Valentín Elizalde Valencia (1 February 1979 – 25 November 2006) was a regional Mexican singer. Nicknamed "El Gallo de Oro" (The Golden Rooster), he was known for his off-key style. His biggest hits included: "Vete Ya," "Ebrio de Amor", and "Soy Así" (a cover of José José's classic song). Some of his songs were narcocorridos eulogizing Mexican drug lords like Vicente Carrillo Fuentes. He also wrote lyrics honoring Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. He was murdered as he left a performance; allegedly by members of the drug trafficking cartel Los Zetas.

Life and career

Elizalde was born in Jitonhueca, a village near the city of Etchojoa, Sonora. He then moved to Guadalajara, Jalisco, and later to Guasave, Sinaloa, where he, his father, also a singer, Everardo "Lalo" Elizalde, nicknamed "El Gallo" (The Rooster), and brothers resided for a few years. His father died in a car accident on the so-called "Curva de la muerte" (Curve of Death) in Villa Juárez, Sonora.

Musical incursion

On June 24, 1998, Elizalde performed for the first time as a singer in Bacame Nuevo, Sonora, during the festivities of a local festival. Under the record label Ayana Musical, in 1999 he released Regresan los mafiosos, his first studio album.

Murder

On 25 November 2006, Elizalde, aged 27 at the time, was shot twenty times as he entered his SUV shortly after finishing a performance in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. His manager and his driver were also killed. The murders were witnessed by hundreds of fans who were attempting to get autographs. Videos of the murder were also posted on YouTube.

Motives

It is widely believed that Elizalde was killed for his performances of the corrido, "A Mis Enemigos", which contains lyrics believed to antagonize drug trafficking gang Los Zetas. Raúl Hernández Barrón, alleged murderer of Elizalde and high-ranking member of Los Zetas, was arrested on 22 March 2008 in Coatzintla, Veracruz.

Legacy

While none of his albums reached the top 20 when he was alive, his albums were top sellers in 2007, after his death. In 2007, Elizalde was nominated posthumously for the Grammy Awards in the category of Best Banda Album.

Family

Elizalde's former girlfriend, Blanca Vianey Durán Brambila, was killed in Sonora, Mexico, in June 2016. His daughter, Valeria, has aspirations of becoming a singer.

Discography