Sunny Castor is a new inductee to the Tejano Music Hall of Fame. Domingo “Sunny” Castor, a disc jockey who hosted the “Tejano Program” on KCYL for a number of years, recently was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame.

Castor, who started the first Spanish radio program in Milam County, was the subject of a recent feature story in the Rockdale Reporter. The newspaper noted that Castor was selected as a media representative in the Tejano Music Hall of Fame.

“I wasn’t expecting anything like that,” Castor told the Rockdale publication. “I do what I do for the love of the music. There were so many people like Little Joe Hernandez who wrote in and nominated me, and I was so happy to be inducted. I am overwhelmed.”

Castor, 71, decided at age 6 to become a radio announcer. He has promoted Tejano musicians and their songs for more than half a century. He works with his son Roney Castor at 98.5 KRXT in Rockdale, and still serves as master of ceremonies for many promoters and music stars.

Castor has served as emcee for many major Tejano performers, including Selena, Little Joe and Ruben Ramos. By playing the records of early artists like Beto Villa, Roy Montelongo, the Alfonso Ramos Orchestra, and Little Joe and the Latinaires, Castor helped establish the genre now called “Tejano” or “Norteño.”

As a teenager living in Temple, he became close friendwith the late Jesse Hernandez, the brother and musical influence of w e l lknown Tejano musicians Joe, Johnny and Rocky Hernandez. Castowas with J e s sHernandez when Hernandez composed “Ramona” and “The Ugly Bear.” The Hernandez brothers eventually nicknamed Castor “Gator.”

In 1958, Castor and Johnny Hernandez went house to house selling recordings of “Safari Part & II” — Joe Hernandez’s debut as a guitarist.

The next year, Castor took a job at radio station KMIL in Cameron, where he worked odd jobs while being trained by owner Gene Smitherman as a disc jockey.

Castor — who works under the on-air name of “Sunny” — later started his Spanish-language program. In 1983, he earned a license and graduated from the Elkens Radio Institute in Dallas, which gave him a greater opportunity to promote Tejano music.

Castor believes Norteño music not only is popular with the United States’ large immigrant population but also is gaining a strong following in Mexico, where the former Lampasas DJ has performed.

He spun records for 5 million people at a time in Tijuana, Mexico, at the station XLTN, according to the Rockdale Reporter story.

Proud of his recognition in the Tejano Music Hall of Fame — as well as of his son’s honors and ongoing work in radio and Tejano music — Castor feels especially blessed to be able to spread unique form of art.

“I am so happy to promote my culture and my people,” he told the Rockdale newspaper. “It’s been a long road, but it is extremely gratifying.”