Héctor Lavoe
His personality, style and the qualities of his voice led him to a successful artistic career in the whole field of Latin music and salsa during the 1970s and 1980s.
The cleanness and brightness of his voice, coupled with impeccable diction and the ability to sing long and fast phrases with total naturalness, made him one of the favorite singers of the Latin public.
In 1967, Lavoe joined Willie Colón's band as its vocalist,[9] recording several hit songs, including "El Malo" and "Canto a Borinquen."
[8] In 1979, Lavoe became deeply depressed and sought the help of a high priest of the Santería faith to treat his drug addiction.
[3] These events, along with being diagnosed with HIV from intravenous drug use, drove Lavoe to attempt suicide by jumping off the 9th floor of a Condado hotel room balcony in San Juan, Puerto Rico on June 26, 1988.
[8] Héctor was born on September 30, 1946 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, to Francisca (Pachita) Martínez and Luis Pérez, and raised in the Machuelo Abajo barrio of the city.
He was in high demand as a guitarist for the Fiestas de Cruz celebrations and other popular religious ceremonies, and he wanted his son to receive formal musical training as a trombonist; Héctor dreamt of being a singer.
Héctor attended the local Juan Morel Campos Public School of Music where the first instrument he learned to play was the saxophone.
Well on his way to becoming a popular-music vocalist, he began frequenting clubs such as Segovia, where he sang accompanied by his childhood friends, Roberto García and José Febles.
"[15] Héctor was disappointed by the condition of El Barrio which he had envisioned would have "fancy Cadillacs, tall marble skyscrapers, and tree-lined streets.
[15] Later in his career he joined other salsa groups including Orquesta New York, Kako All-Stars, and Johnny Pacheco's FANIA .
To distinguish Héctor from other Latino singers, a former manager made him adopt Felipe Rodríguez's moniker "La Voz" ("The Voice") and turned it into a stage name, Lavoe.
[15] Colón's band featured a raw, aggressive, all-trombone sound that was well received by salsa fans, and Lavoe complemented the style with his articulate voice, talent for improvisation, and sense of humor.
[17] On the night José was baptized, Héctor received a call informing him that Nilda "Puchi" Román, with whom he also had a relationship during the same period he was with Castro, was pregnant.
[20] One famous incident involved a middle-aged audience member at a dance who requested a Puerto Rican Man danza from Colón's band; Lavoe responded with an insult.
The request was finally honored on a later Colón record, El Juicio (The Trial), when he added a danza section to the Rafael Muñoz song "Soñando despierto", which Lavoe introduces with a deadpanned: "¡Para ti, motherflower!"
One year later, Héctor was scheduled to perform at the Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum in Bayamón, Puerto Rico on the night of Saturday, June 25, 1988.
[3] The next day, Sunday, June 26, 1988, Héctor attempted suicide by jumping off the ninth floor of the Regency Hotel Condado in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In June 2002, the remains of Lavoe and his son were exhumed at his family's request and reburied in his native Ponce, along with his widow Nilda who had died a few weeks before.
The first, El Cantante, was produced by salsa artist Marc Anthony, who played Lavoe, and Jennifer Lopez as Hector's wife, Nilda (known as "Puchi" by close friends).
[32][36] An urban tribute album was released in late 2007 performed by several reggaeton artists such as Don Omar which sampled Lavoe's voice.
[39] La Guancha Recreational and Cultural Complex in his hometown of Ponce, Puerto Rico, honored Hector with a statue.
The $60,000 statue is 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) tall, weighs 1 ton and portrays Lavoe with a microphone in his right hand and a pair of maracas in his left.
[42] As vocalist of the Willie Colón Orchestra[43] As soloist[44] With Tito Puente With the Fania All Stars Lavoe also sang chorus on three songs of Mon Rivera's album with Willie Colón, There Goes The Neighborhood (1974), and in the song "Las Cadenas de Chuíto" on Jesús Sanchez Erazo's album Música Jíbara para las Navidades (1978).
