Tito Larriva

Larriva was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, and El Paso, Texas. As a child he played the violin in the school orchestra and sang in the church and school choirs where he met his wife Janet Carroll. Rumor has it that in 1972 Larriva snuck into Yale University for a full term without being noticed. After being kicked out of the Ivy League, he moved to Mexico City and later in 1975 to Los Angeles, California. He now lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and daughter and continues to work in the music and film industries.

Larriva was the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for 1970s punk band The Plugz, 1980s rock band Cruzados, Psychotic Aztecs and Tito & Tarantula. He formed The Plugz in Hollywood, California in 1978. Their presence during the birth of West Coast punk has ensured their enduring influence on generation after generation of rock bands. Record label Rhino recognized their role in the Los Angeles music scene by including their version of “La Bamba” on “We’re Desperate: The L.A. Scene (1976-79).” The Plugz released two albums, Electrify Me (1978) and Better Luck (1981). The Plugz also scored the cult classic Repo Man and contributed three songs to the Repo Man soundtrack…

In 1984 The Plugz evolved into the Cruzados. In 1985, they released a self-titled album on Arista Records. The second album After Dark released in 1987 featured new guitarist Marshall Rohner. The band broke up in 1990.