Willie Colon

William Anthony Colon Roman, the pioneering salsa musician, trombonist, and social activist who helped define the sound of Latin music in America, passed away on February 21, 2026, in Bronxville, New York, from respiratory failure. He was 75 years old. Born on April 28, 1950, in the South Bronx, New York City, to Puerto Rican parents, Colon picked up the trumpet at a young age before switching to trombone, inspired by the all-trombone sound of Mon Rivera and Barry Rogers. He spent summers at his grandmothers farm in Manati, Puerto Rico, forging a deep connection between the diaspora and island culture that would permeate his music. Colons career began remarkably early. At age 15, he was signed to Fania Records, and by 17, he had recorded his first album, which sold more than 300,000 copies. He became a key figure in the Fania Records scene that launched salsa music into the mainstream, and his partnership with singer Hector Lavoe produced some of the genres most celebrated recordings. His hit songs include Pedro Navaja, Aguanile, Tiburon, and El Gran Varon. His collaboration with Ruben Blades on the album Siembra (1978) became the best-selling salsa album of all time. Throughout his career, Colon sold more than thirty million records worldwide, making him the best-selling artist in the salsa genre. Colon was also a versatile artist who acted in films including Vigilante (1983), The Last Fight (1983), and It Could Happen to You (1994), and appeared on Miami Vice. His music incorporated elements of jazz, rock, bomba, plena, merengue, and Brazilian rhythms, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the Latin diaspora. Beyond music, Colon was a tireless social activist from age 16. He served on the Latino Commission on AIDS, was president of the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a Better New York, and in 1995 became the first person of color to serve on the ASCAP national board, replacing Stephen Sondheim. Colons legacy as a pioneer of salsa music and a champion of Latino culture and civil rights is immeasurable. He transformed Latin music from a niche genre into a global phenomenon.