Country Music Legend Dies After Entering Hospice Care: Johnny Rodriguez Was 73

Country music legend Johnny Rodriguez, known for chart-topping hits like “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,” has died at the age of 73.

After entering hospice care last week, per Saving Country Music, Rodriguez’s daughter Aubry announced that the country music star passed away “surrounded by family” on Friday. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle, and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him,” Aubry wrote. “We are immensely grateful for the outpouring of love and support … during this time of grief.”

Aubry went on to remember her father as “a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world” and also “a deeply loved husband, father, uncle, and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him.” She said the family is “immensely grateful for the outpouring of love and support from fans, colleagues, and friends during this time of grief.”

“While the world has lost an extraordinary talent, we have lost someone irreplaceable – and we ask for privacy as we navigate this painful moment together,” she concluded.

Born in Sabinal, Texas, in 1951, Rodriguez is recognized as one of the earliest Hispanic stars in country music. He got his big break after Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson overheard him singing during a brief jail stint as a teenager and told music promoter “Happy” Shahan, who later hired Rodriguez to sing at the Alamo Village tourist attraction. Rodriguez later relocated to Nashville when he was 21 and signed a deal with Mercury Records. He released his first single with the label, “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through),” in 1972.

Throughout his career, Rodriguez charted six No. 1 songs, 14 No. 5 songs, and 20 Top 10s with songs like “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me),” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” “That’s the Way Love Goes,” “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,” Just Get Up and Close the Door,” and “Love Put a Song in My Heart.”

At the 1972 Academy of Country Music Awards, he was named the most promising male vocalist, and the following year, he was nominated for CMA Male Vocalist of the Year and Single Record of the Year, as well as CMA Album of the Year for his 1973 debut album, Introducing Johnny Rodriguez. In 2007, Rodriguez was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

Rodriguez is survived by his daughter Aubry, whom he shared with his second wife, Debbie McNeely.