R.I.P.: Johnny Rodriguez, Singer Had 6 Number 1 Country Hits

Johnny Rodriguez (1951-20250

Johnny Rodriguez, a pioneering Mexican-American country music star, passed away on May 9, 2025, at the age of 73 in San Antonio, Texas. 

His daughter, Aubry Rodriguez, announced his death via social media, stating that he died peacefully, surrounded by family, after entering hospice care earlier that week due to health complications. No specific cause of death was disclosed.

Rodriguez was one of the first Hispanic artists to achieve major success in country music, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s. Born on December 10, 1951, in Sabinal, Texas, he rose to fame with hits like “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me),” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” and “That’s the Way Love Goes,” amassing six No. 1 country hits and 20 Top 10 singles. 

His debut album, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez (1973), topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, and he was named the Most Promising Male Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music in 1972. Known for blending Tejano and Texas country with Latin influences, he often sang verses in Spanish, broadening the genre’s appeal and paving the way for artists like Freddy Fender.

His career began after a serendipitous discovery while briefly incarcerated as a teenager for a minor offense, when a Texas Ranger heard him sing and connected him with a promoter. This led to performances at Alamo Village, where country artists Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare encouraged him to move to Nashville. At 21, Rodriguez signed with Mercury Records, launching a meteoric rise with hits like “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through).”

Despite personal struggles, including a 1998 incident where he was acquitted of murder charges after shooting a man he mistook for a burglar, Rodriguez continued touring and recording. He released 35 albums, performed globally, and was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2010, he received the Institute of Hispanic Culture Pioneer Award for his role as a trailblazer.