Augie Meyers, the country music legend who pioneered Tex-Mex rock with the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados, has died.
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The family of the veteran musician announced the San Antonio native’s death in a Facebook post.
“Augie Meyers, a true Texas Legend passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, March 7th at 85 with his wife, Sara, at his side,” his family wrote.
Meyers was born in San Antonio in 1940 and met fellow musician Doug Sahm in 1953 as a teenager, according to Rolling Stone. Bonding over a shared love for rock & roll, the two co-founded the Sir Douglas Quintet over a decade later. The group created a bright, vibrant sound by combining psychedelic rock, blues, jazz, and country with cultural influences from the Texas-Mexico border.
Augie Meyers was responsible for the Sir Douglas Quintet’s unique sound with his Vox Continental organ. Meyers’s organ playing was a driving force behind the band’s arrangements, creating bouncy rhythms in hits like “She’s About a Mover” and “Mendocino.”
Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers gave the world a timeless groove with “She’s About a Mover.” That organ riff still fires up parties and jukebox battles today.
— Galleywinter (@galleywinter) March 9, 2026
Doug Sahm. Augie Meyers. This is Texas Music. pic.twitter.com/KzK6mwulcU
While the Sir Douglas Quintet never achieved mainstream success, they influenced many roots-music artists like Steve Earle, Alejandro Escovedo, Uncle Tupelo, and the Mavericks. After the band broke up in 1973, Meyers and Sahm formed the Texas Tornados in the ’90s with accordionist Flaco Jiménez and singer Freddy Fender.
Augie Meyers’ Prolific Tenure with the Texas Tornadoes
The Tornados released several albums, starting with their 1990 self-titled debut. This album featured one of the band’s most popular songs, “(Hey Baby) Que Pasó,” co-written by Meyers. The bilingual love song became known as San Antonio’s anthem. During live performances, Meyers and Jimenez would have accordion duels while Sahm played keys.
In 1991, the group released their second studio album, Zone of Our Own, which included their version of “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone.” The song, first made famous by country singer Charley Pride, was also on Sahm’s 1973 solo debut. Meyers was the last surviving member of the Texas Tornados; Sahm died in 1999, Fender in 2006, and Jiménez just last summer.
In addition to his work with the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados, Meyers played on albums by Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, and Raul Malo. He provided organ and accordion on Bob Dylan’s 1997 album Time Out of Mind and again on 2001’s Love and Theft.
According to Rolling Stone, Meyers performed until his death, playing with bands like the Mavericks and Los TexManiacs, and sailing on the Outlaw Country Cruise.