Gilbert Rodriguez, a pioneering Tejano musician who later became a beloved West Side restaurateur, has died. He was 86.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez, who fronted the Chicano soul band Gilbert Rodriguez and the Blue Notes, opened Gilbert’s Mexican Restaurant on\u00a0Marbach Road in 1982. The restaurant became known not only for its Tex-Mex food but also for its collection of photos, posters and memorabilia celebrating decades of Tejano music history.<\/p>\n
“It is with heavy hearts \u2014 and deep gratitude for a life well-lived \u2014 that we share the passing of my grandfather this morning at 86 years old,\u201d the family wrote\u00a0Friday in a social media post<\/a>.<\/p>\n “He was the heart and a beacon of light in this restaurant \u2014 a light that will forever burn bright in everything we do,” the family said. “Through the years, he built so much more than a business; he created a home surrounded by the love of his family and the incredible customers who meant the world to him. His legacy and spirit will always guide us.”<\/p>\n The family did not disclose a cause of death but said Rodriguez was “no longer in pain” and was “resting in eternal peace.”<\/p>\n Rodriguez is widely credited with helping shape the\u00a0Tejano and Chicano soul sound of the 1960s and ’70s. His recordings with the Blue Notes are preserved in music and cultural archives, and songs including “Hay Un Momento,” “Mi Raz\u00f3n,” “Que Te Falta,” “Recu\u00e9rdame” and “La Ley de la Vida” became regional favorites.<\/p>\n In 2019, Rodriguez received the\u00a0Tejano Music Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n Within hours of the family’s announcement, tributes from radio stations, fellow musicians and longtime customers flooded social media.<\/p>\n Many remembered Rodriguez not only for helping shape\u00a0Tejano music but also for celebrating its history inside Gilbert’s Mexican Restaurant, which some affectionately called the “Tejano Hard Rock Cafe.”<\/p>\n Others recalled his warmth and generosity, including his habit of handing out gum to children who visited the restaurant.<\/p>\n The outpouring echoed the community support Rodriguez\u00a0received last year, when the\u00a0community rallied<\/a> to help keep Gilbert’s Mexican Restaurant from closing.<\/p>\n Members of the Rodriguez family continue to operate Gilbert’s Mexican Restaurant.<\/p>\n