Picture on the right: 1975-76: Pictured from Left to right: Tina Compean, KQXX Program Music Director; Juan Gabriel, Singer / Composer and Roberto Hugo Gonzalez, News Director for KQXX FM 98.5 FM. Photo was taken at the old Casa de Palmas Hotel in McAllen (now Casa de Palmas Renaissance McAllen Hotel) by Ramon Garcia, who was a waiter at the hotel. Today, Ramon Garcia is the Chef for Lone Star National Bank.
Juan Gabriel performs on November 11, 2015 at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo texas!
Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
This reporter met Juan Gabriel many years ago, around 1975-76 during a time when I was News Director for KQXX FM 98.5; back then it was located at 608 S. 10th St. in McAllen, Texas.
The radio station was owned by Ed Gómez, a respected broadcaster that had ended- by choice- his political career at the end of his first term as the first Hispanic Hidalgo County judge. He never told me, but I later heard that he had had enough of politics.
As a radio executive, I entertained many singers and actors from both sides of the border. KQXX 98.5 FM had become a very popular radio station playing international music from México. Tina Compean, the program music director broadcasted a four-hour music program called ‘Viva México’ on Monday through Friday from 8 p.m. to midnight.
We were visited by many of the great singers from México, Yolanda del Rio, Vicente Fernández, Emmanuel, the beautiful late María de Lourdes, Daniela Romo, José José, Nelson Ned, and many others.
Some of these singers also visited KIWW FM 96.1 where I worked as General sales manager and news broadcaster during the early 80’s. This radio station was owned at the time by the late Don Pedro “Pete” Diaz, a Rio Grande City native and one of the largest supermarket operators, second only to HEB.
The KQXX FM 98.5 had become an icon of music and news and I can brag that it was the first FM station in South Texas broadcasting in Spanish.
As a matter of fact, I was often told that ‘la Raza’ (nickname for the Hispanic people) had no FM radio station, consequently no radio listeners. That was far from the truth, KQXX was distinguished for its slogan ‘Pensando en Ud’ (thinking of you) and recognized by its programmed music; it is still remembered forty years later.
When Juan Gabriel visited us at KQXX FM, he was accompanied by his long time representative María de la Paz Arcaraz. He was already a big star, however not as big as today.
The 70’s was the era of the 45 rpm (revolutions per minute) vinyl records and Juan Gabriel who was promoting his singles, often left multiple copies to be given away.
This was not his only visit, he came many times again, for the same reason, promoting his music. He has composed hundreds of songs, many of them became so popular that they sold millions of copies all over the world.
Juan Gabriel is one of Mexico’s most successful artists; he has written and sung over a thousand songs, appeared in several films, produced other artists, and has been nominated for a Grammy and Latin Grammy award many times and won some. He was named the Songwriter of the Year in 1995 by the ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). In 1996, he was inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame. He has sold over 100 million copies of his albums worldwide.
On November 11, Juan Gabriel will be performing at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas and it should be a ‘grandioso’ performance.
Juan Gabriel has always delivered.
Born in the Mexican state of Michoacan in 1950, as an infant Juan Gabriel was brought to Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua, where he launched a story book musical and acting career. Gabriel’s songs, including “No Tengo Dinero,” “El Noa Noa” and “Querida,” are imprinted into the sound track of contemporary Mexican life. TBB
