Carmen Rodriguez bio

Carmen Maria Rodriguez was born in San Antonio, Texas, on March 23, 1984. She was the eighth of nine children born to Mario and Marcella Rodriguez, both first-generation immigrants from Mexico.

Carmen rarely had anything new of her own, as her clothes and toys were all hand-me-downs. But she was loved and doted on by her older siblings until 1996, when her baby brother Aldo was born. Aldo was a great surprise to everyone and suddenly received the lion's share of the family's attention, which once belonged to Carmen, leaving her feeling neglected and resentful.

To get the attention she craved, she became the class clown at school. She enjoyed making other kids laugh and attracted other school rebels as friends. She started dating later than most of her peers and only had one real romance in her teens, which broke up after a spectacularly nasty fight when Carmen found out the boy was cheating on her with several different girls.

After graduating from high school, Carmen put herself through San Antonio College, studying for a general business degree. She had some help from her family to pay tuition and other costs, but Carmen had to take various part-time waitressing and clerical jobs to make ends meet. She most enjoyed waitressing at a comedy club, where she occasionally had stage time.

On June 13, 2009, Carmen married Alberto Castella, a plumber's assistant. The couple was eager to start a family, but medical testing revealed that Carmen was infertile. She wanted to adopt, but Alberto wanted his own biological child, which he felt was essential to carry on his family name.

Alberto started cruising nightclubs, and in 2018, his mistress became pregnant. When an ultrasound revealed she was expecting a boy, Alberto moved in with her and petitioned the Catholic Church to annul his marriage. Devastated and humiliated, Carmen agreed the marriage was dead and didn't contest the annulment. 

She got a chance at a new life in 2020 when Willie King and his band Sugar Whiskey came to town. Willie and Carmen started talking after his first set and hit it off immediately. They were inseparable during the next two weeks that Willie and his band played clubs in the San Antonio area.

When Willie went home to Oxford, Carmen missed him and felt they had a chance at a future together because Willie had no children and said he didn't want any. Willie's attraction to Carmen didn't fade either, and he soon asked her to join him in Oxford. She didn't hesitate.

Carmen quickly settled into Oxford life. When Willie went on the road, she often went along, sometimes getting stage time in comedy clubs in the cities where he was playing. She also joined Willie on these trips to keep an eye on him.

Once in Jackson, Mississippi, she caught Willie with a groupie, but he swore he was only keeping her company until Hound Dog, the band's drummer, got back from the store. Despite Willie's denial, Carmen grew increasingly jealous after that and rarely left Willie alone, especially on the road.

A year after she moved to Oxford, Carmen learned Willie had been arrested on cocaine and marijuana charges in 2019. He pointed out that all the charges were dropped, so Carmen believed him when he said he wasn't involved with drugs, but she remained wary. Recently, she has suspected Willie's band members of covering for him and what Carmen believes is his burgeoning drug habit.

Carmen is currently a stand-up comic in Oxford under her stage name of Carmen Gettit. She also handles the business side of Willie King's band, Sugar Whiskey, and occasionally works as a cashier at Square Books.