CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A public viewing will be held for Johnny Canales from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Selena Auditorium in Corpus Christi to allow the community to honor and celebrate the life of the beloved South Texas star.
Below is the original story prior to updates.
There is little else that stirs excitement in Tejano fans' hearts than one phrase: "You got it! Take it away!"
To the sorrow of Tejanos everywhere, it was recently confirmed that Johnny Canales, host of the iconic "The Johnny Canales Show," has died at the age of 77.
His wife, Nora Canales, tells 3NEWS he died at 11:55 p.m. Wednesday night. The following morning, at around 8 a.m., the Facebook page of "El Show de Johnny and Nora Canales" formally announced Canales' death.
Born in Mexico and raised in Robstown, Johnny Canales was a beloved name in Hispanic households and a tastemaker in the Tejano music industry.
Canales' career in broadcasting began at a Spanish-language radio station after a tour of military service in Germany.
Canales went on to host his own Tejano-music variety show in 1983 known as "The Johnny Canales Show."
The show was a smash success across South Texas and was eventually broadcasted internationally from 1988-1995.
One of Canales' most notable accomplishments throughout his career was his role in launching and supporting the musical careers of countless Tejano artists – including Selena Quintanilla, who made her debut on "The Johnny Canales Show" on her 13th birthday.
His career wasn't without setbacks, however. Canales was plagued with health issues following a major stroke in 2008.
In spite of his health, Canales remained a constant figure in the world of Tejano. In 2014, alongside his wife Nora, Johnny returned to TV screens with the launch of their revamped music variety show "El Show de Johnny and Nora Canales."
According to his family, Canales was an inspiration to many and was loved and admired greatly in his life.
Freddie Martinez Sr. and Johnny's friendship spanned over 60 years, starting at the very beginning of their careers when their bands use to play the same circuit in the 1960's.
"I feel like we lost a great part of our Tejano culture and music," Martinez Sr. said. "He had a lot of charisma, that was one of his strong points, everybody liked how he conducted the show. He was liked by everyone in the business."
Owner of Pretty Sounds Studio Dusty Olivera shared his memories of watching Johnny as a child.
"To see someone from here do that and blow up on a national scale or a world-wide scale because it's really important because you want to see people like yourself doing these things," Olivera said.
Longtime friend Patsy Vasquez-Contes said Johnny also gave back to the community.
"Johnny Canales would give his all to anybody just like anybody else would," Vasquez-Contes said. "He was a very nice gentleman, he cared about for the people."
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