Inside the Memo record store, Houston’s Latin music mecca
“We are the last of the Mohicans,” said Guillermo Memo Villarreal Jr., son of the legendary record store owner known to all as “Memo”.
Guillermo was describing his family’s longtime store in Magnolia Park, a place I’ve known from childhood.
Decades ago my mother took our children to Memo record store on weekends to browse while shopping for Celia Cruz and Willie Colon albums.
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Since the death of my mother, I have kept a box full of these albums, a collection of childhood memories of a particular place and time.
Record store dedicated exclusively to Latin artists, Memo’s has stood the test of time since it opened in 1968 along 75th Street in the East End.
“A lot of people who visit my store today have come when they were younger and share their memories of how I would give them candy on every visit,” Memo Villarreal told Chron. “Today they are bringing their spouses and children back to enjoy the record store.”
You will always find Memo welcoming you at the door with a smile and plenty of stories to share about the various artifacts found in the store.
Courtesy of Memo’s Record Shop
Born in Mexico and raised in Edinburg, Texas, Villarreal shared the humble beginnings that led him to become a Latin music icon in Houston.
Vincente Fernandez, Lucha Villa, Juan Gabriel, Menudo and Selena are just a few of the Latin artists that Villarreal has not only welcomed but called friends over the years.
Imagine my excitement when Villarreal recalled his tours with popular boy group Menudo, the darlings of many young Latinos, including myself (think Backstreet Boys, but with a Latin twist). Or his conversations with Texas sweetheart, the “Queen of Tejano”, Selena.
I could have just sat there and listened to his stories for hours.
“Ever since I was a young boy, I was inspired by Latin music by listening to KLVL, the only Spanish radio station at the time,” Villarreal said. “I was hearing about artists making appearances in Mexico who had never been to Houston, and I realized how great it would be to bring some here starting with a band called ‘Los Relámpagos del Norte . ‘”
At 26, Villarreal got his first gig in Houston, performing in front of a huge crowd at a popular Jacinto City ballroom. It was the springboard that catapulted his business.
Villarreal then began promoting Latin artists in Houston, having them perform at once bustling venues such as the Sam Houston Coliseum and the Pan-America Ballroom, a staple among Hispanic socialites in its heyday.
“I was the first to bring artists like Vincente Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, Rocío Dúrcal and Joan Sebastian to perform in Houston,” Villarreal said.
From CDs and albums to 8-track cassettes and even old Mexican movies with stars like Cantiflas y La India Maria, the store has all your favorite Latin entertainment. If you can’t find your favorite Spanish music or movie, you might find it at Memo’s Record Shop.
Courtesy of Memo’s Record Shop
Over time, the company has changed, but one thing remains: Villarreal’s taste for Latin culture. You experience it the moment you walk through the doors of its museum-like record store, filled with vintage albums from the 60s, autographed photos and artifacts you won’t find anywhere else.
“Yo soy la última tienda that exists in Houston that sells solemnly discos in español”, declared Villarreal, which means “I am the last record store that only sells Spanish albums”.
Whether you are looking for music from Central and South America, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain or Mexico, Memo’s Record Shop has your mark. The store offers a variety of classic Mexican films from a bygone era where Cantiflas y La India María were household names.
“One of my greatest pleasures has been when someone comes looking for a certain album and sees their face light up when they find it here,” Villarreal said. “This is what has brought me the greatest joy over the years.”
Memo has some great stories of times he’s met Selena over the years.
Courtesy of: Guiillermo Memo Jr. Villarreal
You could spend an entire day at the Memo record store admiring the walls lined with hundreds of photos and the variety of historical artifacts, including a guitar signed by Santana and one of Villarreal’s favorite items: a costume worn by Vicente. Fernandez after a sold-out performance at the Colosseum.
Villarreal and his wife Virginia built the legacy for which the record store is known today. Virginia passed away almost 28 years ago and Villarreal hung up his show business cap soon after, in 1991. He continues to be active in the record store as his son Guillermo strives to keep it alive. family heritage.
Over the years he has seen the rise of many beloved Latin artists and mourned the passing of some, but his witty and pleasant demeanor has remained the same.
Today you will always find Villarreal welcoming you through the doors of its historic boutique, ready to share a story or two with a happy laugh that has inspired a generation of Latin music fans.