The band was discovered by Albert Esquivel in 1980, after which they released their debut album with production handled by Manny Guerra.
Torres became the first female Tejano singer to provide audiences with dance routines and costume changes during her concerts.
She campaigned in high schools across the United States, warning children of the dangers of doing drugs, affiliating with gangs, and teen pregnancy.
[citation needed] During the height of Tejano music's popularity in 1994, Torres was considered a pioneer who helped expand the genre's prosperity.
Torres joined the school's band as their trumpet player and then formed a group with her sister called Blue Harmony.
Torres was also influenced by Laura Canales, who was instrumental in providing opportunities for women participation in Tejano music.
The two eventually toured together and formed a bond, with Canales jokingly referring to Torres as the "Chicana Madonna" because of her costume designs.The single "Mi Casa Esta Vacia" provided Blue Harmony with moderate success.
[1] In 1986, Torres received her college degree in science and planned on quitting music in favor of practicing medicine.
[7] She subsequently released her second album La Nueva Voz (1985), which included the ranchera track "Ya Me Voy de Esta Tierra", a 1947 mariachi written by her grandfather.
[1] The band included Joe Martinez on drums, Rick Ramirez on keyboards, and Brian "Red" Moore on bass guitar.
During her concerts, Torres's setlist included the singer's Tejano recordings and covers of hard rock songs.
Unlike her predecessors such as Canales, Lisa Lopez, and Elsa Garcia, Torres provided those in attendance with dance routines and costume changes throughout her performance.
Torres was influenced by rock musicians Pat Benatar, Heart, and Chrissie Hynde and provided 1980s-style visual aesthetics to her performances.
Torres tells children that her most significant accomplishment was getting a college education during her music career while maintaining her morals.
[9] The Positive Force Tour included mini skits, participation, and dramatized scenarios of where gang membership, violence, teen pregnancy, and abusing drugs can lead children in life.
[21] In 1989, she headlined a concert at the Austin Opera House with Little Joe y la Familia that provided books and other school supplies for underprivileged students as part of the Teach the Children campaign.
[22] She credits her family values that provided Torres with a "healthy attitude and strong faith" that enabled her to obtain her life goals.
[8] The singer has inspired her fans to continue their education and has received gang-affiliated bandanas from those who quit being gang members due to Torres's influence.
[23] Torres became the first Tejano singer to appear in three different national shows, including a television special at SeaWorld, International Star Search, and Nashville Now all in 1990.
[4] In 1993, she released her sixth studio album Con Todo El Corazon, with a mixture of ballads, polkas, and cumbias.
[28] The music video for "Te Juro" was released in December 1995 through Balboa Records,[20] while the song was chosen by the San Antonio Tourist Bureau as a representative of the "sounds of the city".
She served as an honorary board member for the American Cancer Society, the Latin Girl Scouts of America, and San Antonio College.
"[36] That same year, Torres received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mariachi Corazón "for her community work and dedication to the arts in San Antonio".