These artists have recorded country #1 hits like “You Always Come Back to Hurting Me,” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” and “That’s the Way Love Goes”; performed comedy and TV on Laugh-In, Sesame Street, The Monkees; sang for bands such as Hairy Hippie, The Toilets, Seventeen and The Alarm; and produced over 1000 episodes of TV like Saved By The Bell.
Johnny Rodriguez
Johnny Rodriguez, born Juan Raoul Davis Rodriguez on December 10, 1951, in Sabinal, Texas, emerged as a trailblazing Mexican-American figure in country music, blending Tejano influences with traditional country sounds. Raised in a modest four-room house as the second youngest of ten siblings, he was an altar boy,
a high school letterman, and captain of his junior high football team. Tragedy struck early with the deaths of his father and older brother, leading to a troubled youth. At 18, while jailed for a minor offense, his singing caught the attention of Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson, who introduced him to promoter Happy Shahan.
Albums
- [Date] [Album] [US Country]
- 1973 Introducing #1
- 1973 All I Ever Meant to Do Was Sing #2
- 1974 My Third Album #5
- 1974 Songs About Ladies and Love #7
- 1974 Country Classics
- 1975 Just Get up and Close the Door #5
- 1976 Love Put a Song in My Heart #3
- 1976 Greatest Hits #2
- 1976 Reflecting #11
- 1977 Practice Makes Perfect #18
- 1977 Just for You #35
- 1978 Love Me with All Your Heart #19
- 1978 Rodriguez Was Here
- 1979 Sketches
- 1979 Rodriguez #45
- 1980 Through My Eyes
- 1980 GypsyA
- 1981 After the Rain
- 1982 Biggest Hits
- 1983 For Every Rose 30
- 1984 Foolin’ with Fire #35
- 1986 Full Circle
- 1988 Gracias
- 1993 Run for the Border
- 1995 Super Hits
- 1996 You Can Say That Again
- 1996 Funny Things Happen to Fun Lovin’ People
- 1997 Hits
- 1998 Johnny Rodriguez
- 2001 Back to Back
- 2002 Desperado: His First Twenty Hits
- 2004 Desperado: A Decade of Hits
- 2004 Greatest Hits
- 2005 Greatest Hits
- 2006 Country Chart-Toppers: Johnny Rodriguez
- 2006 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Johnny Rodriguez
- 2006 Lone Star Desperado
- 2007 Desperado
- 2008 20 Greatest Hits
- 2012 Live from Texas
Singles
- 1973 “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through)” #9
- 1973 “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)” #1
- 1973 “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” #1
- 1974 “That’s the Way Love Goes” #1
- 1974 “Something” #6
- 1974 “Dance with Me (Just One More Time)” #2
- 1974 “We’re Over” #3
- 1975 “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind” #1
- 1975 “Just Get Up and Close the Door” #1
- 1975 “Love Put a Song in My Heart” #1
- 1976 “I Couldn’t Be Me Without You” #3
- 1976 “I Wonder If I Ever Said Goodbye” #2
- 1976 “Hillbilly Heart” #5
- 1977 “Desperado” #5
- 1977 “If Practice Makes Perfect” #5
- 1977 “Eres tú” #25
- 1977 “Savin’ This Love Song for You” #14
- 1978 “We Believe in Happy Endings” #7
- 1978 “Cuando Caliente el Sol (Love Me with All Your Heart)” #7
- 1979 “Alibis” #16
- 1979 “Down on the Rio Grande” #6
- 1979 “Fools for Each Other” #17
- 1980 “What’ll I Tell Virginia” #19
- 1980 “Love Look at Us Now” #29
- 1980 “North of the Border” #17
- 1981 “I Want You Tonight” #22
- 1981 “Trying Not to Love You” #30
- 1981 “It’s Not the Same Without You”
- 1982 “Born with the Blues”
- 1982 “He’s Not Entitled to Your Love”
- 1983 “Foolin'” #4
- 1983 “How Could I Love Her So Much” #6
- 1983 “Back on Her Mind Again” #35
- 1984 “Too Late to Go Home” #15
- 1984 “Let’s Leave the Lights On Tonight” #30
- 1984 “First Time Burned”
- 1984 “Rose of My Heart”
- 1985 “Here I Am Again”
- 1986 “She Don’t Cry Like She Used To”
- 1988 “I Didn’t (Every Chance I Had)” #12
- 1988 “I Wanta Wake Up with You”
- 1988 “You Might Want to Use Me Again”
- 1989 “No Chance to Dance”
- 1989 “Back to Stay”
- 1993 “Run for the Border”
- 1996 “You Can Say That Again”
- 1996 “One Bar at a Time”
This chance encounter led to performances at Alamo Village, where he was discovered by country artists Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare. Encouraged by them, Rodriguez moved to Nashville in 1971 with just $14 and a guitar, eventually signing with Mercury Records. His debut single, “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through),” reached the top 10,
making him the first Latin-American artist to achieve such a feat in country music . Throughout the 1970s, he amassed six No. 1 hits and 20 top 10 singles, including “You Always Come Back to Hurting Me,” “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” and “That’s the Way Love Goes.” His accolades include
the 1972 Academy of Country Music’s Most Promising Male Vocalist award and multiple honors from U.S. presidents, including performances at inaugural balls . Despite struggles with substance abuse and a 1998 legal incident in which he was acquitted of murder, Rodriguez’s influence endured.
He was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the Institute of Hispanic Culture’s Pioneer Award in 2010. Married three times, his final marriage to Debbie McNeely in 1998 produced a daughter, Aubry Rae Rodriguez. Johnny Rodriguez passed away peacefully in hospice care on Friday, May 9, 2025, at the age of 73, surrounded by family. His legacy as a pioneering Hispanic artist in country music remains influential.
Ruth Buzzi
Ruth Ann Buzzi, born July 24, 1936, in Westerly, Rhode Island, was a beloved American actress and comedian who became a trailblazing force in television comedy, best known for her work on the groundbreaking variety show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Raised in Wequetequock, Connecticut, she was the daughter of Rena Pauline and Angelo Peter Buzzi, a stone sculptor of Swiss and Italian descent. She graduated with honors in 1957 from the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theatre Arts, where her classmates included Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman.
Buzzi first gained attention performing musical and comedy revues in New York with future stars like Barbra Streisand and Joan Rivers, and she appeared in early TV variety programs such as The Garry Moore Show and The Steve Allen Comedy Hour. Her defining role came on Laugh-In (1968–1973), where she was the only female cast member to appear in every episode; her character Gladys Ormphby—a sharp-tongued spinster with a deadly handbag—became iconic, earning her a Golden Globe Award and multiple Emmy nominations.
Movies
- 1969 It’s Tough to Be a Bird
- 1970 The Aristocats (Singing voice)
- 1976 Freaky Friday
- 1977 The Rescuers (Voice)
- 1978 Record City
- 1979 The North Avenue Irregulars
- 1979 The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
- 1979 The Villain
- 1979 Skatetown, U.S.A.
- 1980 I Go Pogo (Voice)
- 1981 Chu Chu and the Philly Flash
- 1983 The Being
- 1984 Surf II
- 1986 Bad Guys
- 1988 Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw (Voice)
- 1988 Dixie Lanes
- 1989 Up Your Alley
- 1989 My Mom’s a Werewolf
- 1990 Wishful Thinking
- 1990 Diggin’ Up Business
- 1994 The Best of Elmo
- 1994 Troublemakers
- 1999 The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
- 2000 Nothing but the Truth
- 2004 Adventures in Homeschooling
- 2006 Fallen Angels
- 2020 Glenn’s Gotta Go!
- 2021 One Month Out (Final Film Role)
TV
- 1964 The Garry Moore Show
- 1964–1965 Linus the Lionhearted (3 ep)
- 1967–1973 Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In (141 ep)
- 1967 The Steve Allen Comedy Hour
- 1967 The Monkees
- 1967–1968 That Girl (5 ep)
- 1968–1973 The Carol Burnett Show (5 ep)
- 1969 That’s Life
- 1969 In Name Only
- 1970–1982 Walt Disney anthology television series (6 ep)
- 1970–1974 The Dean Martin Show (16 ep)
- 1970–1973 Love, American Style (2 ep)
- 1971 Night Gallery
- 1972 The Singles
- 1972 Here’s Lucy
- 1973–1976 Medical Center (2 ep)
- 1974 Lotsa Luck
- 1974 Paradise
- 1974 ABC Afterschool Special
- 1975–1976 The Lost Saucer (16 ep)
- 1976 Emergency!
- 1976 The Muppet Show
- 1977–1978 Baggy Pants and the Nitwits (16 ep)
- 1977 Once Upon a Brothers Grimm
- 1978–1987 The Love Boat Herself 2 episodes
- 1979 Legends of the Superheroes
- 1979–1980 CHiPs (2 ep)
- 1979 Whatever Turns You On (13 ep)
- 1980 Myra
- 1981 Alice
- 1981 Aloha Paradise
- 1982 Trapper John, M.D.
- 1983 Gun Shy
- 1983 Days of Our Lives (unknown # of ep)
- 1983 Alvin and the Chipmunks (13 ep)
- 1984 Masquerade
- 1984 Don’t Ask Me, Ask God
- 1985 Paw Paws
- 1985 George Burns Comedy Week
- 1985–1987 The Berenstain Bears (52 ep)
- 1985 The Jetsons (voice
- 1986 Check It Out!
- 1986 Life with Lucy
- 1986 Kids Incorporated: Rock in the New Year
- 1986–1987 Pound Puppies (26 ep)
- 1987 Milroy, Santa’s Misfit Mutt
- 1988 Rockin’ with Judy Jetson (voice)
- 1988–1990 The Munsters Today (2 ep)
- 1988–1991 Out of This World (3 ep)
- 1989 Marvin: Baby of the Year
- 1990 Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers (voice)
- 1990 Gravedale High (voice – unknown # of ep)
- 1990 Saved by the Bell
- 1991 They Came from Outer Space
- 1991 The New Adam-12
- 1992 Lucky Ed’s Tabloid News
- 1992 Darkwing Duck (voice 2 ep)
- 1992 Lucky Luke
- 1992 Major Dad
- 1993 I Yabba-Dabba Do! (Voices)
- 1993 Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa
- 1993 Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby (Voices)
- 1993 The Pink Panther
- 1993–2008 Sesame Street (multiple roles and # of ep)
- 1993 Sesame Street Stays Up Late!
- 1993–1994 Cro (20 ep)
- 1994 Sesame Street’s All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
- 1995 Savage Dragon (unknown # of ep)
- 1997 The Jamie Foxx Show
- 1998 Sabrina the Teenage Witch
- 1998–2001 7th Heaven (2 ep)
- 1998 Elmopalooza
- 1999 Boys Will Be Boys
- 1999 Diagnosis Murder
- 2000 Rocket Power
- 2000 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd
- 2000 The Angry Beavers
- 2000–2001 Sheep in the Big City (7 ep)
- 2003 Passions (2 ep)
- 2006–2007 Come on Over (2 ep)
Over her decades-long career, Buzzi was a frequent guest on The Dean Martin Show, That Girl, and The Carol Burnett Show, voiced characters in animated classics like The Smurfs, The Berenstain Bears, and The Jetsons, and appeared in films such as Freaky Friday and The Villain. She also had a recurring role on Sesame Street and contributed significantly to children’s entertainment. Buzzi was active in philanthropy,
supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, animal rescues, and other causes, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pasadena Playhouse, a Clio Award for advertising, and induction into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. In 1978, she married actor and writer Kent Perkins, and the couple lived on a Texas ranch where they collected classic cars and lived quietly in later years.
Although she never served in the military, she was a strong supporter of veterans and frequently participated in USO tours. In 2022, she suffered a series of strokes and had previously been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which led to her retirement from public life in 2021.
Ruth Buzzi died peacefully on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the age of 88 at her home in Texas, surrounded by loved ones, and is survived by her husband Kent and her brother; her legacy as one of television’s pioneering female comedians remains enduring and inspirational.
Mike Peters
Michael Leslie Peters, born on February 25, 1959, in Prestatyn, Wales, was a passionate and resilient Welsh musician best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band The Alarm. Raised in Rhyl, he began his musical journey in the mid-1970s, forming bands like Hairy Hippie, The Toilets, and Seventeen before co-founding The Alarm in 1981.
Albums
- Breathe 1 (1995)
- Breathe – The Acoustic Sessions (1995)
- Second Generation Volume 1 (1996)
- Feel Free (1996)
- Abbey Road Sessions (1997)
- Rise (1998)
- Acoustic Works 1981–1986 (1998)
- Acoustic Works 1987–1991 (1998)
- Live (From a Broadcast) (1998)
- Rise Demos (1999)
- Flesh & Blood (2000)
- The Millenium Gathering (2001)
- Collected Works (2001)
- The Alarmstock Collection Live (2003)
- Mike Peters in Session 2007 (2007)
- Mike Peters in Session 2008 (2008)
- Breathe – Expanded Edition (2008)
- Acoustic Live (2009)
- Feel Free – Remastered and Expanded (2009)
- Mike Peters in Session 2009 (2009)
Singles
- “Back into the System”/”A New Chapter”/”21st Century (demo version)”/”Back into the System” (1994)
- “Nol I Mewn I’r System”/”Y Bennod Newy”/”Canrif 21 – Fersiwn Demo”/”Nol I Mewn I’r System” (1994)
- “It Just Don’t Get Any Better Than This”/”Devil’s Word”/”White Noise” (1994)
- “Shine On”/”113th Dream”/”Safe European Home”/”Going Underground” (1996)
The band gained prominence in the 1980s with hits such as “Sixty Eight Guns” and “Strength,” sharing stages with legends like U2, Bob Dylan, and Queen. After The Alarm’s initial split in 1991, Peters pursued a solo career and later revived the band in the 2000s. In 1995, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
and a decade later, with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Despite his health challenges, Peters remained musically active and became a fervent cancer awareness advocate. He and his wife, Jules, co-founded the Love Hope Strength Foundation, promoting stem cell donation and organizing record-breaking concerts at locations like Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro.
Their efforts added over 250,000 people to global donor registries. Peters was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2019 for his contributions to cancer care. In 2024, his CLL progressed to Richter’s syndrome, leading to his passing on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at the age of 66. He is survived by his wife, Jules, and their two sons, Dylan and Evan.
Peter Engel
Peter Engel, born on June 30, 1936, in New York City, was a pioneering American television producer best known for creating Saved by the Bell, a cultural touchstone of 1990s teen television. Raised in a Jewish household, Engel later converted to Christianity. He began his career as an NBC page in New York before transitioning into television production,
eventually producing over 1,000 episodes of television, primarily in partnership with NBC. Engel’s most notable work, Saved by the Bell, aired from 1989 to 1993 and spawned several spin-offs, including Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, as well as a reboot and TV movies.
Producer
- Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1988–1989)
- Saved by the Bell (1989–1993)
- California Dreams (1992–1996)
- Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1993–1994)
- Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993–2000)
- Hang Time (1995–2000)
- USA High (1997–1999)
- City Guys (1997–2001)
- One World (1998–2001)
- Malibu, CA (1998–2000)
- All About Us (2001)
- Last Comic Standing (2003)
He also produced other teen-focused series such as California Dreams, Hang Time, City Guys, USA High, One World, Malibu, CA, and All About Us, many of which aired on NBC’s TNBC Saturday morning block. In the 2000s, Engel expanded into reality television, serving as executive producer for NBC’s Last Comic Standing,
which earned a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2004. In 2016, he published his memoir, I Was Saved by the Bell: Stories of Life, Love, and Dreams That Do Come True, detailing his extensive career and personal experiences. Engel passed away peacefully at his home in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at the age of 88. He is survived by his three children and one grandchild.
Videos
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “Johnny Rodriguez” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Rodriguez
- Wikipedia “Ruth Buzzi” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Buzzi
- Wikipedia “Mike Peters (musician)” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Peters_(musician)
- Wikipedia “Peter Engel” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Engel
- Variety “Peter Engel, ‘Saved by the Bell’ Executive Producer, Dies at 88” https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/peter-engel-dead-saved-by-the-bell-1236327276/
- BBC “The Alarm singer Mike Peters dies aged 66” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y7mxzn9nlo
- The Hollywood Reporter “Ruth Buzzi, the Lady With the Handbag on ‘Laugh-In,’ Dies at 88” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ruth-buzzi-dead-laugh-in-1236206037/
- The Hollywood Reporter “Johnny Rodriguez, Hispanic Country Music Star and “That’s the Way Love Goes” Singer, Dies at 73” https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/johnny-rodriguez-dead-hispanic-country-music-star-1236213100/
