Houston's 'Violin Man' dies at 90

Don Luis Cruz (Courtesy of Cruz Family) Don Luis Cruz (Courtesy of Cruz Family) Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Houston's 'Violin Man' dies at 90 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Don Luis Cruz proved talent can be found most anywhere and at any time.

Cruz, fondly known as The Violin Man, entertained countless drivers on the city’s southeast side, performing on sidewalks near busy intersections.

His love of music was rewarded with tips and kind words from passersby.

Cruz, 90, died Tuesday at a local hospital, according to family members. He leaves behind his 87-year-old wife, Emilia, six daughters, four sons, and numerous grandchildren.

Cruz made his way to Houston from Zacatecas, Mexico in the 1960s. He found work as a carpenter and in later years took his passion for music to the streets. According to family members, he didn't speak much English but knew enough to get by.

The Violin Man could often be seen pedaling his bicycle around town. In recent years, however, he traded the bike in for a motorized scooter.

When he stopped at intersection for a performance, Cruz used a portable guitar amp to spread the sounds of Mexican folk songs from his violin. He would brace himself with a stack of milk crates.

SaraBeth Egle Smith lived in the area where Cruz performed. As a fellow violinist, she was happy someone was there to serenade the beleaguered masses.

"This was a stark contrast to the numbers of window washers who would walk straight up to your car and start scrubbing while you waited at a light," Smith said.

Many didn't know Cruz's real name or his story, but he was a part of their daily lives. The Violin Man had thousands of Facebook followers, was a pop culture fixture on the south side of Houston, and he could even count local rapper Chingo Bling as a fan.

"Don Luis truly touched people's lives just by being himself and doing what he loves," the rapper wrote on his official Facebook page on Tuesday.

Chingo's Facebook post on Cruz was shared more than 3,000 times as fans expressed their love and gratitude to Cruz's family.

Family members said Cruz made his final roadside appearance on the corner of Woodridge and Interstate 45 about six months ago.

When he went to the hospital for the last time, Cruz left his violin behind at home. One of his grandsons thinks that being parted from his instrument probably negatively affected Cruz’s health.

In June 2012, Cruz survived a beating from a man who tried to make off with his violin case. Cruz spent one night in the hospital recovering from his wounds. The man accused in the attack was charged with injury to the elderly.

Over the years, crooks targeted The Violin Man for his tip money, bike, moped and even his amp. After each incident, however, Cruz would ignore his family’s pleas and head back out to his corner.

More than just a street performer, Cruz also performed at his church, local restaurants and played private shows for those that asked.

He was also a family man. Two of Cruz’s grandsons were in the military, serving in the Army and Navy. Cruz carried an American flag with him everywhere he went while they were serving overseas.

It’s Cruz’s smile that his family said will be missed the most, along with his passion for music.

Memorial services for Cruz are pending.