Jonny Martinez
"Frog"
Age 56 • Sunrise May 6, 1969 • Sunset March 12, 2026

John Martin Martinez — known to the world as Jonny Martinez, and carrying with him his whole life the childhood nickname "Frog" that followed him from his earliest days all the way to his final classroom — was a man who lived every single day with purpose, passion, and an infectious joy that touched every person who was fortunate enough to cross his path. He was a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle, a coach, a teacher, a mentor, a broadcaster, a recording artist, a producer, a songwriter, a minister, an explorer, and a tireless champion of the music, the culture, and the people he loved. He did not simply pass through this world. He made it better — and he left his mark on every corner of it.

PRECEDED IN DEATH
Jonny was preceded in death by his loving parents, Anselmo "El Chemiro" Martinez and Sulema (Ibarra) Martinez — the two people who gave him life, gave him music, and gave him the foundation upon which he built everything. They now welcome him into eternal rest.

SURVIVING FAMILY
Jonny leaves behind a family as wide and full of life as the man himself — each name below a story, a memory, and a piece of him that will never fade.

Beloved Spouse
Olga Rodriguez Martinez — his devoted wife of four years and partner for 10 years
Mother-in-Law & Late-Stepfather-in-Law
Guadalupe Soto and Adrian Soto
Living Children
Son — John Michael Mendoza-Martinez
Daughter-in-Law — Myranda Rivera
Granddaughter — Ivianna Imara Martinez
Stepdaughter — Alexis Diaz
Stepson — Ray Diaz
Stepdaughter — Raquel Diaz
Step-Grandson — Jace Diaz
Step-Grandson — Oliver Alday
Step-Grandson — Jaxon Alday
Living Siblings
Sister — Sr. Betty Ann Martinez, FMA
Brother — Ricardo Jesus Martinez
Sister-in-Law — Elizabeth (Liz) Martinez
Sister — Theresa S. Adame
Brother-in-Law — Rafael Adame
Extended Family
Nephew — Rafael Adame Jr.
Niece — Crystal Caballero & Husband Ted Caballero
Nephew — Mario G. Adame
Nephew — Anselmo (Chemo) R. Martinez
Great-Nephew — Theodore Jerell (TJ) Caballero
Great-Niece — Alyssa Marie Violet Caballero
Great-Nephew — Christian Manuel Caballero
Great-Nephew — Ricardo A. Martinez
Great-Niece — Isabella Ardiana Martinez
Great-Niece — Madelyn (Maddie) Theresa Adame

Jonny is lovingly survived by his extended family across the Cortez and Ibarra families, whose love and presence have always been a constant in his life. He is equally survived by a loyal and loving army of friends who were family in every sense of the word — bonds forged early, kept faithfully, and never broken. To the very end, they were right there beside him.

MEMBERSHIPS & ORGANIZATIONS
Volunteer Teacher & Coach — NYA — Network for Young Artists · 1999 - 2006
As a volunteer teacher and coach for the Network for Young Artists, Jonny led seminars for parents and children on copyrights and publishing, ensuring young artists and their families understood how to protect their work and their futures. He taught orientation sessions on Artist Management and Artist Tour Support — the real-world knowledge no record label hands you, but that Jonny had lived firsthand. He did not just make music. He made sure others could too.

Ordained Minister
Ever the man who wanted to be there for the people he loved, Jonny became an ordained minister so that he could be the one to officiate weddings of his family, friends, and loved ones. Because why let someone do something you could do yourself — and do with more heart, more humor, and more love than anyone else in the room? That was Jonny. Always showing up, always all in, always making the moment more memorable just by being part of it.

Founder & CEO — ZAGA Entertainment · Since January 2000
As the founder and CEO of ZAGA Entertainment, Jonny produced some of the most beloved events in the Tejano community — including the Tejano Vegas Showcase, Octoberfest, and Fiesta Alegria Jam. He organized festivals and concerts from San Antonio to Las Vegas, managing every detail from entertainment and travel to budgets, security, staging, and sound — because Jonny never did anything halfway.

Founder & Owner — AMI Records Latin — "The Biggest Little Label in Texas" Since 2001
Jonny founded AMI Records Latin, his own independent label built from the ground up with the sole mission of giving Tejano music a home. Under his leadership, AMI became a launching pad for some of the genre's most exciting voices, including Latin Grammy-winning vocalist Rebecca Valadez, Thoze Guyz, Crystal Martinez, Linna Y Estilo, Melani Munoz, Veronique Medrano, Buddy Lonesome, and The Conjunto Cats. He built it not for himself — but for them. AMI Records Latin earned its first Grammy nomination in 2006 and went on to record artists across
gospel, mariachi, Americana, R&B, and pop — a testament to Jonny's belief that great music has no boundaries.

4-Time Grammy Award Nominee — 2006 – 2010
Jonny received four Grammy Award nominations across four consecutive years, recognized as a co-producer, songwriter, duet artist, label owner, and recording engineer. His 2006 nomination for Best Tejano Album of the Year for Rebecca Valadez on AMI Records Latin was co-produced
alongside Art Guillermo and Gilbert Velasquez. Additional nominations followed through his work with Ram Herrera and Sunny Sauceda. He was never chasing awards — the awards simply followed him.

Co-Owner — Tejanos in Paradise · Since 2011
Jonny was the proud co-owner, alongside business partner Al Duarte, of Tejanos in Paradise — a company built on a simple and beautiful idea: bring Tejanos who love music and love to travel together on the open sea. What began as a dream grew into one of the most cherished traditions
in the Tejano community. This year, Tejanos in Paradise completed its 13th annual cruise, sailing with an all-star lineup of Grammy winners and Tejano legends. Jonny was right there at the heart of it all — every single year.

Co-Founder — Shoot It Music Publishing — with Emilio Navaira
Jonny co-founded Shoot It Music Publishing alongside Tejano icon Emilio Navaira, always seeking new material and always looking to open doors for the songwriters and composers who kept the music alive.

Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame Inductee — Class of 2024 — Male Entertainer In 2024, Jonny received one of the highest honors in Tejano music — induction into the Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame as Male Entertainer. But what made the moment transcend achievement was who stood beside him in spirit. His father, Anselmo "El Chemiro" Martinez, was posthumously honored in the same ceremony with the Pioneer Tejano Award. Father and son, inducted together — one in person, one in spirit. Jonny had spent his entire life making sure the world never forgot his father's name.

All Star Music Award — Male Vocalist of the Year — Borracho Y Perdido · 2025
In one of the most joyful chapters of his musical life, Jonny received the All-Star Music Award for Male Vocalist of the Year for his album, "Borracho Y Perdido." True to who he was, he shared every ounce of that recognition with the people who made it possible — his band Grupo Bravo, engineer Tony Gonzalez, Art Campos and Zeke Campos of Conjunto Cats, and every fan who voted and believed in the underdogs of La Onda. That was Jonny — standing in his own moment of glory and immediately turning the spotlight toward everyone else.

EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts, Mass Communications — Missouri Valley College · 1987 – 1992
Jonny arrived at Missouri Valley College on a football scholarship — a natural athlete and proud member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. In January 1990, he won the All-Campus Talent Show performing "La Bamba" and "Twist and Shout." He graduated in December 1992 with his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications, ready to take on the world.

Broadcasting Career — KEDA 1540 AM · KENS TV Channel 5 · KRIO 94.1 FM · 1987 – 1998
Jonny earned his FCC Radio Personality License at just eighteen years old — and from that moment, San Antonio's airwaves were never quite the same. He began his broadcasting career at the legendary KEDA 1540 AM Radio Jalapeno, where he managed all production, weekly commercials, and recorded spots for major clients including HEB, Schlitterbahn, and Norwest Banks. He started on the graveyard shift and worked his way up to afternoon drive — because that was simply how Jonny operated. He never waited for an opportunity. He earned it.

At KENS TV Channel 5, Jonny served as Stage Manager for the 5, 6, and 10 o'clock news, Production Assistant for the Morning News, and Director for a daily live children's show. He was the main switcher for over 200 full productions — a television professional in every sense.

At KRIO 94.1 FM , his talent shined brightest. He created "The Caliente Eight at Eight" — a show that drew thousands of listeners by weaving live artist conversations into the broadcast — and ultimately claimed the afternoon drive slot from 3 to 7 pm, achieving a rating second only to KISS 99.5 in all of San Antonio. Certified in both Live Sound and Sound Recording, Jonny brought the same technical mastery to everything he touched behind the mic and the board that he brought to every stage and every studio session.

Recording Artist — Joey International Records · 1994 – 1999
Joey Records signed two solo artists on July 6, 1994 — Jonny Martinez and Michael Salgado. Over the next five years, Jonny recorded and performed nationally, releasing "Caminos Chuecos" (May 8, 1995) and "Ron Con Coca-Cola" (Aug 20, 1998) — the albums that first made him a household name in Tejano music.

Physical Education Coach — St. James Catholic School · 1998 – 1999
Jonny taught Physical Education and coached volleyball, basketball, baseball, and track — planting the seeds of a coaching legacy that would define the final chapter of his career.

Special Education Specialist — Southwest ISD · 2000 – 2008
For more than eight years, Jonny served students across all grade levels, including two dedicated years working one-on-one in the special education division. He showed up every single day for the students who needed him most — sitting beside them, learning them, and pouring the same boundless heart into that quiet work that he brought to every stage and every studio.

Promotions Director, A&R Rep & Office Manager — Tejas Records · 2002 – 2008
For nearly seven years, Jonny served as the operational heartbeat of Tejas Records — building a radio database of 250 stations, managing 13 artists, inventing Media Day for the label, and earning Grammy nominations as producer for Rebecca Valadez (2006), and as engineer for Ram
Herrera (2008) and Sunny Sauceda (2009). Above all, he loved the music — and every soul behind it.

Master of Business Administration — University of Phoenix · 2007 – 2010
At the height of his music career, Jonny never stopped learning. While the rest of the world slept, he was at his desk — pursuing an MBA in Business Administration and Global Management in the quiet hours between performances, recording sessions, and running AMI Records Latin. Education was never a burden to him. It was a privilege he refused to waste.

ESL Teacher & Specialist — Capital City Careers — Austin ISD · 2010 – 2011
One of Jonny's most beloved roles was as an ESL teacher — working with both adults and students from all over the world, from every walk of life. He loved this work because every face across from him carried a different story, a different culture, and a different dream. In that classroom, the man who had sung on stages all across the country found something just as fulfilling: the quiet, powerful act of helping someone find their voice in a new language and a new home.

Substitute Teacher & Gate Monitor — Somerset ISD — Somerset High School ·2016 – 2018
Jonny joined Somerset ISD as a substitute teacher and gate monitor — stepping seamlessly into classrooms across the district with the same energy and warmth that had filled every stage, studio, and broadcast booth before it. Jonny made sure every student and staff member felt seen, welcomed, and safe — because that was who he was in every room, every role, and every moment. He became a meaningful part of new efforts to strengthen campus safety, not because it was required of him, but because he genuinely cared. Somerset became home.

Digital Media CTE Teacher & Coach — Somerset Junior High — Somerset ISD ·2018 – 2025
In August 2018, Jonny Martinez walked into Somerset Junior High and never truly left. For seven years, he taught radio, television, music production, studio engineering, and event management to 7th and 8th graders. As a coach for both Somerset Junior High and Somerset
High School, he gave his student-athletes everything he had. To Bulldog Nation, he was simply "Frog" or "Mr. Martinez" — their coach, their teacher, their biggest fan.

"Frog was a valued member of our coaching staff . His student-athletes loved
him and gravitated towards him. He was a program coach — always
willing to go above and beyond to do what was necessary for our programs
to succeed. His infectious laugh and smile will be missed. Once a Bulldog,
always a Bulldog." — Somerset ISD

DISCOGRAPHY
A recording career spanning nearly four decades — ten studio albums, a greatest hits collection, and an everlasting voice still ringing in the air:

• Que Bonita (1988) — Carino Records
• Caminos Chuecos (May 8, 1995) — Joey International
• Ron Con Coca-Cola (Aug 20, 1998) — Joey International
• Mujer Mexicana (Feb 6, 2000) — AMI Records Latin
• La Callejera (Feb 15, 2003) — AMI Records Latin
• Lo Mejor de Jonny Martínez y Mas (Jul 3, 2005) — AMI Records Latin
• Dedicado A Mi Madre (Mar 13, 2012) — AMI Records Latin
• Admirando A Mi Padre (2015) — AMI Records Latin
• Back to the Basics (2020) — AMI Records Latin
• Borracho Y Perdido (2024) — AMI Records Latin

Among his most cherished recordings was "Admirando A Mi Padre" — co-produced with his father, Anselmo "El Chemiro" Martinez. At the CD release party, father and son stood together and sang every other verse of "Los Laureles" and "Caminos Chuecos." When the last note faded,
Anselmo looked at his son with tears in his eyes and asked, "Is this my last performance?" It was not a sad question. It was a father, overwhelmed with pride, standing inside a moment too beautiful to fully believe. His niece, Crystal Caballero, also lent her voice to that album — three generations of family, united in one recording.

HOBBIES & INTERESTS
Beyond the stages and the honors, Jonny was a man whose love for life ran deep and needed no spotlight to shine

Boy Scouts of America
Jonny was a deeply involved father and merit badge counselor in the Boy Scouts, using every precious moment with his son to complete merit badges and build lasting memories. He volunteered for summer camp trips year after year — and it was at one of those camps that one of the most unforgettable weeks of his life unfolded. Determined to earn his Swimming Lifesaving and CPR Adult Patch, Jonny showed up every single day of that week — the oldest adult in the class by far — tired, exhausted, and completely unwilling to quit. That same week, he and his son completed a sunrise hike together despite his full daily commitment. And as if that were not enough, they also completed the Polar Bear Swim Patch — jumping into a pool with arctic-like temperatures — together.

Athletics & Competition
Jonny's competitive spirit was undeniable and lifelong — and it showed up early and fearlessly. As a student at Missouri Valley College, he was not only a football scholarship athlete lining up as a wide receiver, but also a proud member of the rodeo team and a bull rider — a detail that
says everything about the kind of man he was. He did not shy away from a challenge. He rose to meet it. At Southwest High School, he had lined up beside future NFL quarterback Ty Detmer — a friendship that sharpened the competitor in him from his earliest days. That same competitive
fire burned just as brightly decades later when he served as head coach of the St. Dominic's youth flag football program — leading his team to qualify for the state flag football tournament for three consecutive years. In 2020, he played his last football game as a tight end alongside his
Somerset ISD family and friends — still fast, still fierce, still grinning. He was a devoted fan of the Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Texas Longhorns, and UTSA Roadrunners.

Travel & Adventure
Some people are made for roots. Jonny was made for roads. That longing — for the next town, the next state, the next horizon — was part of who he was from the very beginning. You could trace it back to his parents, to the way he grew up, to a family that showed him the world was worth exploring. He never stopped believing that. He took cross-country road trips the way some people take walks, performed in 39 states, toured Mexico through Monterrey, San Luis Potosi, and Durango, and sailed the open ocean year after year on the Tejanos in Paradise Cruise. Wherever he went, his camera came with him — because Jonny had a gift for noticing beauty in ordinary moments and a need to hold onto them. He loved the trails, the early mornings, and the quiet the natural world offered. And at the end of a vacation day, he could sit down at a casino table with that same competitive grin and enjoy every second of it — fully present, fully himself, fully alive.

Jonny Martinez was not a man who saved his best for special occasions. He gave his best every single day — to his music, to his students, to his athletes, to his family, to strangers who became friends, and to a community that will feel his absence for generations. He was the same person in every room he walked into — warm, funny, humble, encouraging, and impossible to forget.

He followed his father's footsteps. He honored his mother's love. He passed the music to his son. He gave the rest of himself to the world

"A life lived with music and for music."