By Bianca Sierra

FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Juan Raoul Davis “Johnny” Rodriguez (December 10, 1951 – May 9, 2025) was an American country music singer. He was a Tejano and Texas country music singer, infusing his music with Latin sounds, and sang selected verses of songs in Spanish.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Rodriguez was one of country music’s most successful male artists, recording a string of hit songs, such as “You Always Come Back To Hurting Me,” “Desperado,” “Down on the Rio Grande”, and “Foolin’.” He recorded six No. 1 country hits in his career.

His second marriage was in 1995 to Lana Nelson, daughter of country singer/songwriter Willie Nelson. That marriage lasted seven months.

Rodriguez died at the age of 73 on May 9, 2025, after entering hospice care.

Rodriguez was born to a Mexican American family in Sabinal, Texas, on December 10, 1951,. He was the second youngest in a family of 10 children living in a four-room house. Growing up in Sabinal, Rodriguez was a good student in school and an altar boy for his church. He was also the captain of his junior high school football team. When Rodriguez was 16 years old, his father died of cancer, and his older brother, Andres, died in an automobile accident the following year. The two incidents had an effect on Rodriguez and he became a troubled teen.

In 1969, at age 18, Rodriguez ended up in jail. He sang frequently in his cell and was overheard by Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson, who was impressed and told promoter “Happy” Shahan about him. (The common story told is that he was arrested after he and some friends were caught stealing and barbecuing a goat, although Jackson would later state that Rodriguez was in jail simply for an unpaid fine.)

Shahan then hired Johnny to perform at his local tourist attraction called the Alamo Village. During one of his sets in 1971, he came to the attention of country singers Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare, who encouraged the young singer to go to Nashville, Tennessee. The 21-year-old singer arrived in Nashville with only a guitar in his hand and $14 in his pocket. Hall soon found work for Rodriguez fronting his band, as well as writing songs.

Less than one year later, Hall took Rodriguez to Mercury Records‘ Nashville division and landed him an audition with the record label. After performing the songs “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “If I Left It Up to You,” he was offered a contract with Mercury. He signed and began recording in their Nashville studio.

Rodriguez was honored by three U.S. presidents: Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. He played at George H.W. Bush’s inaugural ball.

On August 18, 2007, Rodriguez was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, located in Carthage, Texas.

On October 23, 2010, Rodriguez received the Institute of Hispanic Culture Pioneer Award, in recognition of his accomplishment as the first major Hispanic singer in country music.