Draft:The Royal Jesters

The Royal Jesters were an American Tejano mariachi and doo-wop vocal group. They originally formed as a group of friends attending Sidney Lanier High School in San Antonio, Texas in 1958. In 1959, they would record their first single, "My Angel Of Love / Those Dreamy Eyes" releasing on San Antonio's Harlem Records in 1960. Original members Mike Pedraza, Oscar Lawson, Henry Hernandez, and Louis Escalante would perform locally around ballrooms, churches and school dances before being picked up by Abe Epstein's Cobra record label with releases "Is That Good Enough For You?" with The Jimmy Johnson Combo, “I Want To Be Loved / I Never Will Forget” and “Let’s Kiss and Make Up.” They would go on to create their own labels Clown and Jester after pay disputes with Epstein. They'd later create Optimum Records. The Jesters would sign a lease at the Patio Andaluz, which served as a teenage nightlife hotspot throughout the 50s and 70s and would serve the likes of local talent such as Sunny and the Sunglows, Charlie and the Jives, Rudy and The Reno Bops, The Dreamliners, Sonny Ace and Little Henry & the Laveers on any given night.

The Royal Jesters were awarded the Tejano Music Award for Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.

In 2018, they would discover newfound popularity with their B-side track on the single, "I'm So Sorry / Take Me For A Little While" after being used as a sample in the song, Ghost Town by Kanye West, featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR.