Tejano music icon Johnny Canales dead at 77

The Johnny Canales Show
The Johnny Canales Show(Facebook)
Published: Jun. 13, 2024 at 11:30 AM CDT

(KWTX) - Tejano music singer Johnny Canales, the celebrated host of “The Johnny Canales Show” credited with helping introduce Selena to the masses, passed away on June 13 at the age of 77, according to multiple media outlets and a post on the El Show de Johnny y Nora Canales Facebook page.

“With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Johnny Canales,” the Facebook post states. “He was more than just a beloved husband, father, TV host, musician, and entertainer; he was a beacon of hope and joy for countless people.”

The post further states Canales’ “infectious charisma and dedication to promoting Latino music and culture left a large mark on the world.”

“Johnny’s spirit will continue to live on through the countless lives he touched and the legacy he built.”

“The Johnny Canales Show” premiered in the early 80s and showcased Mexican and Tejano music acts like the iconic Selena, Grupo Mazz, La Mafia, Intocable, and Los Tigres Del Norte. The show was distributed in Mexico by Televisa and in the United States by Univision. In the late 90s, it moved to Telemundo where it aired until its cancelation.

If you were a Tejano music fan in the late 80s and early 90s and someone mentioned Canales, you would immediately recall the host’s famous two sentence catchphrase: “You got it! Take it away!”