Page 9 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2025 - Online Magazine

MUSIC & ART

Society of American Historians. “But the awards I
cherish most are those given to me by my peers and my
hometown audience. I’m truly honored to have been
inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame. Lubbock is
very close to my heart because it’s where the journey that
took me all over the world truly began. It was the place I
thought about as my film unfolded in the White House—
the place that shaped me and inspired me to tell stories.”
Hector’s personal story includes Evy Galán, whom
he has been married to for 30 years. Their joint story
continues in their twin sons, Rigo and Remy, daughter
Photo Credit: Tim Board Marisa, and three grandsons, Roman, Sam, and Ted.
Hector Galán still sees a story in every person he meets,
70s were a glorious time for network television. Great and we at Senior Link Magazine have found in him a role
programs, including many documentaries, were being model and a kindred spirit.
produced.” Even though he encountered a good deal of
what society would now identify as racism, the young
man did not give up, and eventually became studio
director, overseeing the six and ten live newscasts every
night.

Upon graduation, Hector was hired as a producer for
KTXT-TV, the new PBS affiliate in Lubbock. “During that
time, I learned how to put programs together beyond
studio productions. The big game changer for me was
the introduction of the video minicam. It made it possible
to affordably capture footage outside the studio to create
programming. The evolution and employment of the
minicam became my calling card.”

The minicam enabled Hector to create work that
appealed to national broadcasters. “I began my journey
as a documentary filmmaker. Through the years I’ve
had many mentors who helped shape my journalistic
and storytelling craft. I’ve covered news and public
affairs, history, music and the arts, and numerous other
topics.” Although as a youth, Hector experienced what
he described as “shame” regarding his Hispanic culture,
he has emerged as a champion of Latino heritage. “Films
like Children of Giant (a documentary about the themes of
racism and segregation in the blockbuster Giant), Vaquero,
The Forgotten Cowboy (about ‘the unsung hero of the
American West’), and Songs of the Homeland (about the
history of Tejano music) are among my favorite works.”

Through the years, Hector Galán has won numerous
awards and accolades. He was named in the top 100 Most
Influential Hispanics in America by Hispanic Business
Magazine and has received countless awards at too many JOIN TODAY
film festivals to list here. He has been inducted into the texastechalumni.org/join
Texas Institute of Letters and Columbia University’s

Lubbock Senior Link 9