Dave Burgess, the guitarist, songwriter, and original member of the influential rock and roll group The Champs, has passed away at the age of 90.
An obituary confirmed that he died on October 19, 2025, in Dover, Tennessee.
Burgess became widely known as the creative force behind The Champs, the group that broke through with their 1958 instrumental hit Tequila. The track was first released as the B-side to Train to Nowhere, but radio stations quickly flipped the record and gave Tequila heavy play. In only a short time, the song climbed to the top of the Billboard pop chart and earned the first Grammy Award for Best R'n'B Performance.
Born on December 3, 1934, in Los Angeles, Burgess entered the music world during the early period of rock and roll. He took his stepfather’s last name and began recording as a solo performer before forming The Champs in the late 1950s. The group featured saxophonist Chuck Rio, whose real name was Daniel Flores, who wrote Tequila and delivered its iconic shouted line.
The Champs produced several hits throughout the late fifties and early sixties, but Tequila remained the song that secured their legacy. Its lasting popularity grew even stronger after it appeared in the 1985 cult film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, where it accompanied an unforgettable dance scene.
Outside of his time with The Champs, Burgess built a long career as a songwriter and producer. He was credited with more than seven hundred copyrighted works, and his creativity reached across multiple genres, influencing the sound of early American rock and roll.
Burgess is survived by his son, David. He was preceded in death by his wife, Deon, and his daughter, Charmaine. A celebration of his life took place on November 8 at Anglin Funeral Home in Dover.
Perry Farrell has released another public apology following an on-stage confrontation involving his bandmate Dave Navarro.
The Jane's Addiction frontman was involved in a physical altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro last year during a live performance, an incident that prompted the band to cancel their reunion tour and eventually led to their split.
“I'd like to address what happened on stage last year,” Perry, 66, said in a statement shared across both his personal Instagram account and Jane's Addiction’s official page. “I've reflected on it and know I didn't handle myself the way I should have. I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show.”
He went on to admit that he did not meet fan expectations and described himself as deeply remorseful toward everyone impacted by the incident.
“Jane's Addiction has been at the center of my life for decades. The band, the songs, the patrons, and the impact that we've had on music and culture mean more to me than any words I could ever possibly write down,” he shared.
“My aim has always been to give our audience the best possible show, something real, honest and positive. In Boston, we fell short of that, and I'm truly sorry to everyone who was impacted.”
Jane's Addiction also issued its own statement regarding the altercation, which ultimately led to the group’s remaining members filing a lawsuit against Perry alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
“Today we are here to announce that we have come together one last time to resolve our differences, so that the legacy of Jane's Addiction will remain the work the four of us created together,” the band wrote, signaling that the group would not move forward with Perry. “We now look forward to the future as we embark on our separate musical and creative endeavors.”
