In El Cantante, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony pay tribute to their musical forebears and Puerto Rican heritage.
Hector Lavoe, a skinny kid and self-taught singer, rose from poverty to become "El Cantante De Los Cantantes," or singer of singers, and a hero in the Puerto Rican community.
He was born Hector Juan Perez on Sept. 30, 1946, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. At 17, he moved to New York, where he caught the ear of composer and producer Johnny Pacheco.
Lavoe made his name as vocalist for Willie Colon's orchestra beginning in 1967. It was with Colon that Lavoe first performed some of his more famous songs, including Mi Gente. The band's mix of jazz, rock and horn-infused Afro-Cuban rhythms brought instant fame.
Along with fame came temptations, and Lavoe became addicted to drugs. He began showing up late or skipping performances. After Colon quit the group in 1974, Lavoe took over as band leader and branched out as a solo artist, singing and touring frequently with the Fania All-Stars.
Even while Lavoe continued to make popular music, his personal life was in shambles. By the late 1970s, Lavoe was suffering from depression and was in and out of drug rehab. His mother-in-law was murdered; his son was killed at 17.
In 1988, Lavoe was diagnosed with AIDS. In June of that year, he attempted suicide by jumping off his hotel room balcony after an aborted concert in Puerto Rico. He survived, but he was never the same.
His final concert was with the Fania All-Stars in 1990, but he was so ill he could barely sing. He died on June 29, 1993, at 46; the official cause was cardiac arrest. Recently, after the death of his widow, Nilda, his body and that of his son were exhumed and reburied near her in Ponce.
