Formed in 1979 artist/muralist Willie Herrón (keyboards, vocals), civil rights activist Jesus "Xiuy" Velo (bass), drummer Bill Reyes, and guitarist brothers Manuel and Antonio "Tony" Valdez (who also perform with their Mariachi parents & relatives).
[citation needed] The band struck a deal with the Franciscan nuns to open and run the legendary Club Vex at Self Help Graphics, Catholic Youth Organization building in East Los Angeles.
They shared experiences and knowledge with the fledgling scene winning the first "Outstanding Roc En Espanol Artist" California Music Award (BAMMY) from the Critics and Readers polls of the BAM/Rocket and Tower Pulse magazines.
[citation needed] Outspoken diplomatically and politically, the band has finally been receiving its long overdue accolades and is featured in various prominent music history and university textbooks.
[6] In the face of anti-illegal immigrant legislation they are on the move again this time as "cultural collaborators": beginning with the highly praised CD, Concrete Blonde y Los Illegals[7] on Miles Copeland's ARK-21/Virgin label.
[12] They also collaborated with Tijuana punk legends "Mercado Negro" for the Rockefeller US/Mexico Culture Fund sponsored compilation CD, MexAmerica[13] produced by Rubén Guevara for Angelino Records, later with Emmy winning journalist Ruben Martinez and Rock en Espanol stars "Maldita Vecindad" for the theater piece "Border Ballad"[14] (the companion to his Book "Crossing Over: Tales From the New Frontier"), also writing, and performing with new talent (i.e. the EMI soundtrack of the Showtime series "Resurrection Boulevard" as their alter egos "The Chizmosos").
Lately they co-produced a series of racially diverse SRO "no coffee or bongos" electronica/noise poetry theater performances ("The Spine of Califas") with of San Diego's legendary Taco Shop Poets and several other performers/artists to which a college tour, book, CD and short film are in the offering and planning stages.
[16] It has been said about the group that in this era of disposable pop culture where "commitment and consciousness" are words passed around and marketed all too casually, "Los Illegals have a history of actively and physically proving the power of music to unite people.