[2] Growing up on the south side of San Antonio, Navaira found each influence in not only Tejano legends such as Little Joe y la Familia, but also Lone Star country music heroes such as Willie Nelson, Bob Wills, and George Strait.
[3] In 1983 at age 21, Emilio began his performing career by singing lead vocals for David Lee Garza y Los Musicales.
In 1987, Cuantas Veces by David Lee Garza Y Los Musicales beat out Alpha by Mexican American singer Selena for Album of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards.
This relationship resulted in Emilio recording more than fifteen studio albums to date, including several with his Rio Band.
[7] This success lead to mainstream commercial exposure, with companies such as Coca-Cola and Wrangler Jeans using his songs in their advertisements in the 1990s.
[6] Emilio had also gained a sponsorship with Miller Lite beer, who had persuaded him to use their slogan at the time, "Life is good," as the title of his first country album.
Emilio IV and Diego also had a band named Ready Revolution; in 2014 they formed The Last Bandoleros, a Tex-Mex-foursome that toured with Sting in 2017.
[13] Navaira was hospitalized in critical condition after his tour bus crashed early in the morning on March 23, 2008, in Bellaire (a small municipality partially surrounded by Houston, Texas).
[19] On September 24, 2008, Emilio was involved in another car accident in San Antonio as a passenger while his wife was driving.