Salome Gutierrez

Salome Gutierrez R. well known Composer-Record Producer, founder of San Antonio Music Publishers, Del Bravo Record Shop & DLB Record Label passed away on Thursday at home surrounded by his family from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 86.

Gutierrez was born in D’Hanis, Texas. His family moved to Mexico when he was a child, later settling in Nuevo Laredo. In the 1940s he found his greatest love his wife of 65 years Diamantina Trevino and his passion for music. While in Nuevo Laredo these passions led him to become friends with Armando Marroquin of Ideal Records and Jose A. Morante of Norteño International Records. He soon married and started a family. In 1951 he moved to San Antonio to find work. During the day he worked in construction and at night he was the sound engineer for the Norteño International Record Label.

In the 1960s he started his first business, S&R Construction Company. In 1966 he opened the first Del Bravo Record Shop on Old Hwy 90 West on the West Side. Soon after he closed his construction company, converted his offices into a recording studio and established his own record label, D.L.B. Records. Gutierrez became a well-known composer and record producer promoting Texas-Mexican music for over 50 years. Gutierrez along with Morante helped launch the career of Flaco Jimenez and also worked with Lydia Mendoza, Vaerio Longoria, Los Pavos Reales, Dueto Carta Blanca, Irene Y Fidel and Manuel Guerrero among other groups on both sides of the border.

Many musicians recalled Gutierrez’s sense of humor and ability to put an artist at ease by giving them songs to record that showcased their individual style. He was known as a historian of music and was often sought out by academia for his knowledge or rare recordings, often found only in his personal collection, however for him it was always about the music.

Gutierrez was a true pioneer; he was there at the beginning of commercial Cojunto, Tejano and Norteño music. He realized the vitality of the music of the working class and composed his songs in a vernacular that people could relate to. Seeing a need for a publisher to represent this new market he launched San Antonio Music Publishers and became one of the largest independent Latin catalogs and one of the largest publishers of Tex-Mex music.

He composed more than 1,000 songs and recorded over 600 of them. Among some of the most popular were “Mi Negra Suerte”, “La Nueva Zenaida”, “ El Llanto De Mi Madre”, “Kilometro 1160” and “Remordimiento”. Many groups like, Ramon Ayala, Little Joe, Hometown Boys, Los Alegres De Teran, Carlos y Jose and Los Invasores all recorded his songs. Gutierrez’s most famous song, “El Gato Negro”, became his signature song of Grammy winner Ruben Ramos.

Gutierrez also appeared in director Les Blake’s 1976 documentary “Chulas Fronteras”, and was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame in 1983 and received the songwriter of the year award as well. He also was inducted into the Conjunto Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

Survived by: wife Diamantina Gutierrez; daughters Alma Resendiz (Augustine), Mary Chavez (George), Irma Gutierrez and Diana Campa (Joe); and sons Roberto Gutierrez (Josie), Rodolfo Gutierrez (Atsuko), Javier Gutierrez and Sergio Gutierrez (Debra); 23 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, 6 great great grandchildren; Brother Raymundo Gutierrez; also numerous nieces and nephews.

The visitation will be held on Tuesday November 1, 2016 from 5:00- 9:00 p.m. at Funeraria Del Angel Trevino Funeral Home, 226 Cupples Road with the Rosary to be recited at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral Procession will depart the funeral home on Wednesday November 2, 2016 at 9:15 a.m. for a 10:00 a.m. Mass of the Resurrection at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church. Interment will follow at San Jose Burial Park.