John Wayne's "The Alamo" was a ticket out of the Cassiano Courts housing project for flamenco guitarist Willie "El Curro" Champion's family. The Fox Tech graduate shared stages with Tony Bennett and the Count Basie Orchestra, toured the world with Jos� Greco and for almost 40 years was a River Walk institution at La Mansion del Rio. The stylish guitarist known for his crushed velvet suits and elaborate ruffled shirts got his nickname in those early days from musician Ignacio "Nacho" Gomez "El Curro" means "young dandy." El Curro was a link to the early days of music on the River Walk, said his friend Jim Cullum The legendary Dixieland jazz musician met Champion in the early 1960s and produced a flamenco album for him.
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