Los Angeles police are investigating the fatal stabbing of actor James Handy, who officials said was killed by his girlfriend’s son Wednesday at a home in Tarzana. The suspect was apprehended after he made a bizarre 911 call.
On Thursday, authorities identified the 81-year-old stabbing victim as the actor, who appeared in the films “Logan,” “Jumanji,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Arachnophobia.”
Representatives for the actor confirmed the news to The Times.
On Wednesday morning around 9:30 a.m., West Valley area patrol officers responded to an emergency call in a residential neighborhood of Tarzana. The 911 caller stated, “I am the son of man. I just killed the man of sin.”
When police arrived, they found Handy in the front yard of the Erwin Street home, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest. According to law enforcement, Handy was taken to a local hospital by paramedics, where he was pronounced dead.
A news release said that Michael Gledhill, the man suspected of stabbing Handy, flagged down officers who were responding to the incident and told them he was the one they were looking for.
Gledhill, 44, lives at the Erwin Street home with his mother, who police said was in a relationship with Handy.
Detectives said they believed this was an isolated incident and there appeared to be no danger to the public at this time.
Gledhill was arrested and transported to Van Nuys Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $2 million.
Handy has more than 150 acting credits to his name and had acted across television and film since the 1970s. Most recently, he played a bartender alongside Jennifer Connelly in the 2022 sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.” In 2017, he played opposite Hugh Jackman in “Logan” as a doctor who pleads with Wolverine to heal up.
In 2021, he portrayed Father MacGuffin in the comedy “Senior Entourage.” The film’s director, Brian Connors, posted on Facebook last year that Handy was one of the “finest character actors I know.”
Handy also acted in numerous television crime dramas, including “Alias,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “CSI: NY,” “Cold Case” and more.
The police are asking anyone with additional information about this incident to contact the Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Section, Dets. Simonyan or Lopez, at (818) 374-9550.
Los Angeles police are investigating the fatal stabbing of actor James Handy, who officials said was killed by his girlfriend’s son Wednesday at a home in Tarzana. The suspect was apprehended after he made a bizarre 911 call.
On Thursday, authorities identified the 81-year-old stabbing victim as the actor, who appeared in films “Logan,” “Jumanji,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Arachnophobia.”
Representatives for the actor confirmed the news to The Times.
On Wednesday morning around 9:30 a.m., West Valley area patrol officers responded to an emergency call in a residential neighborhood of Tarzana. The 911 caller stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”
When police arrived, they found Handy in the front yard of the Erwin Street home, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest. According to law enforcement, Handy was taken to a local hospital by paramedics, where he was pronounced dead.
A news release said that Michael Gledhill, the man suspected of stabbing Handy, flagged down officers who were responding to the incident and told them he was the the one they were looking for.
Gledhill, 44, lives at the Erwin Street home with his mother, who police said was in a relationship with Handy.
Detectives said they believed this was an isolated incident and there appeared to be no danger to the public at this time.
Gledhill was arrested and transported to Van Nuys Jail, where he was booked on murder charges. His bail was set at $2 million.
The police are asking anyone with additional information about this incident to contact the Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Section, Dets. Simonyan or Lopez, at (818) 374-9550.
A TIKTOK rapper has shocked fans when he revealed he is the son of a huge 90s boyband star.
The cheeky lad didn’t hold back as he roasted his famous father for his “s*** music” as he poked fun at him at one of his gigs.
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TikTok rapper Phoenix JD has revealed he has a famous 90s boyband star dadCredit: Tiktok/@ph0enixjdThe social media star poked fun at his dad in a new videoCredit: Tiktok/@ph0enixjd
Phoenix’s dad is Spike Dawbarn (right) of the boyband 911 – seen here with Jimmy Constable, and Lee Brennan in 1996Credit: GettyPhoenix poked fun at his dad’s music. Spike seen here in 2024Credit: BBC
“But yeah, and then this is them on stage. There’s me dad on the right.”
Poking fun at Spike, he said: “Thankfully, I don’t get my musical ability from him, you know, I’ve got a bit about me.
“I hope he doesn’t see this now. He’ll kill me.
“But hey, this is him at 51 still trying to do back flips – and nearly decked it.
Spike’s son said he only went to the gig ‘to see Blue’ who his dad’s band were supportingCredit: Tiktok/@ph0enixjd911 were one of the biggest boybands of the 90sCredit: Getty
“I would’ve flipping loved it if he decked it.”
Phoenix also added he only went to the gig “to see Blue”.
Fans of 911 from back in the day went wild for the video, with one joking: “Oi your dad was a legend to us fossils!!”
Another quipped: “Lmfao! The way your roasting your dad! I’ll have you know 14-year-old me loved your dad’s band!”
The boyband’s fans rushed to their defenceCredit: Getty
This fan said: “I was obsessed with 911 still love them now! You’ve got your dad’s humour!”
Appearing on the BBC’s Boyband Forever doc, the star spoke about his bizarre living arrangements when the band were in their heyday.
“Jimmy got one bedroom, Lee got another bedroom and I was in the cupboard like Harry Potter,” he explained.
“On a mattress, in a cupboard. It’s literally where you’d just throw a load of coats in there.”
“And I just didn’t care to be honest, I wasn’t bothered,” he laughed.
In their early days, the band would tour schools across the country and perform for students.
“I used to come in, press play, do your singing and dancing routines, do your bit then load yourself back in the van and go to the next school,” he said.
Professor Green shared a snap of his son in hospital after an accident during the school half term holidaysCredit: instagramThe star revealed son Slimane had fractured his armCredit: Instagram
Taking to their respective Instagram Stories, the parents revealed Slimane had suffered an accident during the May half term holidays.
Stephen, 42, wrote: “first tooth lost, first arm fractured…happy holidays” over the top of a picture of his son on a hospital bed with Karima wrapping her arms around him.
Trying to make light of the horrible situation, the star then referred to the dark patches on the bottom of Slimane’s white socks and wrote: “state of his socks.”
Meanwhile Karima shared a snap of the three of them together, with her ex covering their son’s eyes.
Karima shared some more details of what happened to their little boyCredit: InstagramThe star is appearing on the latest series of Celebs Go DatingCredit: Channel 4
She captioned the snap: “So…he lost his front tooth yesterday trying to kiss everyone and getting it head butted out.
“Today for breakfast he fell off a zipwire with a suspected wrist fracture.
“A&E on holiday is an absolute classic. @professorgreen never a dull moment, ay?”
The pair clearly have an amicable relationship following their split in 2023 after seven years together and becoming engaged in 2021.
Becoming emotional, he explained: “Now that we’re co-parenting, and people don’t hear men talk about this, right?
“I never had a kid to not wake up to him. You know, my dad f*****g ran.
“I’m not running. Far from it. And it’s f*****g hard. It’s so hard to put your feelings to the side and go ‘I’m going to prioritise the well-being of my kid’.
“I can’t show him how upset I am all the time. It’s so important that he sees good example, because you have to lead by example… and it’s not easy.”
Celebs Go Dating airs on E4 and is available at Channel4.com.
YOUTUBE and Netflix star Danny Go has announced his son Isaac has tragically died aged 14.
Kids’ favourite Danny, whose real name is Daniel Coleman, took to Instagram today to post a heartbreaking tribute to his young son, who lived with Fanconi anemia.
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YouTube Kids star Danny Go has revealed his eldest son has diedCredit: InstagramIsaac Coleman had an aggressive mouth cancerCredit: Instagram
The rare inherited genetic disorder led to the diagnosis of an aggressive mouth cancer.
The incurable condition, which affects the body’s ability to repair DNA, can also cause physical abnormalities.
Daniel shared a series of photographs of Isaac and wrote: “Isaac Daniel Coleman. 10/3/11 – 5/21/26. Oh my sweet boy. There’s so much I want to say, but I don’t know how yet. I already miss you so much…
“The pain in my heart is far more than I can process. But looking through thousands of pictures and videos this past week, I’m also filled with tremendous pride…
“Your 14 years were full of so many challenges, but you met them all with such grit…and you somehow kept your trademark joy in spite of it all…
“You truly had a spark like no other, Isaac! Remembering how loved you were and how full of life your time here was gives me great comfort. Being your dad was the honor of a lifetime. I’m so proud of you and I love you forever. Rest peacefully, son.”
The youngster is survived by his dad, mum Mindy and brother Levi, 10.
Viral sensation Daniel has a huge global following thanks to his colourful animated adventures packed with catchy songs and interactive elements.
Fellow kids superstar and friend of Daniel’s, Ms Rachel, encouraged her following to send love to the family.
She wrote: “Hi wonderful parent and caregiver community – Please send so much love and so many thoughts and prayers to Danny Go and his beautiful family. Danny’s precious son passed away…
“We are so sorry for their loss and are thinking about their son’s amazing joy and their immense pride’. She added a caption reading: ‘Let’s all turn on Danny Go today and send so much love and so many prayers and wrap them up in support.”
Daniel also has a son called Levi, 10Credit: InstagramDanny Go has 4million subscribers on YouTubeCredit: Instagram
In December, Daniel updated his followers on his personal Instagram account, informing them of Isaac’s cancer diagnosis, which he said was almost inevitable given his genetic disorder.
“We found out last week that Isaac has cancer in his mouth,” he wrote. “TBH, we always knew this day was coming, as it’s a near certainty w/ Fanconi anemia…
“But it’s definitely hitting a little earlier than we hoped and is still just such a shocking thing to hear about your child, even if you’ve braced for it for years. Been getting lots of scans and we’re not sure yet how much it’s spread…
“But for now, the plan is to try and remove the cancer surgically asap. We’ve done chemo before with Isaac’s bone marrow transplant, but it’s a much less ideal path due to his genetic disorder and the damage radiation does to the rest of his body….”
Unfortunately, the surgery did not fully remove the cancer, which was found to be on the cusp of stage four at the time, and last month Isaac was transferred into a hospice.
Francesco Caballero has been juggling a lot — quite literally.
When he’s not tending to his online studies at the California Virtual Academies, the 13-year-old can be found in the circus ring — hurling bowling pins, straw hats, hollow rings and rubber balls high up in the air, all in one harmonious cycle.
But the bright-eyed teen is also balancing something far greater: a legacy. The rookie showman is proving his mettle as part of the Caballero Circus, a five-generation family of performers, by enchanting audiences with his charismatic stage presence and sharp coordination.
“My family is a circus family. That’s what they did when they were kids and it just passed on to me,” said Francesco, hours before a Wednesday night performance in Santa Ana.
Though Francesco is only a month into his journey as a traveling cast member, he pranced about the ring Wednesday with the confidence of a seasoned ringmaster. For his act, the teen juggled up to five objects at a time; as a couple of stray balls fell to his side, he swiftly picked them up and tossed them into the air, as if it were part of the script all along.
And, once the thrill wore off, Francesco marched into center stage with a small motorbike — enclosing himself in a chamber known as the “Globe of Death”: a mesh sphere where riders ramp their bikes using the power of centripetal force to loop around the Globe. He also played the trumpet.
“In order to grow as a performer and to be better, you really have to be patient,” said Caballero. “It’s not something that’s easy, that you’ll be better in like a week.”
Francesco Caballero, 13, poses for a portrait at the Caballero Circus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Santa Ana.
As boldly charismatic as Caballero appeared on stage, his path to performing in the family circus was hardly clear-cut.
At the age of 3, he was diagnosed with leukemia: a cancer that causes the body to produce too many abnormal white blood cells. This made it difficult for his body to fight infections, carry oxygen and stop bleeding. He was in treatment for four years, until he finally beat cancer by age 7.
This is why his mother, Liliana, a former flying trapeze artist, felt overprotective of him when he began showing interest in the performing world — which began with a small role in the Cirque du Soleil show “The Beatles Love,” in which he played one of the Fab Four in childhood.
At first, Liliana would watch closely to make sure Francesco didn’t get tired or bruised. Yet doctors eventually assured her that physical activity for a recovering pediatric leukemia patient would be beneficial to his quality of life.
“I was against it [at first], but he was so spoiled,” said Liliana. She joked that her son, the youngest of her three children, was “mimado” — a term in Spanish used to describe someone who receives excess attention. Back in the ring, as Francesco prepared his juggling act for another night of play, she stood farther back in the stands, being an ever-observant coach.
“When he told me that he wanted to be like my family, like his grandparents, it was a great satisfaction for me,” said Liliana. “After everything we’ve been through, and still my son dreams of being in the circus, it was a huge blessing for me.”
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The Cartoon Poodles perform at the Caballero Circus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Santa Ana. (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
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Chicharron performs at the Caballero Circus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Santa Ana. (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
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Francesco Caballero, 13, juggles pins during his performance at Caballero Circus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Santa Ana. (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
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Nicole Caballero, 15, second from left, Gianna Rios, 8, Francesco Caballero, 13, Judith Caballero, 15, and Chicharron perform at the Caballero Circus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Santa Ana. (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
The Caballero circus dynasty dates back to the turn of the 20th century in Guadalajara, with Adelaida Caballero was the first in the family to practice the joyous spectacle. Her daughter, Isabel, would be the first of the Caballeros to open her own circus, as a way to earn income during the Mexican Revolution. (They allegedly entertained Pancho Villa, a well-known circus-lover, in 1916.)
During this time, circus families blossomed all over Mexico, aided by the appearance of the steamship and railway systems, as the circus historian Julio Revolledo Cárdenas would detail in a 2018 article for the Fédération Mondiale du Cirque.
However, much of the Caballero family’s performance lore begins with Isabel’s son, 82-year-old Rubén: an apparatus connoisseur well-versed in the high wire, trapeze and hand balancing. Around 1981, Rubén would bring the entire Caballero family to the United States; all eight of his children performed for the esteemed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circuses, with the flying trapeze as their specialty act.
Two members of the Caballero family, Rubén Sr. and Rubén Jr., are also recognized for being the first to execute the quadruple somersault under the big top tent in 1985. It requires extreme faith in the opposite catcher, as much as it does for the individual flipping multiple times over — they even recorded the groundbreaking stunt for posterity’s sake, along with other home videos.
In 1995, this risky act helped the family secure the esteemed Payaso de Oro: the top prize at the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, an award comparable to soccer’s Ballon d’Or or music’s Grammy. Some of the Rubén’s direct descendants would win the award once again 30 years later.
By 2000, Rubén would open his own white-and-purple tent circus, Caballero Circus, where Liliana now oversees the concession stand. Her sisters Maria and Judith manage the circus and supervise show details, respectively.
“My father’s American dream was always to run his own circus,” said Liliana.
Rubén Sr., who continues to be the patriarch of the Caballero family, is teaching his youngest grandson everything he knows. “He wants me to be better,” said Francesco.
Nicole Caballero, 15, from left in the front row, Melody Caballero, 22, Francesco Caballero, 13, and Judith Caballero, 15, at the end of the show at the Caballero Circus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Santa Ana.
Now carrying the family’s torch is the fifth generation of tumbling acrobats skilled in the art of balance and flexibility. Liliana’s 15-year-old daughter, Nicole, specializes in the Globe of Death, where she gets in the locked cage with her cousin Judith, also 15; together they maneuver the motorbikes around the globe at opposing-intersecting paths. This is a skill set she takes pride in, since many in the audience assume there are men underneath the protective gear.
“Once we come out, we take our helmets out and they see girls can do it too,” said Nicole before her Wednesday performance.
Melody, host of the bilingual show, competed as a contortionist on Season 8 of “America’s Got Talent,” which aired in 2013. “ We could have the worst day of our lives, but when we step on stage, we have to have the biggest smile in the world,” said Melody.
Two of Rubén’s older sons, who married Russian acrobats during international stints, broke off and founded their own troupe as Circus Caballero. They have their own touring show stationed in Bell through May 25.
Francesco Caballero, 13, gets ready in a mirror inside a trailer at the Caballero Circus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Santa Ana.
Some of the Caballero family members also compete internationally as the Flying Caballero — something the youngest Caballero member, Francesco, hopes he can work his way up to.
“ I’ve been told that they’ve been to France, to Italy, Germany, everywhere,” he said. “My primos just went to one of the most prestigious festivals in Monaco and they won first place. I wanna be like my cousins and do what they’re doing.”
Francesco might still be learning the ropes of the circus world — but before he can compete on the glamorous world stage, he must first conquer his school’s virtual talent show. On June 8, he will participate in a nationwide competition by the virtual academy K12, which will showcase student talent from across the country.
Thankfully, he will have plenty of time to practice. The Caballero Circus will station itself in Lakewood between May 22 to June 7.
“Not a lot of kids do what I do,” said Francesco. “It teaches us to connect with the public, to connect with other people.”
Kaden Tennyson is a high school senior who works at an ice cream shop to make a few bucks to help pay for Uber drives and a veterinarian bill for his injured dog. He’s also a shotputter and discus thrower at Riverside Notre Dame.
He was suffering from a strained tendon in his right ankle resting at home when his ice cream manager called with a request for assistance.
“It was insanely busy,” said Tennyson, who is 6 feet 6 and 300 pounds. “I took an Advil and served birthday cake, brownie, chocolate fudge.”
There was no way Tennyson wouldn’t answer the call for duty.
“It’s my first job as a teenager,” he said. “It’s good for job experience.”
Tennyson never made it to the Southern Section track preliminaries after winning the league title.
“Every throw, it hurt badly,” he said. “I wanted to push through it.”
He made the decision to protect his future, so he passed on a chance to compete at Saturday’s Southern Section track championships.
He’s enjoyed much success in high school, on and off the playing field. He was back-to-back Skyline League champion. His best efforts were 51-10 in the shotput and 145-7 in the discus. He was admitted to 19 colleges. He was recognized by the Riverside Hall of Fame as a top scholar-athlete. He’s a two-time Principal’s Honor Roll recipient.
And yet, all that pales in comparison to what he has been forced to endure while his mother, Janet, twice battled cancer, affecting everyone emotionally and financially.
“As a mother, it’s been humbling to watch the kind of young man he has become through adversity,” Janet said in a letter she wrote honoring her son.
Fighting cancer is exhausting for everyone involved.
“We didn’t a spend a lot of time together, “ Kaden said. “She was mainly asleep. I wanted to be strong at home and not cry to make her sad. My friends helped a lot.”
Some of the senior activities Kaden hoped to participate in were lost for financial reasons, like going to the prom with his girlfriend.
He’s focused on the future.
“One of my dreams is to raise my own successful family,” he said. “In order to do that, you need to be successful yourself.”
He’ll take his 3.8 grade-point average and giant body to study buisness and compete in track and field at UC Irvine.
His mother is recovering. He intends to walk at graduation on June 5.
His mother says, “Kaden’s journey reflects resilience, family, perseverance and the reality that the effects of a serious illness don’t end when treatment does.”
Kaden’s smile continues. Maybe it’s because he works at an ice cream shop.
Asked he if he gets to sample the products, he said, “Sometimes.”
JOHN Lennon’s son Julian has revealed his devastating health diagnosis while sending a warning to his fans.
The son of the iconic singer from The Beatles has opened up about being diagnosed with coronary heart disease and pre-diabetes.
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Julian Lennon is the son of John Lennon and his first wife CynthiaCredit: GettyHe followed in his famous dad’s footsteps and became a musicianCredit: Getty
The 63-year-old musician, who followed in his father’s footsteps and had the hit Too Late For Goodbyes, opened up in a recent social media post.
Taking to social media, Julian said in a post: “After being diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease & a Pre-Diabetic, I urge you all to get checked out sooner rather than later.
“You never know what hidden health issues you may have, even after exercising and eating as much ‘good/healthy’ food as possible.
“Even with these ailments, I’ve managed to catch them early enough, to be able to reverse some of the damage and will hopefully be able to live a healthy long life!
“Please get checked out, before you’re checked out…
“And last but not least, thanks to all the Doctors who have helped and guided me on this new journey so far… Truly.”
Fans rushed to support Julian amid his health woes.
“Be well Julian! I’m on the same journey,” said one fan.
“Dear Julian, You are very thoughtful to share this, especially for our benefit. Good luck with your new healthier journey. Please keep us updated,” added a second.
“Good advice. Trying to be better at it now. Take good care,” penned a third.
This isn’t Julian’s first health concern.
In 2020, the musician revealed he had to undergo an emergency operation to remove a cancerous growth from his head.
The singer had visited his dermatologist, who noticed a lump on his head which he had had all his life “looked and felt a little different”.
After having a biopsy, the results showed that the mole was cancerous and Julian got it removed immediately.
Writing on social media at the time, he said: “She urged me to have a Biopsy 2 days ago, which I obliged…
“Only to learn, 24 hrs later, that it was malignant/cancerous, and that her recommendation was to get it removed immediately, which is what happened today…
“Hopefully we managed to remove all that was cancerous, but the mole is being sent off again, for a further/deeper analysis, and I’ll have those results next week.”
Julian is the son of John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia, who sadly died in April 2015.
In the last two months, the corrido tumbado band from Salinas, Calif., performed at the South by Southwest music festival in Texas—and made headlines by singing a narcocorrido; spoke to Latino students at Cornell University in upstate New York; and even embarked on a impromptu 10-hour road trip to show their support for Juan, a contestant from Mexico on one of MrBeast’s latest challenges who has become a viral sensation.
In fact, the trio— lead singer Alejandro Ahumada, guitarist Leonardo Lomeli and tololoche player Rogelio Gonzalez — felt so compelled to make the pilgrimage to the North Carolina grocery store where Juan has been sequestered for months, that they ditched all press events for their latest EP “Afterafter,” released on April 30, in order to meet and serenade him. The band even awarded a $5,000 scholarship to his son, Angel.
“Why? Because it felt so right,” said Ahumada. “His story connected with us, because we also come from hardworking parents that really gave it all for us.”
As the rush of East Coast travel wore off, Clave Especial returned to Salinas to throw a huge homecoming bash. “It’s like a full-circle moment,” said Ahumada of their May 4 performance at the Salinas Sports Complex.
They joined a video call from their childhood bedrooms to discuss “Afterafter,” a five-track project set to a fiery tempo — 140 BPM to be exact — that is nostalgic for summer days and the never-ending after-parties they bring. The songs were selected from their vault, they said, which includes a long list of tracks that didn’t make the cut for “Mija No Te Asustes,” the band’s 2025 critically acclaimed debut that featured co-signs by Fuerza Regida, Edgardo Nuñez and Luis R Conquirez.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
What was it like to perform back home in Salinas?
Alex: That’s actually the second time that we come back as Clave Especial. The first show was at the Fox Theater, which was a sold-out show. People were asking us, “Hey when are you guys coming back?” We decided to do it now at the Salinas Sports Complex.
Jumping to the EP, how did “Afterafter” come to be?
Alex: It was more like a fun concept that we kind of had in mind. We were actually working towards an album at a writers camp in Ensenada. It was at the beach. Then we jumped around to Miami, Puerto Vallarta. We caught ourselves jumping around beaches, a lot of parties. We want to give people like a summer EP, something they can slap during the summer when they’re partying.
If “Mija No Te Asustes” is an album about this confident boss man calling the shots, how would you characterize “Afterafter”?
Alex: I think it’s that same guy from the first album, he’s still living it up. In “Mija No Te Asustes” there’s some songs like “Como Capo” that introduce that vibe to this EP, so we just continued that wave. It was our biggest song yet. We knew that people liked us apart from the corridos like “Rápido Soy,” “No Son Doritos,” but I think with “Como Capo” we discovered that people like other sounds and lyrics. That’s what we tried to continue in “Afterafter.”
Musically, how would you describe the sound of this EP?
Leo: One thing about us, when we get in the studio, we play a lot in the tempo 6/8s, this upbeat speed. We always hit the BPM at 140 BPM — that’s the Clave Especial essence.
One of the songs that caught my interest was “Scary Movie,” because it reminded me of a corrido-inspired “Thriller” (by Michael Jackson). It also connects the past album because there’s a phrase where you say “Mija, no te asustes.” Tell me the backstory of that spooky song.
Alex: That’s funny, because I’m going to watch the Michael Jackson movie today. That song was actually composed by someone from Street Mob from Ensenada. I think that song was already in the vault.
Leo: That song was tailored for [the past] album. The [ad lib] was an Easter egg.
I saw that you were all recently in North Carolina at the grocery store where Mr. Beast is doing a challenge. There’s one Mexican dad named Juan competing for the million-dollar prize. You guys went to see him and also gave his son a scholarship. Why was it important for you guys to show up?
Alex: Basically we were in [New York] having dinner. We had some press the next day but we had to cancel on them. We commented on Mr. Beast’s video, and the comment got a lot of likes, we’re like “oh shoot, this is dope, this has a real impact on the Mexican community.” His son had swiped up on us, thanking us for supporting his dad.
We saw that Juan told his son to leave the competition ‘cause he wanted to keep going to school. I think we’re one of the few bands in the industry that went to school. I have my bachelor’s degree from Fresno State. It was something that really resonated with us. We had also just come off a panel there at Cornell University so everything just set the tone. We saw the map. It was 10 hours away, obviously a drive, but this opportunity’s never gonna come. We’re from Cali and this is on the other side of the country and we’re here now. Let’s show that the Mexican community is very powerful, united. Let’s go show some support to Juan and his kid. Hopefully he wins!
The last time we chatted was at the Rolling Stone showcase at SXSW. I didn’t get a chance to talk to y’all afterwards, during the end of your set, you sang a cover of Los Alegres del Barranco’s “El Del Palenque” which venerates the narco leader El Mencho, who was killed by Mexican forces just weeks prior. Why was it important for Clave to sing that song specifically?
Alex: We just like the song. At the end of the day it’s just music. It’s storytelling. It’s corridos. That’s what corridos is all about, and that’s why I got into the music scene. We just like the song. We’re from Jalisco, from Michoacán. It always turns up the crowd, so we did it for the people. People want to hear corridos. We’ve been seeing the censorship going on, but at the end of the day I don’t think that’s the problem. It’s a lot deeper than that, and music is just music, we’re just storytelling, singing music, having fun on stage. I don’t know if we had it in our set list or not, but I think we had just played a song prior to that that had the same tones. I was like, keep it going, let’s play this one next. Nothing deep.
So it wasn’t planned?
Alex: No, it wasn’t. Afterwards I was like, “Damn, I sang that.” But, eh, who cares?
Do you guys ever get worried when you sing corridos? Or is that something that you’re able to manage being from the U.S., which provides a layer of protection?
Alex: There’s a famous dicho: El que nada debe, nada teme. Like at the end of the day we don’t owe anybody anything. We do music, we’re here by our own sacrifice. People that know our story know that.
Grant Leary of Crespi is ready to defend his 2025 championship as Southern Section individual golf champion.
Qualifying begins Wednesday for the Northern Regional at Los Robles Golf Course. The top 20 players from the three regionals advance to the individual finals May 21 at River Ridge Country Club.
Leary shot 66 last year to win. He’s been playing well. He won a playoff at a U.S. Open qualifying tournament in Brentwood to advance to the final stage, a tournament June 8 in Sacramento. The U.S. Open will be in New York this season.
He’s committed to San José State.
One top player who won’t be participating this year is sophomore Jaden Soong, the defending CIF state champion from St. Francis. His father, Chris, said Jaden has too many conflict dates this month on his schedule while trying to earn a spot to play in the Junior Presidents Cup in September at Medinah Country Club.
Soong is No. 10 in the standings. Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, is No. 7.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
On Mother’s Day, let’s salute two single mothers who became the No. 1 fans for their sports-playing sons and stayed by their side through good and bad times.
Sylmar pitcher Matthew Torres has tried to make it through life without a father after his parents’ separation when he was 12.
“He’s not been to any high school games,” Torres said.
Enter his mother, Roxanne, who has raised four boys and one girl by multitasking and embracing sports activities. She intervened to help Matthew make it through tough times.
“Her bringing me to church and getting to know God has made me the man I am today,” the 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior said.
Torres became the No. 1 pitcher in the Valley Mission League this season with an 8-0 record while also hitting .488. He helped Sylmar win the league title and become the No. 1 seed for the City Section Division I playoffs.
He has a secret plan scheduled for Sunday to salute his mother. Who doesn’t like surprises?
At Carson High, All-City quarterback Chris Fields has a mother, Shere Fletcher, who could play or coach football the way she has dived headfirst into learning the sport to be at the side of her son.
There were once tough times as a family. Fields said the family was “impoverished.” Mom worked multiple jobs while also studying but sacrificed everything to make sure her son and daughter could have a bright future. She became a paralegal and never misses a practice or game. She should be called “Coach Fletcher” but prefers mom.
“I’ve been through everything with my mom,” Fields said.
Her Mother’s Day gift since the 49ers are her favorite team is a vintage Jerry Rice jersey and a trip to Santa Anita.
There are plenty of moms who’ve spent countless hours driving, feeding and motivating their sports-playing sons and daughters through highs and lows.
Happy Mother’s Day to all.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
