José Roberto Pulido Jr. (born April 25, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor, and political candidate. He is credited with expanding the audience for Tejano music among younger listeners, emerging as a teen idol among Mexican-American teenagers in the 1990s and becoming one of Tejano music's most prominent recording artists.
In 1995, Pulido debuted with his eponymous band. During the same year, he signed a recording contract with EMI Latin and released his debut album, Desvelado. It peaked at number nine on the United States Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and at number three on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album platinum, denoting shipments of 100,000 units. The title track established Pulido as a leading Tejano singer, although some veteran musicians argued that his success in the genre derived from the established musical success of his father, Roberto Pulido.
Pulido's album Enséñame (1996), which peaked at number two on the Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart, garnered him a nomination for the Tejano Music Award for Male Entertainer of the Year and the Lo Nuestro Award for Regional Mexican New Artist of the Year. In 1998, Pulido performed a sold-out performance at the Auditorio Coca-Cola in Monterrey, becoming the first Tejano artist to do so. Pulido became the youngest honoree to receive the Orgullo de la Frontera award by the Fiestas Mexicanas in February 1999. Between 1998 and 2000, he was awarded the Male Entertainer of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards for three consecutive years. By 2000, the waning popularity of Tejano music resulted in Pulido's subsequent albums being less commercially successful and eventually ceasing to chart on Billboard.
In 2003, Pulido made his acting debut in the made-for-television film La Decada Furiosa, in which he played the lead role. He also appeared in the telenovelas Fuego en la sangre and Qué pobres tan ricos. Following the commercial disappointment of the album Enfermo de Amor (2007), he took a three-year hiatus. He returned to music with the release of Dias de Ayer (2010). He also returned to acting, appearing in the film Noches Con Platanito. In 2024, Pulido announced a farewell tour before launching a campaign for public office in Texas.
On September 17, 2025, Pulido announced a campaign for the United States House of Representatives in Texas's 15th congressional district in the 2026 election. He is running as a Democrat against incumbent Republican Monica De La Cruz.
Contents
Life and career
1973–1994: Early life and career beginnings
Jose Roberto Pulido Jr. was born on April 25, 1973, in Edinburg, Texas. He is the oldest child of Roberto Pulido, an award-winning Tejano music singer, and Diana Montez, daughter of norteño musician Mario Montez of Los Donneños. Known professionally as Bobby Pulido, he attended Edinburg High School and became a member of the school's mariachi ensemble before joining his father's band, Los Clásicos, where he contributed as a saxophonist and backup vocalist. In 1994, EMI Latin released a compilation album titled Branding Icons, which included his collaboration with his father on "Contigo". Pulido was accepted at St. Mary's University, where he pursued a major in political science. Following the album's release, Pulido left college and pursued a singing career during Tejano music's golden age.
1995–1999: Debut album and commercial success
Pulido formed his own band, with guitarist Gilbert Trejo, bassist Mike Fox, drummer and uncle Jimmy Montez, keyboardist Rey Gutierrez, and Frank Caballero on accordion. Initially, Pulido encountered criticism from Tejano musicians, who contended that he was capitalizing on the fame amassed by his father's well-established musical career. In May 1995, Pulido signed a recording agreement with EMI Latin, which led to the release of his debut album, Desvelado, that September. President of EMI Latin, Jose Behar, shared with Billboard his optimism for the singer's prospects within the country music market. His debut single "No Se Por Que" peaked at number 33 on the United States Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in December 1995. Debuting at number 44 on the Top Latin Albums, Desvelado produced the title track "Desvelado", where it peaked at number 21. The album established Pulido as one of the most popular Tejano artists. In April 1996, the album peaked at number nine on the Top Latin Albums chart and number three on the Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart. Billboard's John Lannert described Pulido's chart placement as "impressive" and called him a "fast-rising artist". It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying shipments of 100,000 units in the US. Pulido ended 1996 as the eighth best-selling regional Mexican artist and Desvelado ended the year as the eleventh best-selling regional Mexican album. The album reached sales of 100,000 units by the end of 1999. At the 1996 Tejano Music Awards, Pulido tied first place with Eddie Gonzales for Best New Rising Male Tejano Artist.
In July 1996, Pulido married Eliza Anzaldua, prompting a brief hiatus from his career. Pulido promoted his second album, Enséñame, which was released a month following his marriage. Billboard described Enséñame as at its essence a resounding ranchera album infused with catchy cumbia undertones, surmised that Pulido aimed to emulate Emilio Navaira, who sought to crossover and establish himself as a country music singer. Writing in the San Antonio Express-News, Ramiro Burr agreed that Pulido's vocals had undergone significant refinement compared to the preceding recordings. Enséñame peaked at number ten on the Top Latin Albums and number two on the Regional Mexican Albums charts. The album produced three top-20 Regional Mexican Airplay singles; "Enséñame", "Se Murió De Amor", and "La Rosa". The album earned Pulido a nomination for the Tejano Music Award for Male Entertainer of the Year and the Lo Nuestro Award for Regional Mexican New Artist of the Year. In collaboration with Graciela Beltrán, the Barrio Boyzz, Emilio Navaira, Pete Astudillo, and Jennifer Peña, Pulido contributed to the rendition of "Viviras Selena" for the 1997 soundtrack to the biopic film about Selena, referred to as the "Queen of Tejano Music" who was shot and killed in March 1995. By 1997, Pulido was recognized for helping introduce Tejano music to a younger demographic in the US. That year, he was awarded the Most Promising Band of the Year award at the 1997 Tejano Music Awards.
2000–2009: Decline in popularity, acting debut, and hiatus
By 2000, Tejano music's popularity continued to wane, despite music critics' projections that the genre would recover by this time. Critics observed the dominance of more established Tejano singers like Navaira, Selena, Mazz, Michael Salgado, and Pulido on the airwaves of the US, where older generations of singers were not able to compete. Pulido became a teen idol among Mexican American teenage girls and one of the most influential Tejano recording artists in the same demographic. In March 2000, Pulido released Zona de Peligro, though it failed to match the commercial success of his earlier albums. None of its singles were commercially successful, though Pulido won the Tejano Music Award for Male Entertainer of the Year—his third consecutive win. According to musicologist Guadalupe San Miguel, Tejano musicians in the late 20th century and the early 21st century had become increasingly indistinguishable from each other. Pulido released his sixth studio album, Siempre Pensando En Ti, in March 2001; it was less commercially successful, peaking at number 50 on the Top Latin Albums chart. The album was Pulido's last recording to chart on Billboard. In 2002, Pulido hosted the Celebrity Golf Classic, which raised $50,000 (2002 USD) for the Easter Seals program. McAllen Mayor Leo Montalvo announced at the event that November 2, 2002, would be "Bobby Pulido Day".
Pulido released his eponymous album, Bobby, which produced the top 40 US single "Vanidosa". He recorded a cover version of Mexican singer Juan Gabriel's 1999 single "Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez" for Bobby. His subsequent albums, Montame (2003) and Vive (2005), failed to chart, ending his eight-year presence on Billboard. In 2003, Pulido made his acting debut in the telenovela television movie La Decada Furiosa, in which he played himself. Two years later, he appeared as a guest on the reality television show Big Brother México. Pulido performed and recorded "Ya Ves" for the live televised benefit concert, Selena ¡VIVE!, in April 2005. His following album, Enfermo de Amor, was released in August 2007. AllMusic's Evan Gutierrez complimented Pulido's blending of music genres without "[pushing] the envelope very far", and said the album "sound[s] fresh rather than repetitive", although he found its production lacking. He called the title track and "Una Más" a roots rock recording, and "Desvelado Acústico" a "sophisticated acoustic" Latin pop track. After the album's release, Pulido guest starred in three episodes of the telenovela series Fuego en La Sangre as himself.
2010–2025: Return to music and acting
Pulido returned to recording music in 2010 and released Dias de Ayer in March. It earned Pulido a nomination for the Tejano Music Award for Male Vocalist of the Year, his first since 2003. Two years later, he released Lo Mio, his first album on Apodaca Records. In 2013, Pulido recorded with former Aventura vocalist Henry Santos on Santos' song "No Sé Vivir Sin Tí". Pulido returned to acting and guest starred as himself in two episodes of the talk show Noches con Platanito (2013–15). In 2014, he had a reoccurring minor role as himself in the telenovela Qué pobres tan ricos.
In November 2015, Pulido released "No Es Como Tú", a track from his twelfth studio album, Hoy. The album was Pulido's first in which he was the sole songwriter. Pulido told the Mexican newspaper Publimentero that he planned to release Hoy exclusively through his social networking sites to combat piracy and encourage physical album sales, saying he wanted to "help fight the war" against declining physical music consumption. He was against the digital age of downloading and music streaming in the popular market.
In a May 2016 concert, Pulido performed "Si No Te Hubiera Conocido", a song he recorded with Miguel Luna that had remained unreleased for years. At the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards, Pulido won Best Tejano Album for his album, Para Que Baile Mi Pueblo. In November 2024, Pulido announced his retirement from music to pursue a career in politics after a farewell tour starting in January 2025. At the 2025 Latin Grammy Awards, Pulido won his second Latin Grammy for Best Tejano Album for his album, Bobby Pulido & Friends: Una Tuya y Una Mía (Vol. 1/En Vivo). Pulido earned a 2026 American Grammy nomination for Best Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano) for his live record Bobby Pulido & Friends: Una Tuya y Una Mía (Por La Puerta Grande).
Politics
On September 17, 2025, Pulido announced that he would run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas's 15th congressional district as a Democrat in the 2026 election, challenging Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz.
Personal life
Pulido married Eliza Anzaldua in July 1996. They had three sons: Remy Pulido (born 1996), Darian Pulido (born 1998), and Trey Pulido (born 2005). However, Pulido filed for divorce in September 2013, after 17 years of marriage and four months of separation. He married Mariana Morales in November 2018 and his fourth son Rodrigo Pulido was born in December 2019.