1880s and in 1884 was appointed Texas Commissioner to the world's Cotton Exposition. Benavides helped found the Guarache party, a faction of Laredo's Democratic Party. He died in Laredo on November 9, 1891. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845-1995

Historical Marker →

Laredo Air Force Base

1940

During World War I, Kelly Field (San Antonio), reached its peak training capacity and the U.S. Army built several auxiliary landing fields in South Texas, including one in Laredo north of Fort McIntosh. In 1940, as the nation faced another war, the city of Laredo hired local contractor H.B. Zachry to build an airport to replace the landing strip. The city named the airport Zachry Field in honor of H.B.'s father, U.S. Army colonel John Zachry. In 1941, local leaders persuaded U.S. senator Morris Sheppard, chairman of the Senate Military Affairs Committee, to petition for a wartime training facility in Laredo. On May 7, 1942, the U.S. Military acquired Zachry Field, expanding the site to more than 2,085 acres, with an additional 685,000 acres of aerial target ranges northwest toward Eagle Pass ad 35,000 acres north of the city for ground target practice. In 1944, Laredo Army Air Field Flexible Gunnery School reached its peak capacity with more than 15,000 personnel and 250 aircraft. Airmen here trained in gunnery instruction and airplane and turret mechanics for medium and heavy bombers. While Women Airforce Service pilots flew engineering tests. In late 1945, the field became inactive and the land transferred to the War Assets Administration. In 1952, during the Korean War, the site reactivated as Laredo Air Force Base, providing basic training for cadets from the U.S. Air Force and 24 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. The base continued in operation until 1973, when the military declared the facility excess and deactivated the command. The site reopened in 1975 as Laredo International Airport, continuing its long association with aviation history in the area. (2007)

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Barkley, David Bennes

1918

David Bennes Barkley, Medal of Honor recipient, was born, probably in 1899, to Josef and Antonia (Cantú) Barkley in Laredo, Texas. When the United States entered World War I , Barkley enlisted as a private in the United States Army. Family records indicate he did not want to be known as of Mexican descent, for fear he would not see action at the front. He was assigned to Company A, 356th Infantry, Eighty-ninth Division. In France he was given the mission of swimming the Meuse River near Pouilly, in order to infiltrate German lines and gather information about the strength and deployment of German formations. Despite enemy resistance to any allied crossing of the Meuse, Barkley and another volunteer accomplished the mission. While returning with the information, Barkley developed cramps and drowned, on November 9, 1918, just two days before the armistice went into effect. His sacrifice earned praise from Gen. John J. Pershing , the commander of the American Expeditionary Force. Barkley was one of three Texans awarded the nation's highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for service in World War I. He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre (France) and the Croce Merito (Italy). In 1921 an elementary school in San Antonio was named for him. He lay in state at the Alamo , the second person to be so honored. He was buried at San Antonio National Cemetery. On January 10, 1941, the War Department named Camp Barkeley for the Texas hero.

Tsha Handbook →

Benavides, Santos

1861

Santos Benavides, the highest ranking Mexican American to serve the Confederacy, the son of José Jesús and Margarita (Ramón) Benavides, was born in Laredo, Texas, on November 1, 1823. He was the great-great-grandson of Tomás Sánchez de la Barrera y Garza , the founder of Laredo. Benavides married Agustina Villareal in 1842, and the couple eventually adopted four children. As a political and military leader in Laredo, Benavides brought a traditionally isolated region closer to the mainstream of Texas politics while preserving a sense of local independence. His prominence in Laredo resulted initially from the influence of his uncle, Basilio Benavides , who was three times elected alcalde under Mexican rule, then mayor and state representative after annexation . Santos Benavides's success as a merchant and rancher also contributed to his selection as procurador in 1843, then to his election as mayor of Laredo in 1856 and chief justice of Webb County in 1859. He won further distinction as the leader of several campaigns against the Lipan Apaches and other Indians. Under both Mexican and American rule, his politics remained consistent. During the Federalist-Centralist wars that swept the Rio Grande frontier in the 1830s and 1840s, geographically isolated northern Mexico supported the Federalist cause of local autonomy against the Centralists, who wanted power focused in distant Mexico City. As a young man Benavides fought for the Federalists. Frustrated with the Mexican government, he cooperated with the forces of Mirabeau B. Lamar , which occupied Laredo during the Mexican War . Benavides joined his uncle in opposing the annexation of the Laredo area by the United States, as called for by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , because he feared it would compromise the independent character of northern Mexico. When Texas seceded, Benavides and his brothers supported the Confederacy, whose states'-rights principles were so close to their regionalism. Commissioned a captain in the Thirty-third Texas Cavalry (or Benavides' Regiment) and assigned to the Rio Grande Military District, Benavides quickly won accolades as a fighter. He drove Juan Cortina back into Mexico in the battle of Carrizo on May 22, 1861, and quelled other local revolts against Confederate authority. In November 1863 Benavides was promoted to colonel and authorized to raise his own regiment of "Partisan Rangers," for which he used the remnants of the Thirty-third. His greatest military triumph was his defense of Laredo on March 19, 1864, with forty-two troops against 200 soldiers of the Union First Texas Cavalry , commanded by Col. Edmund J. Davis , who had, ironically, offered Benavides a Union generalship earlier. Perhaps Benavides's most significant contribution to the South came when he arranged for safe passage of Texas cotton along the Rio Grande to Matamoros during the Union occupation of Brownsville in 1864. During Reconstruction he continued his mercantile and ranching activities with his brother Cristóbal Benavides and remained active in politics. In support of his son-in-law, Gen. Lázaro Garza Ayala, and Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada, he was accused of using his rancho, Charcos Largo, as a supply depot for filibustering expeditions against Mexican president Porfirio Díaz. He served three times in the Texas legislature from 1879 to 1884 and twice as an alderman of Laredo. He was instrumental in the formation of the Guarache or citizen's party in South Texas, a faction of the Democratic party opposed to the powerful Botas ( see BOTAS AND GUARACHES ). His political affiliations indicated his continued belief in regional independence from national authority. His leadership built Democratic support among Hispanics in Webb County and contributed to the eclipse of the Republican party in the region. Benavides's friendship with the followers of Benito Juárez and his kinship ties to Manuel Gonzales prompted Porfirio Díaz to select him as an envoy to the United States during

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Cigarroa, Joaquin Gonzalez, Jr.

1954

Joaquin Gonzalez Cigarroa, Jr., physician, humanitarian, education advocate, and civic leader, was born in San Antonio, Texas, on May 5, 1924, to Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez Cigarroa, Sr., and Josefina Gonzalez de la Vega. During his childhood, his family moved to Laredo where he, his sister Rebeca, and brother Leonides attended public schools. As a young boy, Joaquin Jr. had a calling to be a doctor and accompanied his father on house calls. With a career in medicine in mind, he dedicated himself to his studies and graduated from Martin High School as valedictorian in 1941. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and then at the age of twenty-three graduated with honors from Harvard Medical School in 1947. He subsequently completed internships at the University of Chicago and the former Boston City Hospital between 1948 and 1951. Cigarroa also was a teaching fellow at Harvard before serving as first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in 1951, when he conducted seminal research in hepatitis in Kyoto, Japan, during the Korean War. Returning to Laredo in 1954, Cigarroa (affectionately referred to as Dr. Joaquin by those who knew him) started a medical practice alongside his father and brother at the Cigarroa Medical Clinic. During the next seven decades, he served not only as a physician who ministered to countless patients as a clinician, but also as a driving force in advancing medicine and education throughout the state of Texas. Colleagues and patients heralded him for his generosity and compassion, and Cigarroa helped establish several medical centers and served as chief of staff at Laredo’s Mercy Hospital for many years and on its board of trustees. He played a vital role in recruiting doctors to South Texas, an area that previously was underserved by physicians. As a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for twelve years, his vision proved instrumental in expanding the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and establishing a dental school there as well as the approval for the UT Health Science Center in Houston . In Laredo, Cigarroa worked to facilitate access to higher education for every student regardless of background. In 1968 he and his brother Leo provided compelling testimony before the Texas legislature which led to Senate approval for the establishment of Texas A&M International University in Laredo. He served on the board of the Laredo Independent School District (LISD) for more than twenty-three years. LISD named the Cigarroa Middle School after him when it opened in 1983 in honor of his advancement of education for Laredo’s youth. He also worked to establish new degree programs at Laredo Community College. In recognition of his achievements and life of service, Cigarroa accrued many honors, including: Mr. South Texas, 1981; Laredo Times Man of the Year, 1992 and 1994; LULAC ’s Life Achievement Laureate, 1996; Humanitarian of the Year in 1999; Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Texas, 2002; election as a member of the Philosophical Society of Texas and as Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He was a longtime member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Laredo. Joaquin Cigarroa married Barbara Judith “Bobbie” Flores in 1954. They had ten children: Patricia, Barbara, Francisco, Ricardo, Jorge, Carlos, Gabriella, Joaquin, Maria Elena and Marisa. He and Bobbie encouraged each of their children to achieve their dreams through obtaining a higher education. “There’s nothing more beautiful than learning,” Dr. Joaquin expressed. His son Francisco Cigarroa, a pediatric transplant surgeon, former chancellor of the University of Texas System , and chair of the Ford Foundation’s board of trustees, recalled, “In shadowing my father as he made house calls, and seeing his love of his practice, I received a firsthand view not only of the beauty of the art of medicine, which has run through four generations in my family, but also how this art pro

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Things to Do in Laredo

day trip
Day Trip to Laredo 🌮 (FULL EPISODE) S8 E11

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Everything Near Laredo

137 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Explore Laredo on the Map
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