Johnny Rodriguez

Last updated
Johnny Rodriguez
Johnny Rodriguez press photo--1976.jpg
Johnny Rodriguez, 1976.
Background information
Birth nameJuan Raoul Davis Rodriguez
Born (1951-12-10) December 10, 1951 (age 72)
Origin Sabinal, Texas, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1972–present
Labels
Website johnnyrodriguezmusic.com

Juan Raoul Davis "Johnny" Rodriguez (born December 10, 1951) [1] is an American country music singer. He is a Tejano and Texas country music singer, infusing his music with Latin sounds, and even singing verses of songs in Spanish.

Contents

In the 1970s and 1980s, he 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 has recorded six No. 1 country hits in his career.

Early life

Rodriguez was born in Sabinal, Texas, [1] [2] situated 90 miles from Mexico. 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. [3]

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.) [3] [4]

Shahan then hired Johnny to perform at his local tourist attraction called the Alamo Village. [1] 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. [2] The 21-year-old singer arrived in Nashville with only a guitar in his hand and $14 in his pocket.[ citation needed ] 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. [1] He signed and began recording in their Nashville studio.

Career

Career in the 1970s

After signing with Mercury, his first single to be released was 1972's "Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)." [1] This recording was a success, going to No. 9 on the Hot Country Songs list that year. Rodriguez became the first well-known American of Mexican descent as a country singer. [5]

In 1972, Rodriguez was voted the 'Most Promising Vocalist' by the Academy of Country Music. The next year, he achieved his first No. 1 hit song, "You Always Come Back to Hurting Me." [1] Another song that year, "Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico," written by Rodriguez, was also a No. 1 hit. Both songs were listed in the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1973, his debut album was released, which rose to No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. He was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year by the CMA Awards. In addition to his success in country music, he also had a role on the television show Adam-12 and also made a guest appearance on The Dating Game in 1974.

In 1975, all three singles he released reached to No. 1 on the country chart: "I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind" "Just Get Up and Close the Door," and "Love Put a Song in My Heart." [1] Rodriguez's success on the country chart continued throughout much of the 1970s. He recorded songs not only written by himself around this time, but also covers of songs such as George Harrison's "Something," Linda Hargrove's "Just Get Up and Close the Door," Mickey Newbury's "Poison Red Berries," and Billy Joe Shaver's "Texas Up Here Tennessee." By 1975, Rodriguez was considered a member of the outlaw country market in country music, like fellow musicians Bobby Bare and Tom T. Hall.

Career in the 1980s and 1990s and murder charge

Despite the outlaw movement fading from view in the late 1970s, Rodriguez was determined to stay on top of his game. In 1979, he switched to Epic Records. [1] There he worked with the record producer Billy Sherrill. His first hit from Epic came that year with the No. 6 country hit, "Down on the Rio Grande." His debut album from the record company was entitled Rodriguez, although all the songs from the album were cover versions.

Although Rodriguez did not make the Top 10 continuously as in the past, he managed to stay in the Top 20, with hits like "Fools For Each Other" and "What'll I Tell Virginia." At the same time, Rodriguez continued to be a popular concert attraction. However, Rodriguez was also having personal problems, due to his drug addiction. [1] In 1982, he did a duet with Zella Lehr on the song "Most Beautiful Girl (La Chica Mas Linda)." The single was released by Columbia Records. In 1983, he went into the Top 5 with the hit song "Foolin'," followed by the Top 10 hit "How Could I Love Her So Much." However, by the mid-1980s, he was becoming less successful and, in 1986, he left Epic Records.

In 1987, he signed with Capitol Records for a brief period of time. He had his last major hit in 1988 with "I Didn't (Every Chance I Had)," [1] which reached No. 12 on the country chart. By 1989, he had left Capitol.

In August 1998, Rodriguez shot and killed a 28-year-old acquaintance in his Texas home, believing the man to be a burglar. [6] In October 1999, he was acquitted of murder by a jury. [7]

In 1993, he recorded an album for Intersound Records called Run For the Border. In the mid-1990s, the indie label High-Tone released his album, You Can Say That Again. He continued to tour around the country during this time. In 1996, he turned to another label, Paula Records, which issued "One Bar At a Time", but it was unsuccessful. By this time his musical presence was fading from the public view.

1998–present

Since 1998, Rodriguez has toured the United States and further afield including Switzerland, Poland, UK, South Korea, Canada, and Mexico. He has performed concerts at the Ryman Auditorium and Carnegie Hall.

Rodriguez continues to tour and record new material, performing dates in the United States and Canada. In 2012, he released his first live album, Johnny Rodriguez: Live from Texas.

Awards and recognition

Rodriguez has been 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, [8] in recognition of his accomplishment as the first major Hispanic singer in country music.

Personal life

Rodriguez was first married to Linda Diann Patterson, a Southern Airways flight attendant from Conyers, Georgia. His second marriage was in 1995 to Lana Nelson, daughter of country singer/songwriter Willie Nelson. That marriage lasted seven months. [9] His most recent marriage was to Debbie McNeely, a hair salon owner from San Marcos, Texas, in 1998, with whom he had a daughter, Aubry Rae Rodriguez born in April 1998. [9]

Awards and nominations

Academy of Country Music Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1973Johnny Rodriguez Most Promising Male Vocalist Won
"Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)"Single Record of the YearNominated
1974Introducing Johnny Rodriguez Album of the Year Nominated
Johnny Rodriguez Top Male Vocalist of the Year Nominated
Entertainer of the Year Nominated

Country Music Association Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1973Johnny Rodriguez Male Vocalist of the Year Nominated
1994 Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys Album of the Year Nominated

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Jackson</span> American country singer and songwriter

Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is known for performing a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country", as well as writing many of his own songs. Jackson has recorded 21 studio albums, including two Christmas albums, and two gospel albums, as well as released three greatest-hits albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marty Robbins</span> American singer, songwriter and racing driver (1925–1982)

Martin David Robinson, known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and successful country and western singers for most of his nearly four-decade career, which spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. He was also an early outlaw country pioneer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Miller</span> American country musician (1936–1992)

Roger Dean Miller Sr. was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping country hits "King of the Road", "Dang Me", and "England Swings".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lefty Frizzell</span> American country singer-songwriter (1928–1975)

William Orville "Lefty" Frizzell was an American country and honky-tonk singer-songwriter.

Harlan Perry Howard was an American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote many popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists.

Milton Sims "Mickey" Newbury Jr. was an American singer-songwriter and a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney Crowell</span> American musician

Rodney Crowell is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album Diamonds & Dirt. He has also written songs and produced for other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jordanaires</span> American vocal group; back-up singers for Elvis Presley and other artists

The Jordanaires were an American vocal quartet that formed as a gospel group in 1948. Over the years, they recorded both sacred and secular music for recording companies such as Capitol Records, RCA Victor, Columbia Records, Decca Records, Vocalion Records, Stop Records, and many other smaller independent labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Moore (musician)</span> American session musician (1932–2021)

Bob Loyce Moore was an American session musician, orchestra leader, and double bassist who was a member of the Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 1960s. He performed on over 17,000 documented recording sessions, backing popular acts such as Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. Bob was also the father of multi-instrumentalist R. Stevie Moore, who pioneered lo-fi/DIY music. The New York Times called him "an architect of the Nashville Sound of the 1950s and '60s" in his obituary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Clement</span> American singer-songwriter and record producer (1934–2013)

Jack Henderson Clement was an American singer-songwriter and record and film producer. He was producer and engineer for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in its early days, and worked with Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1972.

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Price (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter (1926–2013)

Noble Ray Price was an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone is regarded as among the best male voices of country music, and his innovations, such as propelling the country beat from 2/4 to 4/4, known as the "Ray Price beat", helped make country music more popular.

"Goodbye Marie" is a country-pop song written by Mel McDaniel and Dennis Linde. The song is about a man who has to leave his lover to head for "the lonesome highway" back to his home in Houston, Texas. It was first released by Johnny Rodriguez on his March 1979 album, Rodriguez Was Here.

Robert Glynn Luman was an American country and rockabilly singer-songwriter.

Sanger D. Shafer, better known as Whitey Shafer, was an American country songwriter and musician. He wrote numerous hits for stars such as George Jones, Lefty Frizzell, and George Strait. He was also a recording artist. His highest single "You Are a Liar", under the name Whitey Shafer, reached No. 48 on the Billboard country chart, in 1981.

R. W. Hampton is an American western music singer-songwriter, actor and playwright. Hampton has achieved both critical and commercial success, winning multiple awards from the Western Music Association and the Academy of Western Artists and four separate Wrangler Awards from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.

James Fron "Sonny" Throckmorton is an American country music singer and songwriter. Known primarily for his songwriting, Throckmorton has had more than 1,000 of his songs recorded by various country singers. He has also had minor success as a recording artist, having released two major-label albums: The Last Cheater's Waltz in 1978 on Mercury Records and Southern Train in 1986 on Warner Bros. Records. Throckmorton is a member of the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame, and has been awarded Songwriter of the Year by both Broadcast Music Incorporated and the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

"Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Rodriguez. It was released in August 1973 as the first single from the album All I Ever Meant to Do Is Sing. The song was Rodriguez's second number one on the U.S. country singles chart. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent a total of thirteen weeks on the charts.

"Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)" is a song written by H.B. Hall that has been recorded multiple times. It was originally recorded and released as a single by American country and Latin singer Johnny Rodriguez. His version of the song became a top ten in North America. In 1980, it was released as a single by American country artist Janie Fricke, whose version reached the top 40 in North America.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 350/3. ISBN   0-85112-726-6.
  2. 1 2 "CMT : Johnny Rodriguez : Biography". Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2007-06-20.
  3. 1 2 "Texas Country Music Hall of Fame-2007 Inductees: Johnny Rodriguez". Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  4. Caldwell, Cary (September 23, 1998). "A Texas Killing and a Life of Triumph and Trouble". Los Angeles Times .
  5. "Johnny Rodriguez lyrics". Classic-country-song-lyrics.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  6. "Country Singer Charged With Murder In Shooting". Orlando Sentinel . 30 August 1998. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  7. "UPI Focus: Rodriguez acquitted on murder charge". Upi.com. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016. A jury Wednesday acquitted country singer Johnny Rodriguez of murder in the slaying of a man found in his mother's South Texas home in August 1988. Rodriguez, who had a dozen top 10 country hits in the late 70s, has contended that he shot Israel 'Bosco' Borrego in self-defense.
  8. "The Gala". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  9. 1 2 Smolowe, Jill, People magazine, November 1, 1999, Vol. 52, No. 17