Johnny Rodriguez

Johnny Rodriguez came out of Sabinal, Texas, where he grew up with Mexican-American musical traditions and listened to Hank Williams Sr. and Lefty Frizzell. He started recording for Mercury Records in the early 1970s after producer Fred Foster signed him. His first album came out in 1973, but it was the follow-up, 'Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico,' that really connected with people the next year.

That 1974 album had 'Ayudame A Olvidarla,' a ballad that became his most recognizable song. Its straightforward delivery about heartache felt genuine to a lot of country listeners at the time. He kept recording through the decade with songs like 'Here I Am Again' and 'I Couldn't Be Me Without You,' sticking to that emotional, personal style.

By the late 1970s, he had put out several more albums, including 'All I Ever Meant to Do Was Sing' in 1976 and a self-titled record in 1980. The material from those years, like 'Somewhere Between Your Heart And Mine' and 'Fools For Each Other,' continued in the same vein, direct, unadorned country songs about relationships.