Tejano tune singer and TV host Johnny Canales dies

Johnny Canales, the Mexican television host whose program brought untouched concerts to a wide audience of the 1980s, including the gentle Selena Quintanilla, has died.

His death was announced on his show’s Facebook account on Thursday. Negative backup key points found. His wife, Nora Canales, said in a video update on May 20 that he was ill. Mr Canales is believed to be in his late 70s or early 80s, despite the fact that his birth month was concealed.

For many emerging acts beginning in the nineteen eighties, being invited to perform on Mr. Canales’ bilingual selection show was considered a milestone and the hope of reaching untapped lovers on a program that was watched by millions. Had seen. ,

Some of the works on display turned directly into family names. He also became a popular TV host, known for introducing presentations with his slogan: “You got it.” take it away.”

“The Johnny Canales Show” debuted in 1983 on KRIS in Corpus Christi, Texas. The program was later adopted by Univision, expanding the show’s reach beyond South Texas.

Mr. Canales has featured many teams and singers on his shows over the years, including Los Angeles Mafia, Los Angeles Sombra, Los Temerarios and Ramon Ayala. However, most likely the person who became most popular was the young Selena Quintanilla, as performed by Selena y los Dinos in 1985, which was the singer’s first live TV performance.

“She has something,” Mr. Canales noted in a 2015 interview with Univision’s long-running morning show “Despierta América” about the first week Selena spent on his program. “Except that I scolded her once because she didn’t know how to speak Spanish.”

Mr. Canales said in the interview that he was inspired by the fact that young Selena could sing and dance so well, and that each week she returned to his program, her performance progressed, and so did her Spanish. There was also progress.

Ms. Quintanilla and her band, Los Dinos, first introduced the Tejano track, a gorgeous mix of traditional Mexican tracks influenced by Americana pop. After this he started mixing R&B in his songs.

“Keep trucking,” Mr. Canales said he told Ms. Quintanilla as her career took off.

Ms. Quintanilla was shot to death in 1995 at the age of 23 by the former president of her fan club. She was consistently known as the queen of the Tejano track.

Ramon Hernandez, a writer, photographer, historian and musicologist, told the Los Angeles Times in 2020 that Mr. Canales was “the Mexican American equivalent of Dick Clark because he broke everyone down.”

Mr. Hernandez noted, “You don’t have to be famous, you don’t have to have a best-selling record.” “He’ll just wear you out.”

Mr. Canales’ visitors brought further musical activities. He also invited comedians, actors and politicians to his programs.

In July 2015, Mr. Canales appointed Donald J. Trump to his performance, the closest Mr. Trump came to announcing his candidacy for president in a tone in which he said some Mexican immigrants were bringing crime.

“We Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are great,” Mr. Canales wrote in the family invitation to Mr. Trump. “That’s why I’m inviting you to come to our show and offer a simple apology, or at least recognize all of the Mexican and Mexican-American veterans who have served and died for this country.”

With some interruptions due to fitness problems, Mr. Canales continued to appear on alternative networks, including Telemundo, through 2020. Ms Canales, his wife, said in 2022 that he had been treated for a stroke in recent days and also required a quadruple diversion.

Juan José Canales was born in Común Treviño, Nuevo León in the early forties. The exact month is hidden.

When he was less than two months old, his people moved to Robstown, Texas, about 20 miles west of Corpus Christi, where he spent most of his time.

Growing up, he shined shoes for 10 cents and sang in bars for 25 cents, he told The Laredo Morning Times. Later after graduating from Robstown Top College, Mr. Canales was assigned to Germany with the 3rd Infantry Section and served for two and a half years, until he was honorably discharged.

After serving in the Army, he returned to Texas, where he worked as a DJ for a Spanish-language radio station and started a band, “Johnny Canales y Su Orchestra”.

He is survived by his wife as well as two daughters.

After taking a few years off due to fitness problems, Mr. Canales said in 2011 that he would once again return to his program to help with untouched tasks.

“We can come back and really help our people,” he said. “Because it’s our music.”

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