EGN NEWS DESK
Johnny Canales, the Mexican tv host whose program launched new musical acts to broad audiences, together with a younger Selena Quintanilla within the Eighties, has died.
His dying was introduced on Thursday by his present’s Facebook account. No further particulars got. His spouse, Nora Canales, mentioned in a video replace on May 20 that he had been ailing. Mr. Canales was believed to be in his late 70s or early 80s, although his yr of delivery was unclear.
For many rising acts starting within the Eighties, to be invited to carry out on Mr. Canales’s bilingual selection present was thought-about a milestone and an opportunity to achieve new followers on a program that was watched by hundreds of thousands.
Some acts that carried out on his present went on to turn out to be family names. He additionally turned a preferred TV host, identified for introducing performances together with his catchphrase: “You received it. Take it away.”
“The Johnny Canales Show” debuted on KRIS in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1983. The program was later picked up by Univision, which additional expanded the present’s attain past South Texas.
Mr. Canales had many teams and singers carry out on his present through the years, together with La Mafia, La Sombra, Los Temerarios and Ramon Ayala. But maybe the one who went on to turn out to be the preferred was a teenage Selena Quintanilla, as Selena y Los Dinos, in 1985, in what was one of many singer’s first dwell TV performances.
“She’s received one thing,” Mr. Canales mentioned an in a 2015 interview with Univision’s long-running morning present “Despierta América” concerning the first time Selena carried out on his program. “Except, I scolded her as soon as as a result of she didn’t know how one can communicate Spanish.”
Mr. Canales mentioned within the interview that he was impressed that the younger Selena may sing and dance so effectively, and that each time she returned to his program, her performances improved, and so did her Spanish.
Ms. Quintanilla and her band, los Dinos, started carry out Tejano music, a wealthy mix of conventional Mexican music influenced by pop within the United States. As she later turned generally known as the Queen of Tejano music, she additionally started mixing in R&B into her songs.
“Keep on trucking,” Mr. Canales mentioned he instructed Ms. Quintanilla as her profession progressed.
Ramón Hernández, a author, photographer, historian and musicologist, instructed the Los Angeles Times in 2020 that Mr. Canales was the “Mexican American equal of Dick Clark as a result of he broke everybody in.”
“You didn’t must be well-known, you didn’t must have a high promoting document,” Mr. Hernández mentioned. “He would simply put you on.”
The company of Mr. Canales prolonged past musical acts. He additionally invited comedians, actors and politicians on his program. In July 2015, Mr. Canales invited Donald J. Trump on his present, a few month after Mr. Trump had introduced his candidacy for president in a speech by which he mentioned some Mexican immigrants have been bringing crime.
“We Mexican and Mexican-Americans are noble,” Mr. Canales wrote in a public invitation to Mr. Trump. “That’s why I’m providing you an invite to return to our present and provides a easy apology, or no less than acknowledge all Mexican and Mexican-American Veterans who’ve served and have died for this nation.”
Mr. Canales’s present continued on different networks, together with Telemundo, by means of 2020, with some breaks amid well being points. Ms. Canales, his spouse, mentioned in 2022 that lately he had been handled for a stroke and likewise wanted a quadruple bypass.
Juan José Canales was born in General Treviño, Nuevo León within the early Nineteen Forties. The actual yr is unclear.
When he was lower than 2 months previous, his household moved to Robstown, Texas, about 20 miles west of Corpus Christi, the place he spent a lot of his life.
Growing up, he shined footwear for 10 cents and sang songs in bars for 25 cents, he instructed The Laredo Morning Times. After graduating from Robstown High School, Mr. Canales was drafted and served two and a half years with the third Infantry Division in Germany, till he was honorable discharged.
After serving within the Army, he returned to Texas, the place he labored as a D.J. for a Spanish-language radio station and began a band, “Johnny Canales y su Orchestra.”
In addition to his spouse, he’s survived by two daughters.
After taking just a few years off with well being points, Mr. Canales mentioned in 2011 that he would return to his program to assist new acts once more.
“We can come again and actually assist our individuals,” he mentioned. “Because that is our music.”
Alain Delaquérière contributed analysis.
