Hector Lavoe was one of the best salsa singers the world has ever, find out more about his career, personal life and how the iconic singer died.
Real name Hector Juan Perez Martinez, better known as Hector Lavoe was a famous salsa singer from Puerto Rico. Hector was a popular singer who helped expand the popularity of salsa back in the 60s and 70s.
Hector had a successful music career for over two decades. The singer was married and had two sons before he died in the early 1990s. His life and career have inspired two biographical films
Hector Lavoe remains an icon even after his death. In a moment, you will find out more about the Puerto Rican salsa singer.
Who Is Hector Lavoe?
Born on September 30, 1946, Hector Juan Perez Martinez was a Puerto Rican salsa singer. Better known as Hector Lavoe, the singer is considered to be one of the best singers and the most important figure and interpreter of the history of salsa music.
Hector helped expand and establish the popularity of salsa music in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Even after his death, Hector remains one of the best salsa singers in the world.
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Early Life and Education
Hector was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico to Francisca (Pachita) Martinez and Luis Perez. He was raised in the Machuelo Abajo barrio of Ponce.
Lavoe’s family has a long history of music. Hector’s grandfather, Don Juan Martinez was a singer who made controversial songs. Francisca (Pachita), Hector’s mother was also a singer. She was well-known by family and townspeople for her gorgeous singing voice.
Hector’s father Luis Perez was very supportive towards his wife’s career. Luis was a guitarist who was in high demand for the Fiestas de Cruz celebrations, as well as other popular religious ceremonies.
Growing up, Hector was influenced by Jesus Sanchez Erazo, a famous Puerto Rican singer. Hector Lavoe would later record songs with Jesus Sanchez and Daniel Santos, another Puerto Rican singer who was Hector’s idol.
Education
Hector’s father Luis Perez wanted his son to receive formal musical training as a trombonist. Lavoe attended the local Juan Morel Campos Public School of Music. It was at the institution where Hector learned how to play the saxophone.
Jose Febles and Papo Lucca were Hector’s classmates at the local Juan Morel Campos Public School of Music. One of Hector’s teachers saw his potential to become a superstar as a bolero singer.
Hector was exceptional with his unique voice and talent. While he was establishing himself as a superstar, Hector started singing clubs. One of the clubs where Hector performed alongside his childhood friend Jose Febles and Roberto Garcia is Segovia.
At the age of 17, Hector Lavoe left school and began singing with a ten-piece band. In 1963, Hector relocated to New York against his father’s wishes. Luis Perez was worried because of Hector’s decision of moving to New York.
Hector’s decision affected his relationship with his father. However, the father and son would reconcile after many years.
Hector Lavoe Music Career
Hector Juan Perez Martinez and Willie Colon together made 14 albums. The pair recorded the first two Asalto Navideno albums in the late 1970s.
An incident once occurred with a middle-aged audience member and Lavoe. Someone requested a Puerto Rican Man danza from Colon’s band. Hector responded with an insult and things soon escalated.
There was a physical altercation and Hector was beaten by the requester and almost ended up in a hospital.
Hector Lavoe Solo Career
By 1973, Willie Colon has stopped touring to concentrate more on record production and other businesses. Hector was given the chance to become the band leader.
Lavoe and his band toured around the world. They were guest singers with the Fania All-Stars, performing in various shows.
Lavoe and his band performed in the Kinshasa province of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). They performed as part of the activities promoting the rumble in the jungle, a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
In 1975, Hector was part of the group when the Fania All-Stars returned to Yankee Stadium in New York City. The event at the Yankee stadium featured vocalists of Fania and Vaya records.
Hector, Justo Betancourt, Ismael Miranda, Cheo Feliciano, Ismael Quintana, Santos Colon, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez, Celia Cruz and Bobby Cruz were all part of the group that performed.
Hector Lavoe worked closely with the band. He recorded many songs with them in fifteen different productions. Lavoe also starred in three movies produced by Fania Records.
Lavoe was in Fania All-Star: Our Latin Thing, Celia Cruz with the Fania All-Stars: Live in Africa, and Fania All-Stars: Salsa.
Hector Lavoe’s Net Worth
Lavoe was a famous salsa singer who made the music genre more popular in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Hector came to New York in the early 1960s.
The Puerto Rican singer toured the world with the Fania All-Star, performing at live concerts and recording songs with the band.
Now, when it comes to Lavoe’s net worth, there have been many reports out there. According to recent reports, Hector had a net worth of $1 million before his death.
The iconic singer toured the world and performed at live concerts. Lavoe’s career expands over two decades and he worked with the best entertainer during his time.
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Hector Lavoe Wife
Lavoe was married and he had children before his death in 1993. His wife’s name was Nilda Roman Perez, a well-known salsa performer.
Nilda Roman Perez was a Cuban-American activist born on October 1, 1947. She was known as Puchi and she fought for the Cuban Revolution.
According to resorts, Nilda moved to the United States in 1961. Before coming to the United States, Nilda was a supporter of Fidel Castro and she belonged to the Communist Party USA and the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five.
Nilda Roman Perez died in 2002. According to reports, Nilda died due to injuries sustained in an accidental fall. She was filming a documentary about her late husband when she fell from a window.
Hector Lavoe Son
Born on October 30, 1968, Jose Alberto Perez is the first son of Hector Juan Perez Martinez.
On September 25, 1969, Nilda gave birth to Hector Perez Jr., Lavoe’s second son. Hector Jr. died at the age of 17 after he was mistakenly shot by his father’s friend.
Lavoe was in a romantic relationship with Carmen Castro. Carmen Castro is the mother of Jose Alberto Perez, Lavoe’s first son. Even after becoming pregnant, Carmen Castro refused to marry Lavoe.
Carmen’s concerns and why she refused to marry Lavoe is because she sees him as a womanizer. Hector Lavoe was in a romantic relationship with Carmen Castro and Nilda “Puchi” Roman.
After Hector Perez Jr. was born, Nilda and Lavoe married. While the couple were married, Nilda requested that Lavoe only maintains minimum contact with Carmen Castro and her son Jose Alberto Perez.
Hector Lavoe Illness and Death
Lavoe experienced tragedy and emotional pain. In 1987, his second son Hector Perez Jr. was accidentally shot and killed.
Lavoe was just recovering from losing his seventeen-year-old son when his apartment in Rego Park, Queens, was destroyed in a fire.
One year later after those tragic incidents, Lavoe was scheduled to perform at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Puerto Rico. Rick Sostre who was the promoter of the event decided to cancel the concert due to poor sales.
Lavoe was determined to perform one last time in Puerto Rico. He performed anyway, neglecting the promoter’s decision not to do so.
Lavoe’s life was deteriorating. The success and fame he gained over the years were no longer enough and Lavoe started to contemplate suicide.
On June 26, 1988, Hector jumped from the ninth floor of the Regency Hotel Condado in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Although he survived the attempt, Lavoe will never recover completely.
In 1990, Lavoe and the Fania All-Stars performed at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. This will become the singer’s last large public performance. The vent was meant to be Lavoe’s comeback concert but the iconic singer was unable to sing just a few notes of his song “Mi Gente”.
Lavoe died on June 29, 1993, after suffering from Aids. Lavoe died at age 46 and was laid to rest at Saint Raymond’s Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.
A few weeks after his wife Nilda “Puchi” Roman died, Lavoe and his son Hector Jr. were exhumed and reburied in his native Ponce in Puerto Rico. Nilda was also buried at the Cementerio Civil de Ponce in Puerto Rico.
Hector Recognition
Hector Juan Perez Martinez was a famous salsa singer from Puerto Rico. The singer’s life and career have inspired two biographical films.
El Cantente is the first film and salsa artist Marc Anthony portrayed Hector, while Jennifer Lopez played Nilda “Puchi” Roman. The film was also produced by Marc Anthony.
La India began production of her biographical film titled The Singer. Raulito Carbonell had a lead role in the film.
Production for the film was suspended in August 2008 due to being over budget. However, the film was completed in 2011 and the title was changed to Lavoe: The Untold Story.
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Hector Studio Albums as Soloist
Throughout Hector Lavoe’s career, he recorded several songs as a soloist. Here are albums released by Lavoe as a soloist.
- La Voz- 1975
- De Ti Depende- 1976
- Comedia- 1978
- Feliz Navidad (with Daniel Santos and Yomo Toro)- 1979
- Recordando a Felipe Pirela- 1979
- El Sabio- 1980
- Que Sentimiento- 1981
- Vigilante (with Willie Colon)- 1983
- Revento- 1985
- Strikes Back- 1987
Conclusion
It’s unfortunate that Hector Juan Perez Martinez died at the age of 46. The late salsa singer was an important figure in making the music genre more popular in the 1960s, and 1970s.
Lavoe performed and toured the world with the Fania All-Stars. He also recorded his first two albums with Willie Colon. Even after his death, Hector Lavoe remains one of the best salsa singers in history.
