Doug Sahm’s Mysterious Death: What Really Happened?

Doug Sahm’s death comes as a shock to the music world. It all started when the singer planned to go on a vacation trip to New Mexico. He wanted to visit a friend in Taos, New Mexico, then proceed to Sangre de Cristo Range and end his trip in San Francisco. Before he went to New Mexico, Sahm visited his son Shawn in Texas. While he was on his trip, he kept calling his son, informing him that he was sick, and he kept on vomiting. When Sahm arrived in Taos, New Mexico, he stayed at the Kachina Lodge Hotel. Shawn got worried and continued calling his father over the next few days. 

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Shawn, along with Debora Hanson, Sahm’s girlfriend, even offered to drive Sahm back to Texas. At first, Sahm refused but later on, he agreed to meet Hanson in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so they could return back to Texas. Unfortunately, Sahm’s condition worsened. The clerk told him that he should visit the local emergency room, but he refused.

Doug Sahm’s Cause of Death

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Tragically, on November 18, 1999, Doug Sahm‘s lifeless body was discovered in his hotel room. According to Tao’s police spokesman, Sahm may have died from natural causes, most probably a heart attack. Based on the autopsy report, Doug Sahm’s death was caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, otherwise known as a heart attack. Sahm was 58 when he died. 

Sahm’s funeral was held on November 23, 1999, at the Sunset Memorial Home in San Antonio. There were thousands of mourners who attended the funeral. Some mourners even left keepsakes. The remains of Sahm were buried next to his mother and father at Sunset Memorial Park in San Antonio.

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Sahm had been creating music even before rock n roll was introduced in the 1950s. In fact, at the age of five, he had already made a radio appearance. When he turned eight, he performed regularly on the Louisiana Hayride show. He played various types of music, including swing, rockabilly, folk rock, blues, Tex-Mex, country, honky-tonk, and other styles that exist on the Mexican border. Doug Sahm songs such as “She’s About a Mover” and “Mendocino” became the biggest hits in the 1960s. During this time, he leads the Sir Douglas Quintet. In the ’90s, he joined the Texas Tornados, and in 1991, their band won a Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American performance.

According to the San Antonio Express, Doug Sahm’s death has a great impact on the Texas heritage.