Salsa icon Willie Colon, the Bronx-born architect of the New York sound, has died at age 75, leaving a legacy of socially charged music
NEW YORK: Salsa music legend Willie Colon has died at the age of 75. His family and longtime manager confirmed his passing.
The Bronx-born trombonist, bandleader and producer was celebrated for blending Puerto Rican music with New York’s jazz influences.
“We’ve lost an architect of the New York sound,” said manager Pietro Carolos.
Colon’s family said he “passed away peacefully.” No cause of death was provided.
Born William Anthony Colon Roman in 1950, he formed his own band by age 15. He released his first album at 17.
He recorded hit records with Puerto Rican singer Hector Lavoe throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
His 1978 album “Siembra” with vocalist Ruben Blades addressed social issues in the US Latino community.
“I came from a really tough neighborhood,” he once told Billboard. “My father spent time in jail. Almost everybody went to jail.”
He only studied music formally in junior high school but continued playing and touring through 2025.
His enduring influence was noted in Bad Bunny’s 2025 hit “Nueva Yol.”