He guest-starred on television shows, including Sesame Street and The Simpsons's two-part episode "Who Shot Mr.

As a child, he was described as hyperactive, and after neighbors complained of hearing seven-year-old Puente beating on pots and window frames, his mother sent him to 25-cent piano lessons.

[4] He later created a song-and-dance duo with his sister Anna in the 1930s and intended to become a dancer, but an ankle tendon injury prevented him from pursuing dance as a career.

Puente had distinct Asian influences in his composition and arranging style, all of which came after his service during World War II.

After finishing his time in the Navy, Puente attended the Juilliard School of Music to study conducting and orchestration.

[9] He was discharged with a Presidential Unit Citation for serving in nine battles on the escort aircraft carrier USS Santee (CVE-29) where his duties included playing alto saxophone and clarinet in the ship's big band as well as occasionally drum set, piano during mess hall, acting as the ship's bugler, and serving as a machine gunner in the battles of Leyte and Midway.

While aboard the Santee, Puente expanded his compositional skills by learning how to arrange for big bands given the extra time he had.

The first chart Puente arranged was ‘El Botellero’ which he sent to Machito and Mario Bauza in New York City.

After finishing his time in the Navy, Puente attended the Juilliard School of Music to study orchestration and conducting.

[11] During the 1950s, Puente was at the height of his popularity and helped to bring Cuban and Caribbean sounds like mambo, son, and cha-cha-chá, to mainstream audiences.

Among his compositions is the cha-cha-chá song "Oye Cómo Va" (1963),[12] popularized by Latin rock musician Carlos Santana and later interpreted, among others, by Julio Iglesias, Irakere and Celia Cruz.

In 1992, he was inducted into the National Congressional Record and in 1993, he received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian Institution.

In New York City, the Palladium Ballroom was the “Home of the Mambo.”[15] It had been converted from the Alma Dance Studio into a nightclub by Tommy Morton in 1946.

Machito, who was popular and sold lots of records, was hired along with musicians to play all kinds of music for the dancers.

Machito sought to bring in black and Latino consumers from Harlem that normally frequented the Savoy or Park Place Ballroom.

Machito and Morton hired Federico Pagani, leader of the Happy Boys, to promote Latino dance.

Given that this was post-World War II, people were happily spending money given the economic boom and the desire to have a good time.

His daughter Audrey Puente is a television meteorologist for WNYW and WWOR-TV in New York City.

[17] With Dizzy Gillespie With Benny Golson With Quincy Jones With Sonny Stitt With Bobby Sanabria Puente appeared in the two-part whodunit drama "Who Shot Mr.

When Burns is later shot, Puente becomes one of the prime suspects but manages to clear himself by performing one of his songs for Chief Wiggum.