Henry Peña

Henry Peña was born in Kingsville, Texas, and by the time he was 13 years old he was determined to be in the entertainment business. When his family moved to San Antonio in 1963, those doors began to open.

In 1964, when he was a junior at South San High School, Henry was working at KUKA Radio as an on-air personality on the Top Teen Tunes Show. In 1966, fresh out of high school and only 19 years old, he was doing both morning and afternoon drive time shows on KUKA and radio sales in between! Eventually he became Program Director and Sales Manager for the station.

In 1969 Chip Atkins of Atkins and Associates, Emilio Nicolas owner of KWEX Channel 41, and the Huntress Brothers, owners of the local Pepsi Cola Bottling Company, were looking for a local personality to endorse their product. They chose Henry and created the Pepsi Peña Show which aired on KWEX from 1970 to 1972. Two years that would forever connect Henry’s name with the iconic cola.

From 1964 to 1974 Henry performed and recorded on Cobra Records as Henry and The Kasuals. Henry also used his broadcasting skills to MC and promote shows and dances at the largest venues in town. From 1974 to 1976, he had a television show in Houston, Henry Peña Y Las Estrellas.

Since 2015 Henry has been the Owner and Executive Producer of the nationally syndicated San Antonio Oldies Radio Show which runs locally on KEDA Radio and Classic Hits 96.9 and in 25 markets across the country.

Henry is also the Executive Producer of the Patio Adaluz Reunion held at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. He was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2016.

In response to the news of his induction today, Henry wrote “To think a little teenager from Kingsville, Texas, who used to listen to Ricci and Bruce on a little transistor radio, actually made his way to be included in their circle of fame. Incredible.”