Alberto Nelson Sanchez (July 10, 1936 – October 22, 2017), known professionally as Al Hurricane, was an American singer-songwriter, dubbed "The Godfather" of

New Mexico music New Mexico music ( es, música nuevo mexicana) is a genre of music that originated in the US state of New Mexico, it derives from Pueblo music in the 13th century, and with the folk music of Hispanos during the 16th to 19th centuries in Santa ...

. He released more than thirty albums, and is best known for his contributions to

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

's unique style of Spanish music. He received his nickname, Hurricane, from his mother. As a child, he would accidentally knock things over; the nickname became synonymous with his band, studio, and a recording label. His signature look, which included an eye-patch, was due to an automobile accident that occurred during the 1960s. These things, as well as his performance style, led to Hurricane being known for his ability to improvise and adapt. They have also led to his music and image being ultimately entangled with the history of New Mexico music. Al Hurricane was often accompanied on stage by his children, sons

Al Hurricane, Jr. Al Hurricane Jr. (born Alberto Nelson Sanchez Jr. on October 30, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known as "The Godfather’s Son" and "The Godson" of New Mexico music, a nickname which was inherited from his father Al Hurricane Al ...

and Jerry Dean, daughter Erika, and his grandson Christian Sanchez. He also performed frequently with his brothers Baby Gaby and Tiny Morrie, so too with his nieces in Sparx and nephew

Lorenzo Antonio Lorenzo Antonio (born Lorenzo Antonio Sánchez Pohl October 3, 1969, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States), is an American Latin music singer-songwriter, who is known and recognized in Mexico, the United States, and Latin America. He was ra ...

. He was the subject of A Tribute to Al Hurricane which was recorded as a set of two albums, as well as a DVD. Other Neotraditional New Mexico music artists were featured in the concert, including Darren Cordova, guitarist AJ Martinez, and Sorela. Some other associated New Mexico music acts include

Antonia Apodaca Antonia Apodaca (November 1, 1923 – January 25, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter known for her performances of traditional New Mexico music. She came to wider prominence through her performances in the ''La Música de los Viejitos' ...

, Freddie Brown, Roberto Griego, and Cuarenta y Cinco. During his career he also performed alongside

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including The Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighte ...

Jimmy Clanton Jimmy Clanton (born September 2, 1938) is an American singer who became known as the " swamp pop R&B teenage idol". His band recorded a hit song "Just a Dream" which Clanton had written in 1958 for the Ace Records label. It reached number fo ...

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

Selena Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...

, along with other

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

musicians.

Biography

Early life and beginnings (1930s–1950s)

Al Hurricane was born on July 10, 1936 as Alberto Nelson Sanchez the first of four children to Jose Margarito Sanchez and Bennie L. Sanchez in Dixon, New Mexico. The Sanchez family moved to Silver City and the father worked in the mines until he was injured. Consequently, Bennie returned to work as a clerk at a department store in a Silver City. Jose had a band, called Los Sanchez, Bennie would often join in on vocals and guitar. She eventually became a licensed practical nurse while traveling with physicians throughout Northern New Mexico. His father and mother were extremely supportive of their children. Jose, Al's father, was a miner during most of his childhood; but he still found the time to teach the five-year-old Alberto how to play the guitar. Al's mother, Bennie, made quite a name for herself, she became the president of Hurricane Enterprises. She not only promoted her musically-inclined family, but also promoted concerts for

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, Little Richard and, the one she was particularly proud of, a 1972

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

concert in Albuquerque. Her own musically talented family didn't just consist of her sons Al Hurricane, Baby Gaby and Tiny Morrie; it also consisted of Al Hurricane's sons Al Hurricane, Jr. and Jerry Dean; as well as Tiny Morrie's children

and the members of Sparx. During his childhood he moved to Albuquerque, where he began to play and perform in

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

at the age of 12. He attended Old Albuquerque High, which he graduated from in 1954.

Al Hurricane and the Night Rockers (1950s–1960s)

Al became a singing waiter at the La Casita Restaurant in Old Town and, while he wasn't working, he played for tips in and around Old Town Plaza. He also began to sing and write country and rock n' roll music. During this time Al would also perform at the Sky Line Club. It was at this club, and several others, around Albuquerque and New Mexico that he built his audience. One of Al Hurricane's first single records was distributed by

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

it contains two tracks, titled "Lobo" & "Racer". They are both instrumental rock songs and were released in 1962 under the band name Al Hurricane & the Night Rockers with writing credits to "Albert Sanchez – Morrie Sanchez". Other single recordings by Al Hurricane from this time, recorded at

Norman Petty Norman Petty (May 25, 1927 – August 15, 1984) was an American musician, record producer, publisher, radio station owner, and considered to be one of the founding fathers of early rock & roll. Biography Petty was born in the small town of Clo ...

's studio include, "South Bend / Burrito" (1960

Apt Records Apt Records was a sub-label from ABC-Paramount Records. The label was started in 1958 and released only singles until it was shelved in 1966. ABC briefly reactivated Apt twice, in 1969 and 1972, and also used the Apt name on a line of budget-pr ...

instrumental), "Panchita / La Mula Bronca" ( Challenge Records, first tracks with vocals), "Mexican Cat / Pedro's Girlfriend" (Hurricane Records instrumental), and "Rosita's Café / Only A Game (Tiny Morrie)" (Hurricane Records).

Recording and touring (1960s–1970s)

A few years later, in 1967, he released his first album, titled

Mi Saxophone ''Mi Saxophone'' is the first full-length album released by the New Mexico music performer Al Hurricane Alberto Nelson Sanchez (July 10, 1936 – October 22, 2017), known professionally as Al Hurricane, was an American singer-songwriter, dubbed ...

. The two lead singles off that album were "Sentimiento" and its eponymous song "Mi Saxophone". "Sentimiento" had already been released in 1965 as a single. In 1986 Selena Quintanilla covered "Sentimientos" for her album "Alpha."These early recordings were recorded on equipment purchased from

, that

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

recorded on. This recording equipment gave the recordings their signature 50s sound. He began to perform outside the New Mexico music scene, performing in throughout the

American Southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...

and Western United States in

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

, California,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

; he even toured Northern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

, Chihuahua,

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

, Durango, Mexico City,

Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

, and

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...

. In fact, it was on his way to a concert in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Colorado. on November 1, 1969, where he got into a car accident in which he lost his right-eye. This did not deter him from pursuing his musical career, instead it gave him his unique performing look, an eye-patch across his right eye. He even went on to play other American cities in other regions such as Chicago and Miami; Al Hurricane has even played internationally in the cities of

Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...

, Buenos Aires, and

Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...

. Al recorded several albums from 1967 to 1974, these included three albums recorded around 1973;

Canciones del Alma ''Canciones del Alma'' is the second full-length album released by the New Mexico musician Al Hurricane Alberto Nelson Sanchez (July 10, 1936 – October 22, 2017), known professionally as Al Hurricane, was an American singer-songwriter, dubbed ...

Sigue Cantando ''Sigue Cantando'' is the third full-length album released by the New Mexico musician Al Hurricane Alberto Nelson Sanchez (July 10, 1936 – October 22, 2017), known professionally as Al Hurricane, was an American singer-songwriter, dubbed "The ...

, and Corridos Canta. These were each Spanish language releases, which continued to blend the sounds of New Mexico, the Southwestern United States'. The

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

, and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

sound was a hit each of the three communities of fans. Both Chicano and Country venues would be popular spots for Al Hurricane to play his music. Another release at the time, Instrumentales con Al Hurricane, saw Al return to his old

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

rock style of music. In 1974, Al Hurricane saw two major milestones. his first full-length collaborative album with his brother Tiny Morrie; Para Las Madrecitas, the album is a tribute album to their mom, and a tribute to mothers in general. It also saw "Sentimiento", his first hit single, selling its two-hundred-and-fifty-thousandth copy.

"Val de la O Show" & "The Far West Club" (1970s–1980s)

Al Hurricane performed on a popular nationally syndicated television show called the

Val De La O Show The ''Val De La O Show'' was an American television music variety show hosted by Valentino De La O. The series was produced by NBC-affiliate KOB. The show was nationally and internationally syndicated in the United States and Mexico, and severa ...

. It was a talk show and a music variety show. In his appearances he chatted with the host, and performed new hits from his recently released albums, which included material from his albums up to

Vestido Mojado ''Vestido Mojado'' is the seventh full-length album released by the New Mexico musician Al Hurricane Alberto Nelson Sanchez (July 10, 1936 – October 22, 2017), known professionally as Al Hurricane, was an American singer-songwriter, dubbed "T ...

. The songs he played on the show also included a live performance of a Mariachi version of his hit "Sentimiento", to

lip sync Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , the same as the word ''sink'', short for lip synchronization) is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements with sung or spoken vocals. Audio for lip syncing is generated th ...

-style music videos of recent hits like "Vestido Mojado". The music video clips also contained some of his first video appearances performing with his son, Al Hurricane, Jr., as well as his brothers Tiny Morrie and Baby Gaby. During the late 1960s, Al Hurricane, Tiny Morrie, and Bennie Sanchez purchased The Sky Line Club and renamed it "The Far West" in the early 1970s. From here Al performed with a band billed as Al Hurricane Band. The nightclub also became a hotspot for Country/Western and Spanish language music and dance. In 1979, father and son, Al Hurricane and Al Hurricane, Jr. recorded their first album together called

Cantan Corridos ''Cantan Corridos'' is the first collaborative album released in 1979 by the New Mexican musicians Al Hurricane Alberto Nelson Sanchez (July 10, 1936 – October 22, 2017), known professionally as Al Hurricane, was an American singer-songwrite ...

"La Prision de Santa Fe" and "Bandido" (1980s–1990s)

During

's concert in the early 1980s at The Far West, which Bennie Sanchez promoted, Selena met Al Hurricane and heard him perform his song "Sentimiento". She went on to perform a cover, called "Sentimientos", on her Alpha LP. After the New Mexico State Penitentiary riot, in 1980, Al Hurricane wrote a song that was "strictly narrative, not a subjective account or soapbox. The song does not attempt to assign blame." The song was called "(El

Corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...

De) La Prison De Santa Fe" it is the lead song on an album titled,

La Prision de Santa Fe ''La Prision de Santa Fe'' is the ninth full-length album released by the New Mexican musician Al Hurricane in 1980. The lead single "(El Corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs ...

. A few of Bennie Sanchez's kids, Al Hurricane, Tiny Morrie, and Baby Gaby, got together to do a tribute album for her. It was similar in concept as Al and Morrie's previous mother related album, but it was a bit more ambitious than their previous effort.

Madrecita, Te Debo Tanto ''Madrecita, Te Debo Tanto'' is the first collaborative album by Al Hurricane, Al Hurricane Jr., Baby Gaby, Gloria Pohl, Lorenzo Antonio, & Tiny Morrie. It is the tenth full-length album released by the New Mexican musician Al Hurricane ...

also had performances by Lorenzo Antonio and Gloria Pohl, the wife of Tiny Morrie, the mother of Lorenzo Antonio. After these two projects, Al Hurricane became the lead singer in the supergroup Bandido. The band released four albums during the 1980s. The group saw success on New Mexico radio, in Chicago, along the west coast, and internationally in Germany,

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, and Spain. The 80s also saw the release of another collaborative effort, this time it was a collaborative compilation with Morrie and Jr., entitled

15 Exitos Rancheros ''15 Exitos Rancheros'' is a compilation album by Al Hurricane, Al Hurricane Jr., & Tiny Morrie. It is the thirteenth full-length album released by the Music of New Mexico, New Mexican musician Al Hurricane in 1980. Track listing References

...

. The album was a hit within Albuquerque, and got plenty of airtime on Radio Lobo. After three Bandido releases, two collaborative family LPs, and a compilation album called Exitos De Al Hurricane. Al Hurricane released his next solo album The Return of Al Hurricane "EL" Godfather.

"La Leyenda" and "The Godfather" (1990s–2000s)

He did another collaborative compilation album with Tiny Morrie and Al Hurricane, Jr. 15 Exitos Rancheros, Vol. 2 in 1994. Once he returned to his solo albums Al Hurricane began to focus more on

Ranchera Ranchera () or canción ranchera is a genre of traditional music of Mexico. It dates to before the years of the Mexican Revolution. Rancheras today are played in virtually all regional Mexican music styles. Drawing on rural traditional folk musi ...

music on his 1995 Sigue... "La Leyenda"!!! and mid-90s album ''The Legend of New Mexico''. Not only did he want emphasize the Ranchera sound, he also wanted to focus on his roots in Rock and Country/Western, he re-added

's Johnny B. Goode and Hank Williams'

Jambalaya Jambalaya ( , ) is an American Creole and Cajun rice dish of French (especially Provençal cuisine), African, and Spanish influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Ingredients Traditionally, the meat includes sa ...

to his live-music repertoire. In 2000, Al Hurricane was the subject of a documentary by DJR Productions, ''Al Hurricane: Native Legend''. The documentary focused on the life and career of Al Hurricane. It ran sixty minutes, and contained old footage and photographs of Al Hurricane throughout his life. It also contained live performances of "Sentimiento", "Johnny B. Goode", and his, then unreleased, "Siempre". The album, ''Siempre'', came out soon after the release of the documentary.; it continued Al Hurricane's focus on Ranchera and Western sound, while adding in a

Cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...

vibe into the beat. ''¡Que Viva El Godfather!'', released in 2003, showed an increased enthusiasm to include an even stronger mix of Ranchera and Cumbia. Both albums contained number one hits on local New Mexico radio stations. Al Hurricane's touring hadn't stopped, he had continued to tour nationally and internationally. In

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, Al even managed to pull in a crowd of 8,000 people.

The Saginaw News ''The Saginaw News'' is a newspaper publication based in Saginaw, Michigan, owned by Booth Newspapers, a division of Advance Publications. Published on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays (along with a joint Tuesday edition with '' The Bay City Time ...

reported "the bouncy music was something even those who don't habla Español still could savor."

"Tribute" and "Hey Sugar Baby!" (2000s–2010s)

Al Hurricane recorded his next album, ''Albuquerque'', in 2007. The following year Isleta Casino & Showroom hosted A Tribute To Al Hurricane, the concert was recorded and released a set of two CDs and a DVD. The DVD contained small documentary-like slideshows that educate the audience to inform them on the upcoming artists and songs. His last studio album was 2010's ''Hey Sugar Baby!'', which had Al Hurricane combining global genres into his New Mexico sound, including

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and

Reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

music. Several live albums were released in the 2010s, including the 2014 two volume ''Live At The KiMo'' which were recorded on February 16, 2011, at KiMo Theater. There was also the 2015 ''Feliz Cumpleaños! Al Hurricane the 75th Birthday Concert'' recorded on July 8, 2011, at the Albuquerque Hard Rock Casino. Two compilation albums were also made, including two volumes of ''15 Éxitos Cumbias'', in 2015 and 2018 respectively.

Legacy

Al Hurricane had eight children. Some of his children are musicians,

Al Hurricane Jr. Al Hurricane Jr. (born Alberto Nelson Sanchez Jr. on October 30, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known as "The Godfather’s Son" and "The Godson" of New Mexico music, a nickname which was inherited from his father Al Hurricane, who ...

, Jerry Dean, and Erika Sanchez. Jerry Dean's son Christian Sanchez is a musician as well. In 2015, Hurricane gave an exclusive interview about his life to August March at

Weekly Alibi ''Weekly Alibi'', commonly referred to as ''The Alibi'', was a free weekly news, arts, culture, and entertainment newspaper and website in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The main features were the website's award-winning news section, featuring cultur ...

. Al was known for supporting candidates based on their love for New Mexico, as opposed to

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

, so he supported campaign events for both Democratic and Republican candidates. In 2017, the city of Albuquerque named the center stage of the

Albuquerque Plaza Albuquerque Plaza, also known as WaFd Bank Building, is a high-rise or skyscraper on the south side of Civic Plaza 201 Third Street NW, in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is the taller of a two tower complex that contains class-A office ...

after him, the city council chose to name the stage the "Al Hurricane Pavilion". During the ceremony,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

mayor Richard Berry dedicated the stage in Al Hurricane's honor. Al Hurricane gave his final public performance, alongside his son Al Hurricane Jr. and grandson Christian Sanchez. He died of prostate cancer on October 22, 2017, at the age of 81. His funeral service was held on October 30, at Queen of Heaven

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in Albuquerque.

Southwestern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

and

Western US The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

artists, folklorists, and writers did

feature stories A feature story is a piece of non-fiction writing about news. A feature story is a type of soft news. The main sub-types are the ''news feature'' and the '' human-interest story''. A feature story is distinguished from other types of non-news ...

about Al Hurricane's contributions to

, and how he popularized the style with

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

, and

regional Mexican Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Genres include banda, country en español, Duranguense, grupero, mariachi, New Mexico ...

audiences in New Mexico. National publications like ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', ''

Latino USA ''Latino USA'' is a nationally syndicated public radio program and podcast produced by The Futuro Media Group and distributed nationwide by the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), after 27 years of being distributed by NPR. The program is anchored by M ...

'', the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, and

The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...

Grammys The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

had articles discussing the legacy Al Hurricane had on New Mexico's culture. These articles were written by respected personalities and writers, including

Gustavo Arellano Gustavo Arellano is an American writer and journalist. He is a featured contributor for the ''Los Angeles Times'' and the former publisher and editor of Orange County's alternative weekly ''OC Weekly''. He is most notable as the author of the c ...

, Mario Lucero, Simon Romero,

Enrique Lamadrid Enrique Lamadrid (born December 12, 1942) is an American historian in the US state of New Mexico, known for his studies of Chicano, Mexican American, and Hispano culture. He is Professor Emeritus for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at ...

Rudolfo Anaya Rudolfo Anaya (October 30, 1937June 28, 2020) was an American author. Noted for his 1972 novel ''Bless Me, Ultima'', Anaya was considered one of the founders of the canon of contemporary Chicano literature. The themes and cultural references of ...

translator, ''The Santero's Miracle: A Bilingual Story'' (2004) and ''The First Tortilla'' (2007) Ashley Martinez, and Nate Hertweck.

Discography

Solo studio albums

* ''

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1970?) * ''

'' (1973?) * '' Corridos Canta'' (1973?) * '' Instrumentales con Al Hurricane'' (1973?) * ''

'' (1974) * ''

'' (1980) * '' Exitos De Al Hurricane'' (1980?) * '' The Return of Al Hurricane "EL" Godfather'' (1980?) * '' Sigue... "La Leyenda"!!!'' (1995) * '' The Legend of New Mexico'' (1995?) * '' Siempre'' (2000?) * '' ¡Que Viva El Godfather!'' (2003) * ''

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

'' (2007) * '' Hey Sugar Baby!'' (2010)

Studio albums with Tiny Morrie, Al Hurricane, Jr., Gloria Pohl, Baby Gaby, Lorenzo Antonio

* '' Para Las Madrecitas'' with Tiny Morrie (1974) * ''

'' with

Al Hurricane, Jr AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...

. (1979) * ''

'' with Tiny Morrie, Al Hurricane, Jr., Gloria Pohl, Baby Gaby, and

(1979) * ''

...

'' with Tiny Morrie & Al Hurricane, Jr. (1986) * '' 15 Exitos Rancheros, Vol. 2'' with Tiny Morrie & Al Hurricane, Jr. (1994)

Studio albums with Bandido

Under the

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

and/or

Discos Musart Discos Musart is a Mexican record label founded in 1948. It is headquartered in Mexico City and remains one of the country's biggest labels, focusing on Mexican music, as well as international releases licensed from various labels around the world ...

label, in the 1980s Al Hurricane released four albums with the supergroup Bandido. * '' Bandido (first release)'' * '' Bandido (second release)'' * '' Bandido (third release)'' * '' 15 Exitos de Groupo Bandido''

Live albums

* '' A Tribute To Al Hurricane - Live, Vol. 1'' (2008) * ''

A Tribute To Al Hurricane - Live, Vol. 2 A Tribute to Al Hurricane was a tribute concert held for Al Hurricane, on April 21, 2007 at Isleta Casino & Showroom. Concert The concert had Al Hurricane and his mother, Bennie Sanchez, sitting on stage in couches. While they were entertained by ...

'' (2008) * ''

Live at the Kimo Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

– Vol.1 and Vol. 2 – with Al Hurricane, Jr. (2014) * '' Feliz Cumpleaños! Al Hurricane the 75th Birthday Concert'' (2015)

Documentaries with live performances

* '' Al Hurricane: Native Legend'' (2000) * '' A Tribute To Al Hurricane'' (2008)

Compilation albums

* '' 15 Exitos Cumbias'' (2015) * '' 15 Exitos Cumbias, Vol. 2'' (2015)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hurricane, Al 1936 births 2017 deaths American male singer-songwriters American rock guitarists American rock musicians American rockabilly musicians American rock singers American rock songwriters American country guitarists American country singer-songwriters American folk guitarists American male guitarists American folk singers American performers of Latin music American musicians of Mexican descent American ranchera singers Hispanic and Latino American musicians Rock en Español musicians Songwriters from New Mexico Singers from New Mexico New Mexico music artists Spanish-language singers of the United States Guitarists from New Mexico Folk musicians from New Mexico Deaths from prostate cancer Deaths from cancer in New Mexico 20th-century American guitarists People from Rio Arriba County, New Mexico People from Silver City, New Mexico 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers