This pioneering Tejano duo teamed sisters Carmen and Laura Hernández, born in 1921 and 1926, respectively, in Kingsville, TX. Although the siblings sang together throughout childhood, their professional career began only when Carmen's husband, Armando Marroquín, launched the Four Star Records imprint out of the family's Alice, TX, home, recording the first Carmen y Laura single, "Se Me Fue Mi Amor," in their living room in 1943. The record proved a wartime hit, and the duo toured extensively throughout the Southwest, even performing as far north as Illinois. For years they were the best-selling act on Ideal, the legendary Tejano label Marroquín launched in 1946 with businessman Paco Betancourt, and over the course of their recording career they collaborated with artists ranging from conjunto innovator Narciso Martínez to renowned orchestra leader Beto Villa. Widely regarded as the first female duet to record in both Spanish and English, Carmen y Laura were also one of the first Tejano acts to introduce blues, swing, and boleros into their repertoire, recording and touring well into the 1970s and earning admission into the Tejano Conjunto Hall of Fame, the Texas Music Museum Hall of Fame, and the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame for their efforts. Laura Hernández Cantu died August 29, 2004, at the age of 78. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi