Dozens gather in Albuquerque to honor Al Hurricane Jr.
Dozens filled Queen of Heaven Catholic Church to honor Al Hurricane Jr., whose more than 50 years of music shaped New Mexico across generations.
Dozens packed Queen of Heaven Catholic Church in Albuquerque on Saturday for an 11 a.m. funeral mass honoring Al Hurricane Jr., turning a family farewell into a public moment of grief for a musician who helped define New Mexico’s sound. Family, friends and fans filled the church at 5310 Claremont Ave NE, and the service was also streamed online for people who could not be there in person.
Al Hurricane Jr. died May 19 at age 66 at his home in Albuquerque, and his family said the cause was a heart attack. Born Alberto Nelson Sanchez Jr. on Oct. 30, 1959, in Albuquerque, he carried the stage name Al Hurricane Jr. and the nickname “El Godson,” a reference to his father, Al Hurricane Sr., who was known as “The Godfather” of New Mexico music and died in 2017.
His music career began early, with his first performance at age 5 at the Albuquerque Civic Auditorium. Over more than 50 years, he blended rancheras, rock and folk into a body of work that reached far beyond the stage, becoming part of the everyday soundtrack of New Mexico life. At the funeral mass, mourners came from across the metro and beyond, reflecting how widely his music had traveled through neighborhoods, family gatherings and local dance halls.
The Sanchez family invited the public to attend the memorial services, and that invitation showed in the turnout. A priest at Queen of Heaven Catholic Church also shared a memory during the service, underscoring how familiar Al Hurricane Jr. was to people who knew him through music and to those who knew him only through the songs that marked their lives.
The response to his death reached well beyond the church. The Albuquerque Isotopes called him one of the most influential voices in New Mexico music and the community, while the City of Belen and KANW also paid tribute. KANW described him as the voice of a generation and said he was New Mexico music for more than 50 years. In Bernalillo County, the large turnout served as a reminder that Al Hurricane Jr.’s legacy is not just being remembered, but inherited.
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