Link copied
On May 9 2025, the passing of trailblazer country music artist Johnny Rodriguez at the age of 73 was announced by his daughter, Aubry Rodriguez. The Mexican-American singer leaves behind a historic discography and a legendary legacy.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Johnny Rodriguez,” Aubry wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post. Rodriguez’s impact went beyond that of just a country star, as she noted that he was a “legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but was also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle, and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him.”
The Hispanic country music icon was born Juan Rodriguez in 1951 and has a story that leans itself almost uncannily well to the world of country music: serving a short stint in jail for a minor offense, he passed the time by singing. By this twist of fate, Rodriguez was discovered by music promoter Happy Shahan when he was still a teenager, and very quickly had himself a manager and a longlist of tour dates lined up.
As Rodriguez’s musical world expanded, he headed to Nashville at age 21 and joined Tom T. Hall’s band as a guitarist and songwriter, not long after that signing with Mercury Records.
With a Texas background underpinning his sound, Rodriguez’s style incorporated textures from across the south, picking up influences from mariachi to honky-tonk to outlaw and infusing Latin sounds to make his music unique. Explaining the similarities between country music and Mexican music, he told historian Ken Burns that “in Mexican music, you have stories. Mexican music and country music said almost the same thing, just in different languages.”
Throughout the 1970s, Rodriguez shone, reaching the top spot on the US charts six times across the decade. Named the Most Promising Male Vocalist at the 1972 Academy of Country Music Awards, his debut album came the next year and reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Proving an immediate success, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez was nominated for the prestigious Album of the Year award at the subsequent Academy of Country Music Awards.
1973 saw the release of two of Rodriguez’s most recognisable songs: ‘You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)’ and ‘Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico’. His musical style was now distinct, maintaining his Latin-infused Tejano sound, even as he was grouped in with other outlaw artists of the time.
Rodriguez walked his own path for countless reasons, and he’s recognised as one of the first Mexican-American country music artists to find mainstream success. His introduction of Spanish lyrics into country music - which helped to form his own unique Tejano style - will be a lasting contribution to the world of Southern music, broadening the genre’s appeal and paving the way for future Latino artists.
Having collected numerous awards and being honoured by several presidents, what was perhaps his most lustrous achievement came in 2007 when he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, happily sitting alongside acts such as Buddy Holly, Buck Owens and Willie Nelson.
Closing her moving statement, Aubry noted that “the world has lost an extraordinary talent, we have lost someone irreplaceable”. Here at Holler, we’ve had Rodriguez spinning all weekend, a fitting tribute to an iconic artist.
