NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico music fans are still in shock and mourning on Wednesday with the passing of a local icon, Al Hurricane Jr. The 66-year-old performer died suddenly at his home in Albuquerque on Tuesday.
In a storied career spanning over 50 years, Al Hurricane Jr. wasn’t just the keeper of a musical legacy; he was a legend in his own right.
Born in 1959, Albert Nelson Sanchez Jr. was not just the son of a legend. His own path to stardom came very quickly, with a start most could not imagine.
When Al Jr. was five years old, his dad brought him on stage where he sang a song called Love Potion No.9. From there, the youngster knew what he wanted to do in life.
Even before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque, Al Jr. was already an established member, playing trumpet in his father Al Hurricane’s band. But his destiny wasn’t complete yet.
With his 1976 release of El Joven, Al Hurricane Jr. was on his way, followed two years later by his biggest hit, “Flor de Las Flores.”
“I was so blessed, it was Al Hurricane, Tiny Morrie, Baby Gaby and then Al Hurricane, Jr. That was such a milestone in my career to have my name up there with those guys,” said Al Hurricane Jr. in a 2024 interview.
Throughout the 1980s and well into the 2010s, both father and son continued to record and tour throughout the southwest and even performed as far away as Malaga, Spain.
Upon his father’s passing in 2017, Al Jr.’s career did not slow down. Instead, he took on more recordings and concert appearances in the years that followed. One as recently as nearly two weeks ago in Salt Lake City, Utah.
It wasn’t just the star known as El Godson who mesmerized fans; it was the man Al Jr., whose family, friends, and anyone who met him knew that much like his dad, he lived his life with a lot of passion and feeling.
Al Hurricane Jr. leaves behind three daughters and two grandchildren, along with six brothers and sisters. Funeral arrangements are still pending at this time.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.krqe.com ’
