Guitarist Dave Burgess – of Tequila hit-makers the Champs – dies at 90

The Champs guitarist Dave Burgess, who played on their cult classic hit, Tequila, has died aged 90.

His passing was confirmed through an obituary on the website of a Dover, Tennessee care home, noting his death on October 19.

Born in Los Angeles on December 3, 1934, Burgess had released a string of singles, including Don’t Put a Dent in My Heart and Don’t Turn Your Back on Love, before forming the Champs in 1957. Tequila was their biggest hit, and it sparked a cultural phenomenon.

The Latin-tinted and mostly instrumental song is credited as being penned by saxophonist Danny Flores, who had operated under the pseudonym Chuck Rio due to contract obligations with RPM Records. On the track, Burgess holds down a tight, cleanly-strummed rhythm on a big box electric guitar that pays homage to Flores' Mexican heritage.

However, Burgess had led the band through the track’s creation. It’s claimed that it was written using the final 15 minutes of their allotted recording time, having already tracked Train to Nowhere.

“The sax player offered a Les Baxter-inspired line, a snazzy riff was provided by the guitarist, the drummer clanged his cymbal bell on the backbeat, and Dave muted his guitar strings and strummed away,” Burgess’ bio reads (via EW).

Tequila was the B-side to the Burgess-written track, Train to Nowhere, and it topped the US Billboard charts in 1958, taking a spot previously held by Elvis Presley. It has been widely covered and embedded into pop culture since. Larry Carlton released a jazz version of the track in 1983, and it featured in the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure two years later. It's also been parodied by soccer fans in the UK as a way of celebrating their star players.

The song’s success, which saw them win a Grammy for Best R&B Performance in 1959, encouraged them to lean further into their Latin Rock sound. Together with the likes of Ritchie Valens and Carlos Santana, the group helped popularize the genre across the US.

The Champs "Tequila" on The Ed Sullivan Show - YouTube

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Though the band called it quits in 1965, Burgess would go on to lead a new-look lineup, releasing Tequila Party in 2020, which included a reworking of their trademark hit.

Dave Burgess, who also ran an art gallery in Montana with his wife, Deon, is survived by his son, David.