Adan Sanchez, the son of slain narco-corrido music legend Chalino Sanchez who was nurtured in Southern California's burgeoning immigrant music scene and emerged this year as a star in his own right, has died in a car crash in Sinaloa, Mexico. He was 19.
Sanchez, of Paramount, was on a promotional trip through northwestern Mexico on Saturday when the 1989 Ford Crown Victoria he was in blew a tire and overturned, the Mexican highway patrol said.
The handsome singer, who was not wearing his seat belt, sustained severe head injuries and died instantly, said Julieta Olivas, owner of Funeraria San Fernando, a mortuary in Escuinapa, Sinaloa, about 45 miles southeast of Mazatlan.
Three others were injured in the crash -- the singer's manager, a friend and the driver.
Sanchez's father, a singer/songwriter who had gained notoriety for his musical tales, known as narco-corridos, about criminal escapades, was slain execution-style 12 years ago in the same state. The coincidence of his son dying in an area known for its drug cartels and violence fueled speculation that the car crash had not been an accident. But police said there was no indication of foul play.
Sanchez was 8 in 1992 when his father was kidnapped and killed after a performance in Sinaloa. But unlike his gun-slinging father, the younger Sanchez nurtured an image as a suave, sharply dressed, romantic teenage idol.
"There was just this wholesome quality about him, very down to earth," said Marco Antonio Gonzales, a spokesman for Univision Music Group who worked closely with the younger Sanchez. "He was one of the very few good role models for Latino kids. I can say, from what I know, that he led quite an impeccable life. He was just a good kid."
Within hours, news of the accident sparked tearful calls to radio stations from fans and public vigils on both sides of the border, signals of the growing popularity of the charismatic artist who had made an impressive debut as a mainstream headliner 10 days ago at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Mourners gathered from East L.A. to Escuinapa, lighting votive candles and playing Sanchez's CDs and singing along to his simple but catchy love songs.
"Almost the whole town of Escuinapa came out when they heard the news, carrying placards and playing his records and singing and dancing all through the night," Olivas said. "It was something so impressive and unprecedented here, and that's when I realized how famous this young man was and what a great loss this has been for all of us."
