SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Country music star Johnny Rodriguez, a popular Mexican American singer best known for chart-topping hits in the 1970s such as “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind,” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” and “That’s the Way Love Goes,” has died. He was 73.
Rodriguez died Friday in San Antonio from health complications, according to his daughter, Aubry Rodriguez. She also shared a statement on social media saying he went peacefully and was surrounded by family.
“Dad 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,” she wrote.
Rodriguez was named the most promising male vocalist at the 1972 Academy of Country Music Awards, and his debut, “Introducing Johnny Rodriguez,” was nominated for album of the year in 1973. More than a dozen of his albums and singles landed in the Top 10.
Rodriguez later said his career suffered after he began to use drugs and alcohol excessively.
Rodriguez was born in Sabinal, Texas, a small town about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of San Antonio and about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of the U.S.-Mexico border.
A Texas jury acquitted Rodriguez of murder in 1999, about a year after he walked into his mother's house in Sabinal and shot once at an acquaintance whom he thought was a burglar. Israel Borrego, 26, died a day after he was shot.
Rodriguez continued to play concerts in South Texas, and he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007.
FILE - Johnny Rodriguez poses for a photo in Nashville, Tenn., July 3, 1996. (AP Photo/Christopher Berkey, File)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan coach Dusty May has agreed on a deal that will have him continuing to lead the Wolverines “for many years to come,” athletic director Warde Manuel said Saturday.
Manuel made the comment during a ceremony celebrating Michigan’s NCAA Tournament championship.
“Dusty and I have already reached an agreement,” Manuel said in a remark that resulted in a standing ovation as well as chants of “Dusty!” from the crowd that had gathered at the Crisler Center.
Manuel then finished his comment.
“And he will be the leader of this basketball team for many years to come,” Manuel said.
The 49-year-old May led Michigan to a national title in his second season on the job after inheriting a program that went 8-24 the year before his arrival. Michigan went 37-3 this season and earned its first national title since 1989 by beating UConn 69-63 in the NCAA Tournament championship game.
He had been mentioned as a potential target for North Carolina, which hired former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone on Tuesday to replace the fired Hubert Davis.
“It’s been an honor for two years to represent all of you and to be called Coach by these guys,” May said during Saturday's ceremony. “Anytime you have a group come together and you feel like they gave you so much more than you could ever give them, it melts you. These guys did it for each other. They did it for the staff. They did it for all of you, and they did it for all the right reasons — with class, with great effort and support for each other. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”
May owns an overall coaching record of 190-82. He went 126-69 at Florida Atlantic from 2018-24 and led the Owls to a 2023 Final Four appearance before going 64-13 at Michigan the last two seasons.
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg , left, and Trey McKenney celebrate during a parade celebrating their national championship win in the NCAA college basketball tournament , Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. ( Devin Anderson-Torrez/Ann Arbor News via AP)
Michigan basketball fans cheer during a parade celebrating their national championship win in the NCAA college basketball tournament , Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. ( Devin Anderson-Torrez/Ann Arbor News via AP)
Michigan's Trey McKenney throws a heart sign to fans during a parade celebrating their national championship win in the NCAA college basketball tournament , Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Devin Anderson-Torrez/Ann Arbor News via AP)
Michigan head coach Dusty May smiles during a parade celebrating their national championship win in the NCAA college basketball tournament , Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Devin Anderson-Torrez/Ann Arbor News via AP)
Michigan head coach Dusty May gestures during a parade celebrating their national championship win in the NCAA college basketball tournament , Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich. ( Devin Anderson-Torrez/Ann Arbor News via AP)
Michigan head coach Dusty May celebrates by cutting down the net after defeating UConn in the NCAA college basketball tournament national championship game at the Final Four, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Michigan head coach Dusty May, left, talks to fans as Yaxel Lendeborg, center, and L.J. Cason, right, listen as the team returns to campus Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Mich., the day after defeating UConn at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
