Trevino was born into a musical family -- his father was a member of a local Tejano group. Both of his parents fostered his musical interests, and as a child, he listened to a variety of music, including Tejano, country, classical pianist Van Cliburn, and mainstream pop/rockers like Elton John and Billy Joel. Soon, he was taking classical piano lessons and studying the clarinet. After graduating from high school, he was offered a baseball scholarship to Memphis State University, but he declined the offer to study music.

In 1993, he released his first album, the Spanish-language Dos Mundos. It was accompanied by a single release of "Just Enough Rope," which was released in English, Spanish, and a bilingual version; it was the first traditional country single to be released in both Spanish and English. The English version was a moderate hit, reaching number 44. In 1994, Trevino released an eponymous album, which featured English versions of most of the songs from Dos Mundos, plus a few new cuts. Rick Trevino became a hit, producing the Top 40 "Honky Tonk Crowd" and the Top Ten singles "She Can't Say I Didn't Cry" and "Doctor Time."

Trevino's second album, Looking for the Light, was released in 1995; it was accompanied by a Spanish version. Like its predecessor, Looking for the Light was a hit, albeit not as big as the debut -- it only spawned one Top 40 hit, the number six "Bobbie Ann Mason." Learning as You Go, Trevino's third album, was released in 1996; Changing in Your Eyes followed two years later, and Mi Son was released in spring 2001.