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 demise was introduced on Thursday by his present’s Fb account. No extra particulars got. His spouse, Nora Canales, stated in a video replace on Could 20 that he had been ailing.
For a lot of 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 thousands and thousands.
Some acts that carried out on his present went on to develop into family names. He additionally grew to become a preferred TV host, recognized for introducing performances together with his catchphrase: “You bought it. Take it away.”
“The Johnny Canales Present” debuted on KRIS in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1983. This system 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 over time, together with La Mafia, La Sombra, Los Temerarios and Ramon Ayala. However maybe the one who went on to develop into the most well-liked was a teenage Selena Quintanilla, as Selena y Los Dinos, in 1985, in what was one of many singer’s first stay TV performances.
“She’s received one thing,” Mr. Canales stated an in a 2015 interview with Univision’s long-running morning present “Despierta América” in regards to the first time Selena carried out on his program. “Besides, I scolded her as soon as as a result of she didn’t know how one can converse Spanish.”
Mr. Canales stated within the interview that he was impressed that the younger Selena might sing and dance so properly, 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 in the USA. As she later grew to become often called the Queen of Tejano music, she additionally started mixing in R&B into her songs.
“Carry on trucking,” Mr. Canales stated he advised Ms. Quintanilla as her profession progressed.
Ramón Hernández, a author, photographer, historian and musicologist, advised the Los Angeles Occasions in 2020 that Mr. Canales was the “Mexican American equal of Dick Clark as a result of he broke everybody in.”
“You didn’t should be well-known, you didn’t should have a prime promoting file,” Mr. Hernández stated. “He would simply put you on.”
The friends 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 wherein he stated some Mexican immigrants had been bringing crime.
“We Mexican and Mexican-Individuals are noble,” Mr. Canales wrote in a public invitation to Mr. Trump. “That’s why I’m providing you an invite to come back 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 way of 2020, with some breaks amid well being points. Ms. Canales, his spouse, stated in 2022 that in recent times he had been handled for a stroke and in addition wanted a quadruple bypass.
Juan José Canales was born in Normal Treviño, Nuevo León within the early Nineteen Forties. The precise 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.
Rising up, he shined sneakers for 10 cents and sang songs in bars for 25 cents, he advised The Laredo Morning Occasions. After graduating from Robstown Excessive Faculty, 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 Military, 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.”
Along with his spouse, he’s survived by two daughters.
After taking just a few years off with well being points, Mr. Canales stated in 2011 that he would return to his program to help new acts once more.
“We will come again and actually assist our folks,” he stated. “As a result of that is our music.”
Alain Delaquérière contributed analysis.
