The Champs' Dave Burgess Dies at 90

Dave Burgess, the guitarist and leader of the rock and roll band The Champs, best known for their 1958 instrumental hit "Tequila," died on October 19 in Dover, Tennessee. He was 90.

An obituary from Anglin Funeral Home confirmed the death, though the cause was not disclosed. Burgess, born on December 3, 1934, in Los Angeles, rose to prominence in the early days of rock and roll. He initially recorded solo singles under the stage name derived from his stepfather, including "Don't Put a Dent in My Heart" and "Don't Turn Your Back on Love," before forming The Champs in the late 1950s.

The band, named after singer Gene Autry's horse Champion, originated as a studio project for Challenge Records, which Autry co-founded. Executives assembled the group to back Burgess on his single "Train to Nowhere." The B-side, "Tequila," written primarily by saxophonist Danny Flores (who performed under the name Chuck Rio and delivered the song's signature shouted refrain), unexpectedly overshadowed the A-side. Radio stations quickly embraced the Latin-tinged, saxophone-driven track, propelling it to the top of the Billboard pop chart in March 1958. It displaced Elvis Presley's "Don't" from the...