The Mexican American country music star Johnny Rodriguez has died. The singer was best known for chart-topping hits in the 1970s such as “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” and “That’s the Way Love Goes.” Rodriguez’s daughter Aubry announced his death in an Instagram post on Friday, May 9. Saving Country Music reported that the late singer had reportedly entered hospice care earlier in the week. Rodriguez was 73.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Johnny Rodriguez, who left us peacefully on May 9th, surrounded by family,” wrote Aubry. “Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle, and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him,” she continued. “We are immensely grateful for the outpouring of love and support … during this time of grief.”
Rodriguez was born in Sabinal, Texas, in 1951. One story from his youth made for perfect country music lore: arrested for goat rustling near his hometown, the singer was released early after serenading the sheriff for a few hours. A Texas ranger introduced him to J.T. “Happy” Shahan, a music promoter who would become Rodriguez’s manager.
Rodriguez moved to Nashville at 21 and signed to Mercury Records. Rodriguez was named the most promising male vocalist at the 1972 Academy of Country Music Awards, and his debut, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez, was nominated for album of the year in 1973. That album’s “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through)” was a top 10 country hit while “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)” went No. 1. He also topped the country charts with “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” and “That’s the Way Love Goes.” “Mexico” was also the biggest pop crossover of Rodriguez’s career, reaching No. 70 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Rodriguez, still in his early ’20s, released five more top ten country albums between 1974 and 1976, resulting in many radio hits. Rodriguez brought the Mann-Weil composition “We’re Over,” before Glen Campbell included it on Rhinestone Cowboy. He received his fourth country chart topper in 1975 with the melancholic Larry Gatlin tune “I Just Can’t Get Her Out Of My Mind.” He followed “Mind” with two more chart-toppers: “Just Get Up (And Close the Door)” and “Love Put a Song in My Heart,” his first single on which he sang in Spanish.
In 1977, Rodriguez brought his take on the massive Eurovision hit “Eres Tú” to country radio. He returned to a bilingual approach with “Cuando Calienta El Sol,” which, though originally written in Spanish, had already been a hit in English stateside. Later in his career, he worked with Tejano musicians on the 1990 Spanish-language album Coming Home.
Rodriguez remained a fixture of country radio through the 1980s, with hits like the “Margaritaville”-esque “Down on the Rio Grande.” It was his first release after moving to Epic Records, where he would find more success with country’s neotraditional turn: “How Could I Love Her So Much” and “Foolin’,” written by iconic Bakersfield steel guitar player Ralph Mooney, both found the singer riding classic country sounds back to the top ten in 1983.
Rodriguez was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
