Jhonny Canales died at the age of 77, known for being a great promoter of musical talents in the country where she lived for so many years and where one of the most important ‘discoveries’ she made was Selena Quintanilla, leaving a legacy that impacted several generations.
The announcement of his death was made in the early hours of June 13 through the Facebook page ‘El Show y Johnny y Nora Canales’, which he had with his wife, who dedicated a few words to him.
“He was more than a beloved husband, father, television host, musician and entertainer; he was a beacon of hope and joy to countless people. His infectious charisma and his dedication to promoting Latin music and culture “They left a great mark on the world,” wrote his widow.
Publication of The Johnny and Nora Canales Show on Facebook (Photo: Screenshot)
Ramón Ayala, representative of regional Mexican music, joined the messages for Canales, whom he described as “one of his greatest promoters of the regional Tex-Mex genre”.
“To talk about Johnny Canales is to talk about a man who supported and gave space to new musical talents without distinction of origin. He was a pioneer and discoverer of new artists who, thanks to his vision, became great figures of international renown,” wrote the ‘Tragos Amargos’ singer.
Post by Ramón Ayala on Instagram. (Photo: Screenshot)
What did Johnny Canales have? This was his state of health
In recent weeks, the musician and television presenter shared, accompanied by his wife, that he was in poor healthwithout specifying what exactly was happening to him.
“Hello everyone! Thank you for all your prayers. We are doing very well and we are going to do better with your prayers, so we will be here,” he said in a video published on the same Facebook account on May 20. In this, he is seen lying on a bed and accompanied by Nora.
During a previous video, Johnny Canales’ wife mentioned that the communicator, originally from Nuevo León, was in poor health, so both she and her daughters cared for him, ensuring his well-being.
“He is stable, at home, in his room, watching television. He is fine,” Nora mentioned that same May 20.
However, his health began to deteriorate from 2008when Johnny suffered a stroke that caused him loss of mobility and, in turn, forced him to leave the screen to take care of his family, looking for alternatives to remain active.
This is how he began broadcasting through social networks to continue doing what he liked most: Promoting talents and talking about regional Mexican music.
Selena was one of the artists who boosted her career after performing with Johnny Canales. (Photo: Facebook The Johnny and Nora Canales Show).
Which artists did Johnny Canales promote?
Johnny Canales is a very important figure in northern Mexico and, above all, for the Latin community in the United States thanks to the fact that he was a promoter of different musical talents.
Genres such as Tex-Mex, corridos, norteño and grupero are just some of those that he promoted in his program The Johnny Canales Show (Johnny Canales’ new show), which was a very important platform for artists, who at that time were considered emerging, from the Mexican region.
One of the most relevant was Selena Quintanilla, whom he met when the singer was 13 years old and was beginning to carve out a space for herself in the music industry. However, she was not the only one. Between the artists promoted by Johnny Canales Thanks to being invited to your program, they are:
- The Shadow of Chicago
- Nancy
- Mafia
- Mazz
- Untouchable
- Pegasso Group By Emilio Reyna
- Fame
- Jaime and Los Chamacos
- Jennifer Pena
- The Tigers of the North
- The Lightning of the North
Johnny Canales was one of the driving forces behind Selena’s career, when the Texan singer started in music. (Photo: Facebook / The Johnny and Nora Canales show).
Johnny Canales ‘discovered’ Selena Quintanilla
When Selena was part of Los Dinos in her adolescence, they were invited to Johnny Canales’ program, when he already had recognition among the Spanish-speaking community in Texas, where the program was held.
“She came trembling, I told her ‘don’t be afraid, people are good and they will accept you‘” Canales said in an interview with Univision in 2021.
During that meeting, where the spotlight and the cameras were two of the things that most impacted Selena at that time, Johnny invited her to practice her Spanish and did several dynamics with her and the band, which also included her brother, AB Quintanilla.
