Charlie 'El Gato' Rodrigues was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts of Portuguese parents. He studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music and the Naval Musical Academy. Rodrigues first went to Puerto Rico in 1949 with the Special Services division of the Navy and later returned to marry a Puerto Rican girl and make his home there. He worked with the top bands on the island until he formed the San Juan Jazz Workshop. His own television series, "The Jazz Workshop", expanded out of this and he became known as the man responsible for developing Puerto Rico's interest in Jazz.