Grammy-winning Tequila hitmaker Dave Burgess is dead at 90 after Pee-wee’s Big Adventure revival

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Dave Burgess, who led the band that created the famous song ‘Tequila,’ has passed away at the age of 90.

According to his obituary, Burgess died on October 19 in Dover, Tennessee.

Oh my gosh, Glen Burgess and The Champs? They’re EVERYTHING! Seriously, from the late 50s to the mid-60s, he was the heart of that band, and they blew up with ‘Tequila’ back in ’58. That song? It’s a total classic, everyone still knows it! I’ve been obsessed ever since I first heard it – it’s just pure energy and makes me so happy! They really left their mark, you know?

The song quickly became a hit, reaching the top of the charts within weeks. It was written by Chuck Rio, a saxophonist in Burgess’ band, whose real name was Daniel Flores.

Tequila stood out because it was mostly an instrumental song – it only featured the title shouted – and it was on The Champs’ very first record.

Ironically, Tequila wasn’t the song Burgess’ label Challenge Records was eyeing as a possible hit.

The song was initially released as an instrumental track on the B-side of the group’s first single, which also included a song called ‘Train To Nowhere’ written by Burgess.

Everyone thought that song would be the biggest hit, but surprisingly, it was the last track on the single that became a classic.

Both “Tequila” and “Train To Nowhere” came out in January 1958, but it took until March for radio DJs to start playing the song on the flip side, “Tequila,” frequently. This airplay quickly propelled it to the number one spot on the Billboard pop charts.

“Tequila” reached the number one spot and stayed there for five weeks, starting on March 17, 1958. It was also the best-selling song in Canada that year.

The song earned the title of Best R&B Performance at the inaugural Grammy Awards in 1958.

The Champs weren’t officially a band yet when they recorded their future hit song in December 1957.

Challenge Records, the record label started by country music star Gene Autry, hired rockabilly musician Burgess, a singer and guitarist, to lead a recording session with the goal of creating a successful song.

The song ‘Tequila’ started with a trio led by saxophonist Chuck Rio, but the musicians later joined The Champs.

The band attempted to recapture their earlier success in 1960 with a follow-up song called “Too Much Tequila.” While it didn’t reach the same heights as their previous hits, it still managed to break into the Top 40, reaching number 30.

Later in life, Burgess revisited a recording project with a new lineup of The Champs. They recorded the album Tequila Party in 2020, which included a fresh take on their famous song.

Tequila was already well-liked, but its popularity increased significantly in 1985 after it was featured in Tim Burton’s movie, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.

I’ll never forget one of the most iconic scenes from the movie – it’s just pure, hilarious genius! Pee-Wee Herman, played by Paul Reubens, is desperately trying to win over a group of intimidating bikers, and he does it by dancing to ‘Tequila’ while wearing these ridiculously high platform shoes. It’s so wonderfully strange and funny, it always cracks me up!

Burgess was born on December 3, 1934, in Los Angeles, according to his obituary.

The musician initially used his stepfather’s surname, Burges, but added an ‘S’ to make it unique. After finding success with the song “Tequila,” he officially changed his name in 1959.

That same year, he married Deon Adair Raab, a dancer and actress who had appeared in several films with Elvis Presley.

Once Burgess had achieved significant success in the music industry, he and his wife moved to Montana to pursue a new venture: running an art gallery.

He never lost his passion for music, so he and his family eventually moved to Nashville, Tennessee—another major center for the industry.

Even though he’s best known for a song he didn’t actually write, Burgess created an impressive collection of over 700 songs throughout his career, as reported by TMZ.

The obituary mentioned he was not only a talented musician and songwriter, but also enjoyed hunting and fishing as hobbies.

Burgess was predeceased by his wife, Deon, and his daughter, Charmaine. He is survived by his son, David.

A ceremony honoring Burgess was held on November 8. 

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2025-11-14 05:34