A life remembered: Eduardo 'Eddie' Serrato; drummer for The Mysterians

Eduardo "Eddie" Serrato.

SAGINAW — When Question Mark of the rock band “? & The Mysterians” thinks about his former drummer, Eduardo “Eddie” Serrato, he remembers a man dedicated to his music.

“His life was music,” said the lead singer, who legally changed his name to Question Mark. “Last week I talked to him and told him that when he recovered well enough from surgery, maybe he could come back and play for us.”

Serrato, a lifelong resident of Saginaw, fell ill to end-stage renal failure and battled diabetes, his daughter, Serena Garcia, said.

Serrato suffered a heart attack Thursday morning, the day he was to be released from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, and died. He was 65.

He began his career as a drummer with The Mysterians after its original drummer, Robert Martinez, enlisted in the U.S. Army in the 1960s. The band encountered success in 1966 when it recorded its biggest hit, “96 Tears” which sold more than 1 million copies.

Garcia said her dad has been to every state except Alaska while traveling with bands.
"He played with Tejano bands in Texas and traveled a lot with The Mysterians," Garcia said.

Garcia remembers her dad as “family-oriented, loving and kind.”

The Saginaw News | fileLeft to right are Eddie Serrato, Frank Rodriguez, Francisco Lugo, Bob Balderrama, and Question Mark. The latter, acknowledging he withholds his name as a "gimmick, " is the organizer of the group and, at 22, its senior member.

“He called us every day to tell us he loves us. He would always say, ‘You’ll never know how much I really love you,’ ” she said.

Question Mark said he talked to Serrato from time to time over the years.

“I tried to encourage him every year. He had a walker at one time, then in 2004, he was in a wheelchair,” he said.

Garcia said her dad spent a lot of time on the computer listening to music and playing games as his health started to decline.

Serrato never gave up trying to make a return to The Mysterians, Question Mark said.

“He said he would try to hold the drumsticks but couldn’t make it through an entire song,” Question Mark said.

Serrato is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary L. Martinez; sons Eduardo Serrato, Javier Serrato and Marc Serrato; and daughters Sonia Herrera and Garcia.