Friends, family reminisce on life, legacy of DFW Tejano music icon Johnny Gonzales

A mariachi commenced the funeral for Johnny Gonzales on Monday at Cross Timbers Church in Argyle, symbolizing his love for music. Mourners filled the church, reminiscing on his life and accomplishments.

Gonzales, primarily known as a music promoter from North Texas, helped kick-start the careers of several musicians, particularly Tejano artists, including Little Joe and the Latinaires, and brought Chicano music to the national stage.

He lived his life passionately, surrounded himself with his loved ones, and shared his love for Tejano music and his faith.

But to his family, his life couldn’t have been long enough.

“You meet people and they’ll say, ‘Wow, 94, that’s a long time.’ I’ve always been the selfish one, so 94 (years) wasn’t long to me,” said his daughter, Tori Gonzales. “I’m leaving so many things out and I just wish I could share it all. But Dad never needed an introduction. ... his legacy will always live on.”

Johnny Gonzales died on June 11. Now, his family and loved ones are looking back on his accomplishments and how he left his mark in the Tejano music industry.

His life in music

Originally from Vernon, Johnny and his family moved to Dallas when he was 10. His loved ones say making that move led to a path of fortune.

“Little did he know that many of his dreams would become a reality there,” said his wife, Jane Gonzales.

He quit school at that same age and picked up small jobs to support his family financially. Johnny joined the Army at the age of 17 and started playing with local groups and musicians for extra income.

As he looked for bookings in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for groups he played with, Johnny found himself becoming a promoter and quickly went on to produce music. Little Joe and Latinaires’ “Por Un Amor” was one of his biggest titles as a producer.

From there, he created his own music label, El Zarape Records, in 1962. In addition to Little Joe and the Latinaires, his label produced music for other popular Mexican-American musicians such as Augustin Ramirez and The Mexican Revolution.

“It was not just a record label — it was a driving force” said Joey Cisneros, the son of radio program producer Joe Cisneros. “Johnny understood music could unite people and the new sound of Chicano music encapsulated what it was like to be Mexican American.”

In 1972, Gonzales’ record label featured an advertisement in Billboard magazine, stating, “El Zarape Records es la Onda Chicana,” referring to the Chicanx movement that grew out of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.

According to Cisneros, the El Zarape Records ad was one of the earliest examples of the term “La Onda Chicana” being used in commercial advertising.

“There would not be a Tejano music industry had it not been for promoters and entrepreneurs like Johnny Gonzales,” said Johnny Hernandez, a member of Little Joe and the Latinaires.

Gonzales’ love for the “brown sound” also led him to opening up El Zarape Ballroom in Dallas, a Hispanic nightclub that operated from 1963 to 1993, attracting Mexican-American couples from everywhere. It succeeded in promoting rising stars such as Julio Iglesias.

It was that same time Gonzales also hosted a show on KTVT, “Fiesta Mexicana,” designed to showcase the bands of the day and provide public service announcements for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It aired from 1966 until 1984.

From TV, Gonzales went into radio when he and two other associates bought KTIA-1540 AM in Fort Worth, running a show in Spanish from 1980 to 1982.

Gonzales told the Star-Telegram in 2002 that he “took a real blow” in 1980, having lost his first wife, Irene De La Garza, to an untimely death.

“His love for music and helping promote artists kept him going,” Jane Gonzales said.

Devotion to God and family

Although Johnny left the entertainment industry in 1993, it wouldn’t be for long, according to Jane. Becoming a Christian, Johnny went back into radio in with a different purpose.

He began a Christian music radio program in 2002 based out of Denton, “Jehova Es Mi Pastor” — the Lord Is My Shepherd — which aired on Sunday mornings in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Laredo and Victoria.

Of all his successes, Gonzales considered his devotion to his faith and his family his greatest accomplishments.

His love for God and his family were his world, said Tori Gonzales.

“That’s what filled Dad’s cup and it brought him so much joy,” his daughter said. “Relationships were everything to him, and I am thankful we were given the gift of time towards the end.”

Johnny retired at the age of 90, but continued to show his support for musicians and his friends and his love for his faith until the end.

“He might’ve been an icon to many,” Jane Gonzales said. “To me he was a loving father and husband whose heart was always about helping others.”