Ashley Hutzel & Kobe's Future Without Tino

Paul and Connie Hutzel have created this fundraiser for their daughter Ashley Hutzel and her 4 legged son Kobe after the loss of Tino Melendez to cancer last month.

Ashley is a twin who was "Born Too Soon". Ashley and her brother Nicholas were born in November 1987 at Phoenix Children's Hospital, 2 1/2 months before their due date. Ashley weighed 2.5 pounds and Nicholas weighed 2 pounds. Nicholas passed away two days after his birthday and Ashley spent 2 1/2 months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She was on 100% oxygen for months and had chest tubes and surgeries, including a colostomy. Ashley came home in February 1988 and immediately became a little "Solo Sensation" - how those lungs ever worked to sing, let alone play saxophone is beyond us. Always the loudest singer at the school concerts with such passion. She sang at school competitions, National Anthem at all of the high school sporting events, participated in marching band and continued to thrive. When she was 16, Mom, insanely, took her to the American Idol competition in San Francisco, despite her having seizures regularly (ended up having a police officer take us from the American Idol competition back to our hotel the night before tryouts because she had a seizure and hit the concrete) - she still did the tryouts the next day. Mom, again took her the next year to American Idol tryouts in Denver and she made it through her first song and got to sing a second song - Mom was over the moon. Upon returning from Denver, Mom and Dad took her to Tucson to buy a bunch of music equipment that we knew nothing about. She started practicing and Mom and Dad helped her get some gigs in Southern Arizona at local resorts, restaurants and festivals in Rio Rico, Tubac and Nogales. After high school, she joined a couple of local bands and in 2010 she got her first cruise gig with the band on the Norwegian Cruise Line. The parents were beyond excited and beyond scared to death. This beautiful soul with "two hearts" never had fear, never cared about what anyone thought, always had a smile on her face and always wanted to make people sing, dance and be happy! So, Mom and Dad loaded her, her luggage and music equipment (A LOT OF EQUIPMENT) and took her to the airport and off she went to wonderful faraway places.

Ashley met Tino Melendez on that cruise - he was The One Man Party. They hit it off and did many wonderful things together. When they returned they moved in with us and there went the dining room - it became a music studio surrounded by empty beer cans so that the dogs wouldn't pee on their equipment (the dogs were afraid of "the can"). Tino and Ashley went on to do so many unbelievable things together as T&A - traveling the world, becoming the "regulars" at Talking Stick for many years in Shadows Lounge and Palo Verde. These two could sure get people up and make them dance, sing and be happy! What a truly rewarding and very difficult career to have - practicing, loading equipment, setting up equipment, working nights, working holidays and MAKING EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD A SHITTY WEEK HAPPY, no matter what was going on in their lives.

In 2020, Tino was diagnosed with cancer and after a long haul with awful treatment, he RANG THE BELL! Earlier this year, the cancer returned and Ashley at the age of 34 suddenly faced something that no one in their lifetime should ever have to face. Tino and Ashley continued to "make people happy" even during such awful times of what that treatment does to a person. In and out of the hospital and working the next night, unimaginable. The last time that Tino and Ashley played together was on Tino's birthday, September 11 and WOW WHAT A PARTY - so many beautiful souls went that night to spend time with them, wish him a wonderful birthday and bring him so much joy. After that night, Tino was in the hospital the next day and things just continued to get worse day by day. The unbelievable things that Ashley faced and the care that she gave Tino during his final months are truly remarkable and something that we, personally, cannot even begin to understand! Tino passed on December 8, 2022.

Ashley hasn't worked for quite awhile because she suddenly became a caregiver and tried to do a few solos, but would have to find someone to come over and take care of Tino.

Tino and Ashley were partners...Tino and Ashley were T&A...Tino, Ashley and Kobe (our little GRANDdog) lived a life together in Tinos's home. Ashley no longer has her partner, Ashley no longer has T&A and Ashley no longer has a home for her and Kobe to live in. What Ashley and Kobe do have is US and YOU! She'll be rocking your world again soon and bringing the joy of music to your lives!

Thank you for your support for Ashley and Kobe!