Johnny Rodriguez "Introducing Johnny Rodriguez" (Mercury Records, 1973) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "All I Ever Meant To Do Was Sing" (Mercury Records, 1973) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "My Third Album" (Mercury Records, 1974) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Songs About Ladies And Love" (Mercury Records, 1974) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Country Classics" (Mercury Records, 1974) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Just Get Up And Close The Door" (Mercury Records, 1975) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Love Put A Song In My Heart" (Mercury Records, 1976) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Reflecting" (Mercury Records, 1976) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Practice Makes Perfect" (Mercury Records, 1977) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Just For You" (Mercury Records, 1977)
Johnny Rodriguez "Love Me With All Your Heart" (Mercury Records, 1978) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Rodriguez Was Here" (Mercury Records, 1978) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Sketches" (Mercury Records, 1979) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Rodriguez" (Epic Records, 1979) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Through My Eyes" (Epic Records, 1980) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Gypsy" (Epic Records, 1980) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "After The Rain" (Epic Records, 1981) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "For Every Rose" (Epic Records, 1983) (LP)
Johnny Rodriguez "Foolin' With Fire" (Epic Records, 1984)
Johnny Rodriguez "Full Circle" (Epic Records, 1986)
Johnny Rodriguez "Gracias" (Capitol Records, 1988)
Johnny Rodriguez "Run For The Border" (Intersound Records, 1993)
Johnny Rodriguez "Funny Things Happen To Fun-Lovin' People Like Me" (Music City Records, 1995)
Coasting at the edge of the Nashville hit factory, veteran performer Rodriguez sounds better and more soulful here than on most of his classic, Top 40 hits of the 1970s and '80s. Other than a pointless cover of "Down In The Boondocks," this disc is packed with hard country gems. The opener, "One Bar At A Time," is a fine, hard-drinkin' weeper, followed by several nice heartbreak tunes. Johnny lags a little in his delivery, but mostly it's pretty good stuff, clearly sung with conviction. Worth tracking down!
Johnny Rodriguez "You Can Say That Again" (Hightone Records, 1996)
The chiming Spanish guitars are a throwback to his old 'Seventies sound, but the song selection, including covers of tunes by Dave Alvin and Lucinda Williams, show Johnny R. standing solidly in the Americana/hard country revival camp. Unlike many Hightone albums, this one was recorded in Nashville, with several old-time studio veterans in the band, including Jerry Kennedy on guitar and Hargus Robbins plunkin' the piano keys. Mostly, it's the strong song selection and heartfelt vocal delivery you'll notice -- anyone who'd written Rodriguez off based on his '70s countrypolitan hits really oughtta track this one down and give the guy another chance.
Johnny Rodriguez "Some Of Mine, Some Of Theirs" (Runnin' Wide Open, 2010)
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Johnny Rodriguez "The Hits" (Mercury Records, 1997)
Although this disc is stingily programmed with a mere eleven tracks, it's still a pretty good summation of Rodriguez's career, with a bunch of his classic 1970s hits. It starts with a nice clump of his throaty Lefty Frizzell soundalike songs. But once the label dudes really got a sense of the kind of crooning Johnny could carry, they started saddling him with woefully sappy, limp romantic ballads, the epitome of which is heard in a silly cover of George Harrison's "Something." His cover of the Eagles' "Desperado" is pretty terrible, too. But the more traditional, honky-tonkish material ain't too bad. Worth checking out, especially if you want to get a sense of how the '70s countrypolitan sound spread and mutated over the years.
Johnny Rodriguez "The Millennium Collection" (Mercury Nashville, 2006)
Johnny Rodriguez "20 Greatest Hits" (Tee Vee Records, 2008)
Johnny Rodriguez "Introducing Johnny Rodriguez/All I Ever Meant To Do Was Sing" (Hux Records, 2010)
His first two albums, both from 1973, re-released on a single CD. Long out of print, these will come as a welcome resource for the devoted '70s country fan.
Texas-born Johnny Rodriguez (1951-2025) was one of America's first major latino country stars, charting early 1970s hits alongside Freddy Fender, while crossing into both the countrypolitan and outlaw country sounds. In contrast to "outlaw" artists such as Freddy Fender or Doug Sahm and his crew, Rodriguez didn't lean heavily into his latino heritage, choosing instead to stick close to a classic, more Nashville-friendly style, albeit with a pretty solid grounding in straightforward, traditional hard country. By the end of the 'Seventies, his star had fallen somewhat, but he continued to record and tour for decades to come. retains a nostalgic spot in the hearts of fans of the era. Here's a quick look at his work...
