Adán Santos Sánchez Vallejo was an American singer of Regional Mexican music who performed under the stage name Adan "Chalino" Sánchez, honoring his famous father who was assassinated in 1992.
Biography
Sánchez was born in Torrance, California, the son of singer Chalino Sánchez. He was eight years old when his father was kidnapped and killed in the Mexican state of Sinaloa in 1992. His father's popularity skyrocketed after his death in 1992, giving way to a long series of compilation records, postmortem releases, and dedications. Raised by his mother in Paramount, California, he took up singing adopting his father nickname, "Chalino", and gained a strong local fan base among Mexican-American teenagers. Sánchez recorded his first full-length album in 1994, entitled Soy el Hijo de Chalino, notable for the 10-year-old's brash and assertive vocals; the album's rousing title track, evokes the style of celebrated singers from Mexico's Golden Age. As he grew into his teens, the majority of Sánchez's album titles began to revolve around the loss of his father, i.e. "La Corona de Mi Padre" and "Homenaje a Mi Padre". He was also able to widen the genre's popularity even further to teenage girls, thanks to his teen idol persona and focus on contemporary romantic ballads.
Sánchez made history on March 20, 2004, when he became the youngest headliner and first Regional-Mexican recording artist to sell out the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. "I don't think there are enough words to describe what I'm feeling at this time," Sánchez stated when the show was announced. "Getting to perform at this international venue is perhaps one of the biggest dreams ever and to date, the biggest challenge I've faced in my musical career." Some of the songs he performed were: "Necesito Un Amor", "Morenita", "Paloma Negra", "Fui Tan Feliz", "Dicen", and "Me Canse De Morir Por Tu Amor". Sánchez also performed a medley of some of his father's greatest hits, accompanied by images projected on large screens above the stage. "I am extremely pleased with the outcome," he stated in his dressing room following the concert. "But more than anything, ecstatic with the number of fans that came out to support me. I dedicated this concert in my dad's memory and to my wonderful people of Los Angeles. There aren't enough words to thank my fans for their unconditional love and support."
Death
One week after the concert on March 20, 2004, Sánchez embarked on a promotional road-tour through his father's home state of Sinaloa, Mexico. He was en route to a concert in Tuxpan, Nayarit, Mexico, on the highway between Rosario and Escuinapa, when the 1990 Lincoln Town Car, owned by his father, blew a tire. According to police, the driver lost control and the vehicle rolled into a ditch. The performer sustained severe head injuries and died on the scene. More than 10,000 fans filled the streets outside the Los Angeles church where his funeral mass was held.
Funeral
Sánchez's remains were returned to the United States, where his family scheduled a public wake on April 1, 2004 at the St. John of Godchurch inNorwalk, California. The event drew national media attention for sparking civil unrest in the neighborhood surrounding the church that evening. As Sánchez was not well known among English-speaking authorities, local law enforcement vastly underestimated his fan-base, and were unprepared when more than 15,000 young people jammed the streets to attend the service. As the day wore on, the crowd of mourners grew out of control – Police were brought in to disperse the crowd, wearing riot gear and carrying pellet guns. Their appearance incited anger among members of the crowd, who surged into the streets, overturning portable toilets and rocking cars. It was reported that Sánchez's aunt, Juanita Sánchez, wept about the crowd's behavior. "Adan wouldn't have wanted people to act like this. It just causes more pain to the family", she said.
''Always and Forever''
Always & Forever is a stage play by Michael Patrick Spillers dramatizing the impact of Sánchez's death on a group of young people in South Los Angeles. The play examines various aspects of Mexican-American culture.
