José Alfredo Jiménez Sandoval was born on January 19, 1926, in Dolores Hidalgo,
Guanajuato, Mexico, and grew up in a modest family that struggled after the
death of his father, Agustín Jiménez Aguilar, in 1936. At eight he relocated
with his mother, Carmen Sandoval, to Mexico City, where he began composing
melodies while holding various jobs, including football goalkeeper for Club
Deportivo Marte and waiter at the restaurant La Sirena. His first public
exposure came in 1948 when his self‑written song "Yo" was broadcast on XEX‑AM,
marking the start of a career that would soon shap...