Cheech Marin is known for a lot of things:
- His cinematic, marijuana-laced misadventures with comedic partner Tommy Chong.
- An extensive film career that includes the Kevin Costner movie, "Tin Cup," filmed right here in Tucson
- His massive Chicano art collection, now housed in a museum in Riverside, California, lovingly named The Cheech.
As KGUN 9 found out in an interview with Marin on Thursday, you can now add "man with ties to Tucson" to the list.
Marin was in town, serving as the keynote speaker for the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's Hispanic Market Outlook 2023 event at the Tucson Convention Center.
During a post-talk interview, he told KGUN 9 that his grandmother was born in the Old Pueblo.
"We used to come here and visit all the time," Marin said.
While Marin and Chong have been through Tucson several times on tour over the years, Marin said he hadn't visited in a while.
"It is great to see the transformation of the city," he said. "(It) looks different from the last time I came here. I think it will continue. The spread of Chicano culture will be a great aid to that."
Marin had the opportunity to take a little bit of Tucson back home with him on his visit.
During the event, he was gifted a painting by local muralist, Jessica Gonzales. The inscription on the back of the painting read: "Cheech, thank you for making me laugh as a kid and feel seen as an adult. You are appreciated."
