Grammy-winning ‘Tequila’ hitmaker Dave Burgess dead at 90

Posted On November 14, 2025November 14, 2025

The Grammy-winning singer Dave Burgess has died aged 90.

The hitmaker passed away on October 19th, 2025, in Dover, Tennessee. It is not clear what the cause of death was.

Burgess was best known as the band leader of the early rock and roll group that recorded the iconic tune ‘Tequila’.

The recognisable tune was written by Burgess’ bandmate, the saxophonist Chuck Rio, whose real name was Daniel Flores. The instrumental single rose to the top of the charts in just a few weeks.

This surprised The Champs’ label, who didn’t believe that the song had what it takes to be a hit. It was part of the B-side on the group’s debut single, and is still their biggest ever song. It was released in January of 1958, but it took a few months for DJs to warm up to the other side of the single.

The musician and producer was born in Los Angeles in 1934. Eventually, Burgess moved out of Hollywood and headed to Montana. There, alongside his wife Deon Adair Raab, he ran an art gallery. He enjoyed hunting and fishing in his spare time.

The Champs formed in the mid-1950s, after Burgess moved to Montana with his two kids and his wife to return to the music industry.

He wrote over 700 copyrighted songs. He also earned a Grammy at the first-ever Grammy Awards in 1958, when ‘Tequila’ won for ‘Best R&B Performance’.

The song also enjoyed a greater boost in popularity with the release of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. The surreal comedy picture featured Paul Reubens as Pee-Wee Herman dancing to Tequila while wearing platform shoes. This display was an attempt to get on the good side of a hostile biker gang.

Burgess is survived by his son, David.

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