Hector Lavoe
b. Héctor Pérez, 30 September 1946, Ponce, Puerto Rico, d. 29 June 1993. Lavoe is known as El Cantante ( THE Singer), after the title of the biographical song Rubén Blades composed for his 1978 COMEDIA. Lavoe's high-nasal voice and style of phrasing are unmistakable, and his often witty, sometimes risque, ad-libbed anecdotes became renowned. Héctor was heavily influenced by his father, Luis Pérez, who sang and played guitar with local bands and trios. When he was six-years-old, Lavoe stood by the radio and sang along with Chuíto el de Bayamón (Jesús Sanchez Erazo), who was one of the greats of jibaro music, the country music of Puerto Rico. He received tuition from his father and attended the Free School of Music in Ponce, where he met Papo Luccaand began his longstanding friendship with José Febles. At the age of 14, Héctor sang professionally with a 10-piece band in a local club. After arriving in New York in May 1963, he was hired to perform with a sextet. This was followed by stints with Orchestra New Yorker and Kako. Lavoe met Willie Colón in June 1966 and became the lead singer with his two trombone band. Their partnership was highly successful, and between 1967 and 1975, Lavoe sang on 12 of Colón's albums. 
Colón handed his band over to Lavoe in 1974. With two trumpets added, Héctor made his solo debut on the Colón-produced LA VOZIN 1975. The album went gold. José Febles arranged Héctor's composition ‘Paraiso de Dulzura’ and the outstanding Rompe Saragüey, which featured an elegant and ingenious piano solo by Mark Markolino Dimond. Febles arranged the title track, a romantic bolero, of Lavoe's follow-up DE TI DEPENDE/IT'S UP TO YOU, again produced by Colón. The album also went gold and contained the smash hit single ‘Periodico de Ayer’ (Yesterday's Newspaper). The song's title became a household phrase. The Colón produced- RECORDANDO A FELIPE PIRELA, was a tribute to the great bolero singer Felipe Pirela (b. Felipe Antonio Pirela Morón, El Empedrado, Venezuela; d. 5 July 1972). In 1980, Febles played trumpet and wrote over half the arrangements on EL SABIO, which was another Colón production job. The title track was an interpretation of the Tito Rodríguez classic. Febles and Louie Ramírez were co-musical directors on QUE SENTIMIENTO!, Héctor's first and only self-production. 1985's REVENTO did not get the recognition it deserved, being released at a time when New York salsa was in the doldrums, Dominican merengue was peaking and Lavoe's career was at a low ebb commercially. In 1987, He reunited with Colón and reverted to a two-trombone front-line for STRIKES BACK. 
In 1988 his son was murdered and shortly afterwards he was the victim of an arson attack in which he jumped from his apartment window to save his life, breaking both his legs. Lavoe's career had been dogged by drug problems. He became critically ill and rumours circulated about his medical condition. It was later confirmed he had Aids. His pathetic 90lb frame had to be carried on and off the stage, when he gave a moving performance at the first part of the 1990 New York Salsa Festival at Meadowlands Arena, New Jersey. It was reported that his medical bills had reduced his families financial situation to near destitution. Héctor was a founder member of the Fania All Stars and recorded with them between 1968 and 1988. He was seen performing at his peak with the All Stars in the 1991 UK video release, SALSA MADNESS, which contains 1974 concert footage filmed in Zaire. He made his second UK appearance with them in 1976. In November 1984, he gave a memorable concert at a church hall in Pimlico, London, with some of Angel Canales’ accompanists. Lavoe appeared on the second and third volumes (1979 and 1985) of Tito Puente's three-album tribute to Beny Moré.