Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on September 30,1946 with the name Hector Juan Perez, and died on June 29,1993 in New York City due to a heart attack connected to his battle with HIV. When Hector Lavoe was young, he was eager to study and listen to Puerto Rican folklore music and other popular music. At the age of 16, he dropped out of school to pursue a career in music and began singing in local bands in Ponce. At the age of 17, he moved to New York City and joined the bands such as the New Yorkers, Kako and His All-Stars and Tito Puente Orchestra. Shortly after, his former manager renamed Hector as Hector Lavoe which meant “La Voz”. Soon, Hector came to meet Willie Colon, and they began producing and performing music together with the help of Alegre Records who recorded their first album titled “El Malo”. Their songs consisted of a mix between Salsa and Boogaloo songs which were popular among Puerto Ricans born and raised in New York and they became known as “Los Malotes de la Salsa”. After many years as part of Willie Colon’s band, and many hit albums, Hector Lavoe left the band in 1974 to pursue his own path in the Salsa industry. Hector Lavoe suffered many setbacks from his drug addiction, the accidental death of his son, mother-in-law and his father and his HIV diagnosis. During the year of 1988, Hector Lavoe was nominated for a Grammy award and was known as one of Salsa’s greatest singers by many. After his death in 1993, Hector Lavoe continued to be a hero to the Puerto Rican community and to other Latino cultures.