The nucleus of the modern rock sextet Vallejo is the three brothers A.J. Vallejo (vocals, lead guitar), Alejandro Vallejo (drums), and Omar Vallejo (bass). Raised in El Campo, TX and Birmingham, AL, they formed the Vallejo Brothers in 1990, later adding guitarist Bruce Castleberry and changing the band name to Vallejo. Moving to Austin, TX in 1995, they signed to TVT Records, which released Shining Sun in 1996 and Beautiful Life in 1998. Meanwhile, the band expanded to included percussionist James "Diego" Simmons and guitarist Heath Clark. In the winter of 1999, they signed to Emilio Estefan's Crescent Moon label, distributed by Epic Records. They won as best rock band in Austin's 2000 Music Awards. Their third album, Into the New, released in August 2000, coincided with a national tour. Their trek across southwest America continued throughout the close of 2002. ~ William Ruhlmann