Tito Puente(1923-2000)
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
Ernest "Tito" Anthony Puente was the eldest son of Puerto Rican
parents. His mother called him "Ernestito" which means "Little Ernest",
which was later shortened to "Tito". His mother saw his musical
potential and enrolled him in piano classes. Eventually he attended the
Juilliard School of Music from 1945-47 on the GI bill. He would write a
piece that would start off as jazz and then add a Latin beat to it. He
recorded over 100 albums during his 60 years in the business and won 10
Grammy awards. He often joked that he was profiting off of
Santana's hit recording of "Oye Como
Va", which he had written. He said, "I get a nice royalty check." He
appeared in several films, usually as himself.
