Johnny Canales Honored in the U.S. Congress
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor Johnny Canales, a beloved South Texas entertainer who died earlier this week at the age of 77. Canales was the longtime host of The Johnny Canales Show, a bilingual variety show that aired for decades across the United States and Latin America and is credited with helping to launch the careers of Tejano music superstars including Selena Quintanilla.
To download the full video, click here.
Congressman Castro’s remarks, as delivered, are below.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Juan José “Johnny” Canales, a legend of Tejano music who died on Thursday at the age of 77.
Johnny was a champion for civil rights, an advocate for veterans, and a musician in his own right.
But he was best known as the host of the Johnny Canales Show, a bilingual variety show that ran for decades in the United States and Latin America.
It helped launch the careers of countless Tejano stars, including Selena Quintanilla, who made one of her first live TV performances on the show in 1985.
To his loyal fans, Johnny was best known for his catchphrase: “You got it. Take it away!” — the words of encouragement he would share with all the performers who joined him on stage.
Johnny, you will always be remembered, especially among your loyal fans in South Texas.
Que descanse en paz, Johnny.
Rest in peace.
Background:
Congressman Castro, a second-generation Mexican American, has long worked to raise awareness about the cultural impact of Latino artists and entertainers as part of a broader effort to improve public understanding within the United States about how Latinos have positively shaped American history. For the last several years, he has organized nationwide campaigns to press for greater Latino inclusion in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress, which works to preserve recordings with cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance to life in the United States.
Since 2022, Congressman Castro's work has resulted in the induction of Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno” (1990), Héctor Lavoe’s “El Cantante (1978), Irene Cara’s “Flashdance…What a Feeling” (1983) and Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” (2004) into the National Recording Registry. Many of the musicians that Congressman Castro has nominated for the Registry rose to popular acclaim after performances on The Johnny Canales Show.
To read more about Congressman Castro's efforts to improve Latino representation on the National Recording Registry, click here.
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