Sidro, the band leader of Sidro’s Armada, moved from New Mexico to Las Vegas in 1965 with performer Sue Thompson, when he played in a band called The Sneakers. In his heyday in the 1970s, Garcia said his band was the main showroom opening act for George Burns, Barbara Eden, Jim Nabors, Al Martino and Johnny Mathis. They played Harrah’s Casino on Lake Tahoe. Other gigs were as far away as The Latin Casino in New Jersey and the Fontainebleau in Miami.

In Las Vegas, Garcia said he first played at the Aladdin, then the Frontier, the Stardust, the Sahara, the Maxim, Palace Station, the Dunes and the Sands. He had extended gigs at the Maxim and the Mint. “I’ve been playing since I was 8 years old and I’m 72,” Sidro said. “I’m totally self-taught, can’t read a note, but play a lot of them though.” He learned from performers like Louie Prima, Billy Eckstein, Fats Domino, Vic Damone and Little Richard who played in the same lounges. Although he plays a Santana tune and his style can seem to resemble the rock superstar, Carlos Santana wasn’t a major influence. However, he was inspired by blind guitarist Jose Feliciano.

Gradually, Sidro’s Armada went from a 10-piece band to an eight piece, a seven piece, a six-piece band, then a quartet, he said, calling it a sign of the economy. Sidro still lives in Las Vegas and plays on occasions. He was inducted into the Las Vegas Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.