Valentín Elizalde

Known as El Gallo de Oro (The Golden Rooster), Valentín Elizalde was a popular Mexican banda singer-songwriter whose life was tragically cut short. ∙ The son of norteño artist Lalo El Gallo Elizalde, Valentín played his first professional concert in 1998 and released his debut album, Amor Que Muere, that same year. ∙ His 2003 song “Vete Ya” reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, and Elizalde returned to the Top 10 with “La Más Deseada,” “Cómo Me Duele,” and “Te Quiero Así.” ∙ In the months after his 2006 death, Elizalde’s LPs Vencedor and Lobo Domesticado placed at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart. ∙ Lobo Domesticado earned him a posthumous Best Banda Album Grammy nomination, and in the years since then his fame has grown with the release of live albums and best-of collections.