RIP Bobby Espinosa, and Viva El Chicano.

How sad. I just heard that Bobby Espinosa, of the band El Chicano, is dead. He was only 60. Listen to the Off-Ramp interview with Espinosa – featuring the wonderful Jesus Velo of the band Los Illegals interviewing his hero – and you get a sense of why Espinosa and El Chicano made a difference.

And watch them play Viva Tirado on YouTube, and get a sense why their music filled the air and the airwaves in Southern California:

Please leave your memories of El Chicano below in the comments section; I'd love to share them with listeners this weekend on Off-Ramp.

(Check out John's weekly show Off-Ramp.)