Dave Burgess, Guitarist and Leader of the Champs, Dead at 90
Dave Burgess, the guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter whose work with the Champs helped propel the 1958 instrumental “Tequila” into an enduring pop-culture staple, has died. He was 90. His death on Oct. 19 was confirmed in an obituary published by the Anglin Funeral Home in Dover, Tennessee.
Burgess presided over the short but intensely influential run of the Champs, a group originally assembled in Los Angeles and named after Gene Autry’s horse, Champion. Though their lifespan was brief, the band’s impact was immediate: in early 1958, “Tequila”, then considered a B-side to Burgess’ single “Train to Nowhere”, unexpectedly broke on radio, leaping to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and interrupting Elvis Presley’s hold on the charts. Powered by Danny Flores’ signature saxophone riff and shouted refrain, the track held the top position for five weeks and went on to sell well over a million copies, becoming one of the defining instrumentals of the rock-and-roll era.
Burgess often recalled the speed of the song’s rise as a shock even to the band itself. Once “Tequila” caught radio momentum, he was suddenly navigating offers from major booking agencies and television programs eager to capitalize on a national sensation. The Champs quickly followed with a run of instrumental hits, including “El Rancho Rock,” “Midnighter,” and “Chariot Rock.” Their style, marked by tight arrangements and a hybrid of rock-and-roll, R&B, and Latin influences, set them apart in a rapidly shifting musical landscape.
The group’s lineup changed frequently during its run, at various points including future stars like Glen Campbell and the duo Jimmy Seals and Dash Crofts, who would later find fame as Seals & Crofts with “Summer Breeze.” The Champs remained active through the early 1960s and scored additional chart appearances with “Too Much Tequila” and “Tequila Twist.” But like many early-rock acts, they struggled to compete once the British Invasion reoriented American popular music, and the band ultimately disbanded in 1965.
“Tequila” found renewed cultural life decades later. The song’s placement in 1985’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure introduced the record to a new generation, with Paul Reubens’ comedic dance scene becoming one of the movie's most recognizable moments. The instrumental has since become a fixture in film, television, sporting events, and commercial music libraries, with jazz and pop musicians alike recording their own interpretations.
Born in Los Angeles on Dec. 3, 1934, Burgess grew up in a musical household and adopted the surname of his stepfather, Austin “Tex” Burges, early in his career. Before forming the Champs, he recorded several solo singles and worked as a songwriter, eventually building a catalog of hundreds of copyrighted works. Over the years, artists such as Dean Martin, Marty Robbins, and Gene Vincent recorded his compositions. Burgess also worked behind the scenes as a producer for performers including Darlene Love, Don McLean, and Jefferson Airplane’s Marty Balin.
By the late 1950s, as the Champs were gaining national attention, Burgess officially changed the spelling of his last name to the version he used professionally. He married dancer and actress Deon Adair Raab in 1959, and the couple later settled in Montana, where they operated an art gallery between Burgess' music projects before relocating to Tennessee.
Reflecting on his early success, Burgess often remarked that the most thrilling part of the Champs’ ascent was the crowds. The band’s high-energy performances, he said, won over teenage audiences while eliciting unease from older generations who were wary of rock-and-roll’s cultural influence. “We were the ones parents worried about,” he once said. “The kids loved us, and that was enough.”
Burgess is survived by his family, including his wife, Deon, and their two children.
