Mr. Rodriguez, who was named the most promising male vocalist at the 1972 Academy of Country Music Awards, was acquitted in the shooting death an acquaintance in 1999.

Mexican-American country singer Johnny Rodriguez has died at age 73. The Academy of Country Music named him the most promising male vocalist in 1972. He earned a nomination for album of the year for 1973's Introducing Johnny Rodriguez.

Born Juan Rodriguez in Sabinal, Texas, in 1951, Rodriguez was discovered at 18 by music promoter Happy Shahan after he was heard singing in a jail cell, where he was briefly held for a minor offense, according to a Ken Burns biography on PBS.org.