Country Music History December 10

We are turning the clock back to 1951.

Johnny Rodriguez is born in Sabinal, Texas today in 1951, and he becomes country's first mainstream star of Hispanic descent, emerging out of Tom T. Hall's band in 1972. He records numerous songs in Spanglish, with a line of hits that stretches from 1972-1983.

Rodriguez had six number-one hits in the 1970s, including his first number one "You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me). He recorded 15 number one hits in his career.

Rodriguez got his start with Tom T. Hall's band in 1972, and was discovered in at Alamo Village by Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare. They encouraged Rodriguez to fly up to Nashville, and it only goes up from there.

Rodriguez was a song writer, too, and a lot of that is thanks to Hall. Hall would take Rodriguez under his wing, and get him a contract with Mercury records in Nashville. Rodriguez sang two songs at his audition, and they signed him right there.

Rodriguez's album "Introducing Johnny Rodriguez" was number one on Billboards Hot Country Chart, too. He was associated with an Outlaw Country style of music, and continue to create great music into the late 1990s.

Rodriguez is the second youngest of ten children, and at the age of 18, Rodriguez was in jail. His father died of cancer, and a few years later his older brother died in an automobile accident. It was hard on Rodriguez, which pushed him to be a troubled teen.

Rodriguez sang in his cell frequently, and this is where he was discovered. He was then singing at the Alamo Village, and the rest is history.

Thanks too TXJohnR's Channel, here is a video of Rodriguez and Hall signing that hit "You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)"