Dave Burgess , the leader of the band behind the hit song "Tequila," is dead.

A musician, songwriter and producer, Dave was the band leader for The Champs ... and the group wrote the song "Tequila," which topped the charts in March 1958 and is still well-known to this day. JHP

Dave died October 19 in Tennessee ... according to his obituary. The cause of death is unclear.

In a long and successful career, Dave wrote over 700 copyrighted songs and earned a Grammy at the first ever Grammy Awards in 1958, when "Tequila" won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance.

In Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Pee-wee angers a biker gang by toppling their motorcycles but wins them over by dancing comically to "Tequila" on the bar's jukebox.

Dave played rhythm guitar for The Champs, which formed in the mid 19

See Full Page