Willie Colón, Pioneering Salsa Icon, Dead at 75
Rolling Stone • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Willie Colón, the legendary salsa musician, died peacefully at age 75, as confirmed by his family; no cause of death has been disclosed.
- Born in 1950 in the Bronx, Colón embraced his Puerto Rican heritage and launched a six-decade career starting at age 16, notably collaborating with Héctor Lavoe and later Rubén Blades.
- Colón was a pioneering figure in salsa music, credited with shaping the genre’s sound and bringing Latin music to global audiences; his 1978 album "Siembra" with Blades remains the best-selling salsa album of all time.
- Over his career, Colón released more than 40 albums, sold over 30 million records worldwide, earned nine
