DALLAS — A look back in time at the life of Johnny Gonzales shows a man dedicated to bringing the sound of Latin and Tejano music to the airwaves.
”He really did pave the way for the Tejano music artists today," said Tori Bradburry, Gonzales' daughter.
At 10 years old, Johnny bought his first record, his family told WFAA.
”He didn’t even own a record player. This is what you call planting the seed," said Jane Gonzales, Johnny's wife.
Back then, deejays in Dallas were mainly playing country music.
”He fell in love with the music but he always wondered, 'is there any way we can get Hispanic music in there'?" said Gonzales.
So, he formed a band and created his own music label – El Zarape Records – in 1962.
"He had no idea where to start, so everything was self-taught from the ground up," said Bradburry.
During one of his gigs at a local venue, he met a young musician named Joe Hernandez.
He signed up Hernandez and his band and produced the first album for Little Joe and the Latinaires.
Little Joe went on to become one of the top Tejano singers of all time.
“There was no picture painted yet, but my dad could see it. And so, I love that Little Joe not only believed in my dad, but a relationship was immediately born between the two," said Bradburry.
Johnny Gonzales soon brought big international stars to Dallas.
"And so he became friends with Vicente Fernandez, and he brought Vicente to Dallas. Julio Iglesias came to Dallas because of my dad," said Bradburry.
In 2001, Gonzales was inducted into the Latin Music Hall of Fame. It was a huge honor for a man who grew up poor but saw the richness in the music of his culture.
”He had a vision; Dad was such a visionary and nothing was small with him," said Bradburry.
One of the last things he did was attend his beloved Dallas Cowboys football game. He was invited as a guest of Coach Mike McCarthy and sat in his suite.
In the 90s, he retired to spend more time with his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandkids. He died in June, leaving behind a legacy of love, Latin music, and lessons of life.
”One thing that he instilled in our family is that no dream is too small, but it will require work," said Bradburry.
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