East LA native son, Eddie Ayala dies at 63, leaving behind an indelible mark on the Chicano alternative and punk-rock scenes

On Friday, November 3, Eddie Ayala, a pioneer of the East Los Angeles Chicano punk movement, died at 63 years old. 

His family was not notified of his passing until November 22, by the hospital he was in.

In the 70s and late 80s, Ayala was one of the biggest stars in East LA as a punk-rock musician and singer of seminal bands Los Illegals and The Odd Squad, marking the beginning of the underground L.A. punk rock scene, Chicano-style.

On Saturday, Jesse Xiuy Velo, one of Ayala’s bandmates in Los Illegals, posted on his personal Facebook page that Ayala had died. “A true East Los native son, Eddie Ayala was a believer and dreamer. He was a prince of promise, charm, talent and free will – sadly, he was also a prince of tragedy and a prisoner of destiny. (Travel well, little brother; nothing can hurt you anymore..)” the post read. 

The “East Side Punks,” a Facebook page, dedicated to highlighting and paying tribute to former punks from East L.A. and the surrounding areas, also released a statement regarding Ayala’s death. “Respect and blessings to Illegals/Oddsquad vocalist Eddie Ayala, who has passed on,” the post read. 

Ayala was most known for being part of the original lineup of Los Illegals, having formed in 1979. As the lead singer, Ayala was known for his energetic but “odd” personality. He would go on to embrace his personality when he parted ways with Los Illegals, due to creative differences, and formed his own band, Odd Squad. 

In the early 90s, the East L.A. native created and began a music initiative known as “Cafe Caliente,” which consisted of bringing together musicians and bands that he thought would impact and grow the current Chicano alternative music scene. 

In a 1995 interview, Ayala mentioned that since the start of the “Cafe Caliente” shows, he had organized about 50 shows, all in small venues or clubs around LA. “To find Chicano music, theater, art, poetry, it has to be dug,” Ayala said in the interview. “I’m just one hand helping a few of us carry this music out to the top of the mound, man.”

In the same interview, Ayala also made reference to his unemployment, drug addiction and homelessness. At that time, according to the article, he was struggling economically and living and sleeping on a friend’s sofa. 

“While his battle for artistic attention has cost him any financial stability, Ayala has spent too many years seeing the Chicano art community hit the glass ceiling. Since his days in the seminal punk band Los Illegals, Ayala has been through enough ups and downs – including drug addiction and homelessness – to know what friends mean when they call him ‘East L.A.’s Kurt Cobain,’ stated the article. 

Ayala was most active in 2017 on his own personal Facebook page, where he posted an average of 8 posts a day. Many of the posts condemned racism, white supremacy, and police brutality, among other things and other posts would refer to concepts like cloning, mind control and invasions. Oftentimes, he would leak his phone number, followed by things such as “fighting for all of us, need help,” or “I need one friend now…one.” 

Ayala’s love for music, art and Chicanos reached all corners of LA through projects and initiatives that touched many lives. His followers on Facebook continue to remember him with anecdotes and testimonies of the human, singer and proud Chicano that he once was. 

No further details have been released about his death.