George Strait Mourns the Passing of Iconic Country Music Singer, 73
Without Johnny Rodriguez, would there be a ?
George certainly doesn't think so. On Monday, George paid tribute to his fellow country legend, who died last week at the age of 73. In his sweet message, the 'King of Country Music' thanked Johnny for paving the way.
'Norma [Straight, his wife] and I are so sad about Johnny's passing,' wrote George on a May 12 Instagram Story. 'He was an inspiration to me from the beginning.'
'Being from South Texas myself, it gave me so much hope knowing that he had become such a huge success,' continued George, 'that maybe there was a hope for a guy like me.'
Juan Raoul Davis "Johnny" Rodriguez died on May 9. Growing up in Sabinal, Texas, Johnny helped bring the Tejano sound to the masses, infusing country music with Latin sounds. He hit it big in the 1970s and '80s with songs like 'Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through),' 'I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind,' and 'Love Put a Song In My Heart."
George, who hails from Pearsall, Texas, remembered Johnny as 'a great talent,' before adding, 'God bless his family, friends and fans. You'll be missed, amigo.'
Johnny died in San Antonio from health complications. His daughter shared a message on social media, saying her father 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.
Recently, the 'All My Exes Live In Texas' singer caused some concern among his fans. George recently kicked off his tour with Chris Stapleton, and a clip of his performance—where he sat down and barely played the guitar in his lap—had fans talking.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Blake Lively Gets Org Support Amid Justin Baldoni Trial
A spokesperson for Blake Lively issued a statement as the number of organizations submitting amicus briefs in support of her amid her legal battle with Justin Baldoni hit 19. In December, Blake sued her It Ends With Us co-star and director, as well as the studio Wayfarer and other parties, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. Justin subsequently sued Blake, alleging defamation and extortion, among other things. Both parties have denied the allegations of the other. Before we get into the update, you might be wondering what an amicus brief is. It stems from the Latin phrase "friend of the court," which allows people who aren't parties in the case to submit documents of support, arguing that the impact of the case will also affect them. So, why are all these orgs issuing amicus briefs? Let's take one that's been signed by 14 women's and anti-violence organizations. In it, they argue, "The retaliatory defamation lawsuit instigated by the Wayfarer parties against Blake Livelyis another example of 'DARVO' tactics (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) in the post-#MeToo era where perpetrators of 'sexual violence,' in particular sexual harassment, attempt to silence their victims into submission." After a new brief was filed this week by Child USA, a nonprofit against child abuse, a spokesperson for Blake issued a statement to BuzzFeed that read, "19 leading survivors and organizations devoted to women's rights, children's rights and domestic violence have now signed onto four separate amicus briefs. All are united in opposing Justin Baldoni's attempt to dismantle a law designed to protect women who speak up—simply to protect himself." Justin's attorney has been reached for comment. "The latest briefs, filed by Child USA and Sanctuary for Families, add the voices of renowned nonprofits, victim advocates, and experts from around the world who are dedicated to safeguarding the rights and well-being of people who speak up," they continued. Justin has never been accused of child abuse. "Rather than defend his case on the facts, Baldoni is now contradicting years of his own public persona—abandoning the message of his #MeToo YouTube's, podcasts, TED Talks, and interviews, where he once upon a time urged men 'to listen to the women in your life…to hold their anguish and actually believe them, even if what they're saying is against you.' These women and organizations are sounding the alarm about his DARVO tactics, and the chilling effect they could have well beyond this case," the statement concluded. BuzzFeed has reached out to a representative for Justin for comment.
UPI
8 hours ago
- UPI
Culture Club doc director: Boy George 'story more relevant now'
1 of 5 | From left, Roy Hay, Boy George, Jon Moss and Mikey Craig are the subjects of the documentary "Boy George & Culture Club," playing at the Tribeca Film Festival. Photo courtesy of Duncan Raban LOS ANGELES, June 6 (UPI) -- Director Allison Ellwood interviewed Boy George and his three Culture Club bandmates for the documentary Boy George & Culture Club, which premiered Thursday at the Tribeca Film Festival. In a recent Zoom interview with UPI, Ellwood said the struggles George, born George Alan O'Dowd, faced in the '80s are sadly still experienced by LGBTQ people today. Though he has since come out as gay, George dodged questions about his sexuality at the time and was frequently asked about his flamboyant attire. "I think, as such, their story is more relevant now than it perhaps was even at the time," Ellwood, 63, said. When George referred to himself as a drag queen at the 1984 Grammy Awards, it fueled fan and media speculation about his sexuality. In the film, he says, "If you're not gay, what has it got to do with you?" He then repeats the question to include trans people. "I feel like we're going backwards in that regard but that is still the question to ask," Ellwood said. "Why do you care?" Ellwood said she researched the Culture Club story before interviewing George, Jon Moss, Roy Hay and Mikey Craig individually so she knew what to ask them about. Still, Ellwood said, she was heartened to learn George had supportive parents even before he was a celebrity. "I had just assumed that his parents, particularly a father of that age in London, would have frowned upon his [sexuality]," she said. "They were very supportive of him which is really nice to hear." The filmmaker said all four Culture Club members were forthcoming about every aspect of their story, including George's relationship with drummer Moss. George and the band also discuss George's drug addictions and their frustrations with their third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire. "[George] was touchy about his friend who had died of an overdose at his house," Ellwood said. "He said, 'I could tell you about him but I don't want to talk about that.' That's understandable because that's going for the salacious thing vs. the relationship." All four Culture Club members agree Waking Up was rushed into production and release. Ellwood believes the album and the subsequent From Luxury to Heartache are underappreciated as a result. She cited the song "Mistake No. 3" as one of her favorites. "I'm hoping one of the things the film will do is have people go, 'Hey, I should check that out,'" Ellwood said. "You just remember the big hits. You don't necessarily remember the later material, some of which is really good." Those hits include "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and "Karma Chameleon." Archival footage in the documentary shows how Culture Club caused more fervor in public than even today's biggest artists like Taylor Swift. "People missed planes in Toronto because the streets were so packed the airport basically was shut down," Ellwood said. "It was Beatlemania." Moss, Hay and Craig express their frustrations that George became the focal point of all Culture Club press during that time. The record label even relegated their three photos to the back for the album cover for their debut, Kissing to Be Clever. Ellwood's documentary was an opportunity to give George's bandmates equal attention. "They all say he's a great frontman and he should have been the frontman, but they get their chance to tell their side of the story too," she said. Ellwood was also impressed by some of the footage her archival producers found of Moss before Culture Club. "We even found footage of Jon drumming with The Clash briefly," she said. Culture Club still performs occasionally and sometimes releases new music. If fans only know the '80s hits, Ellwood hopes her documentary showcases the depth of their music. "George's voice is stunningly beautiful," she said. "It's just so moving to hear him sing. I hope that people take away from the film the real musicianship that went into this too. Everyone thinks of George and his voice and his outfits and stuff but really they are quite extraordinary musicians." Boy George & Culture Club screens again Friday, Sunday and June 12 at Tribeca.
Fox Sports
18 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Who is Luisangel Acuña? Mets infielder dishes on food, family and brother Ronald
LOS ANGELES - Who is Luisangel Acuna? He's a 23-year-old New York Mets infielder from Venezuela, April's National League Rookie of the Month and the younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. The younger Acuña was one of the Texas Rangers' top prospects when the Mets acquired him in exchange for Max Scherzer in July 2023. The speedy, slick-fielding middle infielder made his Major League debut last September and has been with the Mets since Opening Day this year. Before the Acuña brothers get set to face each other for the first time later this month (Luisangel traveled to Atlanta with the Mets late last year, but Ronald was still recovering from his torn ACL at the time), we caught up with Luisangel during the Mets' trip to Los Angeles this week to get to know him better. (Note: Questions and answers were through an interpreter and may be edited for clarity or brevity.) If you were to ask your family and friends to describe you as a person, what would they say? They would say I'm a happy guy, that I'm the type of person who will fight and do whatever to achieve their dreams. And that I'm a humble person, that's what they would say. What do you like to do when you're not at the field? I like to be with family. I like to go out to the rivers where I'm from, because we're kind of on the coast of Venezuela, so I like to go to the rivers with my family and spend time there. What do you like to do there? Sometimes we'll go there and have, like, a barbecue, grilling there and just hanging out. What's your go-to meal when you're back home? Whenever I go to Venezuela, I have to have fish. How does the fish compare here? Here, in the states, I just eat salmon. Are you a cook yourself? No, no. Who's the best cook in your family? I think my grandmother's the best one. My mom's a close second, but I think my grandmother's the best one. How much do you miss that home cooking? I don't miss it too much just because in New York there are a lot of Latin restaurants I can go to, and I can order arepas or whatever I want, so I can get my fix that way. You won the NL Rookie of the Month Award in April. What did that mean to you or show you? It felt good. I didn't know I had won it until they told me when I got here. My brother called me, congratulated me, but it was definitely an honor to be able to win an award like that. You mentioned chatting with your brother. How much have you leaned on Ronald going through the ups and downs of a season? Yeah, whenever we're in Venezuela, we train a lot together. The thing he always tells me is whenever I go out to play, be consistent, have the same type of discipline and work hard. How competitive were you guys growing up? Yeah, I would say we're competitive, but it's like a fun competition. It's one of those where he's just challenging me to get better. For instance, whoever has more hits this month, the one who loses pays for a dinner or something like that. But it's really just innocent competition. I heard you liked basketball growing up. Who's the better basketball player? My brother's better than me. He's taller than I am. Do you have the edge anywhere? Is there an activity where you're like, 'I'm better than him' in this? I'm faster than him. Last September, Ronald was injured when you went to Atlanta. Now, you're set to face him later this month. How much have you guys thought about that trip? Even before he came back from his injury this year, he had been telling me, 'Hey, the Mets are going to come in June.' So, I know he's been really excited about that potential opportunity. Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner . Check out the best moments between the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals! recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
