Mark Guerrero, East L.A. and Chicano Rock Music Historian, Musician, Los Angeles, CA
Mark Guerrero began playing in rock & roll bands at age 13 and led the popular East Los Angeles band Mark & the Escorts, who recorded two singles for G.N.P. Crescendo Records in 1965. Their recording “Get Your Baby” has appeared on many compilation albums over the years and appeared in the motion picture Logan Lucky in 2017. He has recorded as a solo artist for Ode Records (produced by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Lou Adler) in 1971, Capitol Records in 1972, and with his group Tango, for A&M Records in 1973-74. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Herb Alpert, Trini Lopez, Chan Romero, and his late father Lalo Guerrero, known as the Father of Chicano music. In 2009 and again in 2022, his 1972 song and recording of “I’m Brown” was featured in an exhibit at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles “Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom.”
Guerrero has performed on stage with artists such as Eric Burdon, Denny Laine (Wings, Moody Blues), Joey Molland (Badfinger), Los Lobos, El Chicano, Tierra, Redbone, Cannibal & the Headhunters Band, and Lalo Guerrero. He has performed in venues such as the Cavern in Liverpool, England; Cite de la Musique in Paris, France; Gibson Amphitheater in Studio City, CA; and the Roxy, Whiskey a Go Go, and John Anson Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood.
As an East L.A. and Chicano rock music historian he has written many articles, has a website (markguerrero.com), hosts a radio podcast (“Chicano Music Chronicles”), a YouTube interview show (“East L.A. Music Stories”), been a guest on radio and television shows, and has lectured at universities. His YouTube channel has more than 300 videos.
What led you to your field?
Since my father, Lalo Guerrero, was a singer/songwriter/musician, I had the example and DNA to become the same three things. I loved music since I was a kid in the 1950s. Two of my favorites were Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers. I started playing guitar when I was 12 and started my first band at 13. I’ve been performing and making a living with music ever since.
How does what you do relate to historic preservation?
I was part of a music scene in East Los Angeles in the 1960s that was very special. There were countless bands, teenage venues, and fans that flocked to them. There were many great bands and singers, many of whom had national hits such as Cannibal & the Headhunters, The Premiers, The Blendells, and Thee Midniters. Other groups with roots in the '60s later had hits like El Chicano, Tierra, and Los Lobos. I’m very proud of the fact that such a scene with so many successes happened against the odds coming from a barrio. When the Internet came about, I created a website and decided to use it not only to promote myself and my music, but to chronicle the history of East L.A. and Chicano rock, with an emphasis on the period of the ‘50s through the ‘70s. I started by writing articles about the bands and singers of the period. That led to me being invited to speak at universities, museums, and cultural centers. You can see a list of those lectures and lecture/performances with flyers and photos from them on my website at this link: https://markguerrero.com/lecture.php. I eventually taught classes on the History of The Beatles and Bob Dylan for the OSHER program at Cal State San Bernardino (Palm Desert campus) and UC Riverside (Palm Desert campus).
Why do you think historic preservation matters?
I think it’s very important because if no one bothers to chronicle significant events and periods, they will be forgotten. It would be as if they never happened. In my case, I wanted to preserve the music and the stories of a special and seminal period in the history of East L.A. and Chicano music that I happened to be a part of. It is also a part of rock history that deserves to be alongside the other special scenes and periods.
What courses do you recommend for students interested in this field?
I wouldn’t know which courses I would recommend. I would just say that they should pick a major that’s in line with what part of history that inspires their main interest and strongest passion. Also to immerse themselves in the subject in the real world away from academia. There are many ways and careers available to preserve history, such as audio and visual preservation (tapes and film), interviewing and recording people, and writing books and articles.
Do you have a favorite preservation project? What about it made it special?
In 2007, I was involved in a museum exhibit at the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington, called “American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music.” It ran for a year and then travelled the country ending up at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. I was a consultant and on the advisory board. I loaned the museum flyers, photos, band cards, and interviewed more than a dozen artists on video tape for their permanent archive. It was special because it showed the world what a big part of American popular music history Latino artists played. It was a 5,000 square foot exhibit with separate sections for the cities with their own Latino music styles that made a major contribution: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Miami, and San Antonio. Here are links to my website with information on the American Sabor project: https://markguerrero.com/misc_57.php and https://markguerrero.com/misc_61.php.
Can you tell us what you are working on right now?
At present I’m working on an exhibit that will open in June of 2025 at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles called “A Great Day in East L.A.” It will cover the history of East L.A. rock from the late ‘40s to the present. I’m a curatorial advisor. Here is a link to an article on my website about the project: https://markguerrero.com/misc_83.php.
I’m also working on a recording that celebrates the music of East L.A. in the ‘60s called “The Stars of East L.A." It features many of the musicians and singers of the period. I’m also regularly doing my YouTube Zoom interview show, “Mark Guerrero’s East L.A. Music Stories.” I’ve done 39 episodes in around two years. Here’s a link on my website where you can get to the shows and information on them: https://markguerrero.com/east-la-music-stories.php
How do you think the national historic preservation programs help your community?
Historic preservation programs help my community because learning about the positive aspects of our history instills a sense of pride in the community and culture which can inspire people to achieve great things. It’s also important to tell the negative aspects of history, so present and future generations can learn from it, so it does not repeat itself.
Do you have advice for novice preservationists?
To get all the information on their subject they can from reading, documentaries, and interviewing as many people as they can who have information or lived it. Also work hard and be consistent. It’s stacking a brick at a time over a long period. You’ll find you’ve eventually built a building or even a pyramid.
The ACHP’s mission is “preserving America’s heritage;” can you give us an example of how your community is preserving its heritage?
There are many people who are preserving our community’s heritage. Some are chronicling the history of music, art, the military, and other subjects. I know a man who gives tours of the Boyle Heights district of East L.A. telling stories of the Chicano and Jewish history of the area. Also, many of the colleges have Chicano and Latino studies programs to insure our history is learned and remembered. I graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a major in Chicano Studies in 1977.
Can you relate the music/culture you are conserving to a physical location? (A building, street or town)?
I’ve been chronicling the history of East L.A. and Chicano rock since 1998 (26 years). The East L.A. music history took place in the unincorporated area just east of downtown Los Angeles. It’s a large area that includes the districts of Boyle Heights, City Terrace, Lincoln Heights, and El Sereno. The area I grew up in is part of the unincorporated East L.A. but was not part of a district. The Chicano rock history is found mostly in the American Southwest: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas.
Why is it important to save and conserve culture through music? How can you ensure your work will be saved for many years to come?
Music is probably the best way to conserve culture. It’s known as the universal language. All cultures have always had music. It has an emotional component that exceeds art, poetry, and books. It contains words and poetry with the power and beauty of music. Music has inspired political movements and even armies. I was recently part of a documentary called “A Song for Cesar.” It was about the music of Cesar Chavez’ farmworker movement of the '60s and how it inspired the workers and demonstrators who were protesting their incredibly low wages and extremely poor working conditions. Folk songs and corridos have always told stories of people and events that are preserved in the songs that live for generations. I also have provided my archives (records, flyers, interviews, photos, and writings) to the C.E.M.A. (California Ethnic and Multi-Cultural Archive) program at the University of California at Santa Barbara. That ensures that my work will be available after I’m gone.
Read more Q&A stories about the Preservationists in Your Neighborhood!