Willie Colón
American musician · United States · On the map · Musicians · Lived 1950 to 2026 · aged 75
William Anthony Colón Román was an American salsa musician and social activist. He began his career as a trombonist but also sang, wrote, produced and acted.
Willie Colón is read about 872 times a day, in 25 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 9 November 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 114 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?A life in dates
People around Willie
Close ties
Media & music
Listen
SpotifyPhotos 1
Awards
About this person
Colón was a pioneer of salsa music and a best-selling artist in the genre, having been a key figure in the beginnings of the New York City scene associated with Fania Records. He was also noteworthy for having assumed the gangster image in his album covers before it was culturally popular. From the 1980s on, he was at times deeply involved in the politics of New York City. His hit songs include "Aguanilé" with Hector Lavoe, "Tiburón", and "El gran varón".
