Gilbert Rodriguez, a pioneering Tejano musician who later became a beloved West Side restaurateur, has died. He was 86.
Rodriguez, who fronted the Chicano soul band Gilbert Rodriguez and the Blue Notes, opened Gilbert’s Mexican Restaurant on Marbach Road in 1982. The restaurant became known not only for its Tex-Mex food but also for its collection of photos, posters and memorabilia celebrating decades of Tejano music history.
“It is with heavy hearts — and deep gratitude for a life well-lived — that we share the passing of my grandfather this morning at 86 years old,” the family wrote Friday in a social media post…