Willie Colón

Colón was a civil rights, community, and political activist from the age of 16. He served as a member of the Latino Commission on AIDS, president of the Arthur Schomburg Coalition for a Better New York, and member of the board of directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In 1995, Colón became the first person of color to serve on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) national board, replacing Stephen Sondheim, and was also a member of the ASCAP Foundation. He also acted in films, including roles in Vigilante (1983), The Last Fight (1983), Miami Vice (in the season 3 episode "Cuba Libre") (1987), and It Could Happen to You (1994).

• Title — Producer — Label — Released • | El Malo — Jerry Masucci Johnny Pacheco — |Fania — |1967 • | The Hustler — Jerry Masucci Johnny Pacheco — |Fania — |1968 • | Guisando — Willie Colón — Fania — 1969 • | Cosa Nuestra — Willie Colón — Fania — 1970 • | Asalto Navideño — Willie Colón — Fania — 1971 • | La Gran Fuga — Willie Colón — Fania — 1971 • | El Juicio — Willie Colón — Fania — 1972 • | Asalto Navideño Vol. ll — Willie Colón — Fania — 1972 • | Crime Pays — Willie Colón — |Fania — 1972 • | Lo Mato — Willie Colón — Fania — 1973 • | Willie — Willie Colón — |Fania — 1974 • | Se Chavó el Vecindario (with Mon Rivera) — Willie Colón — Vaya — 1975 • | The Good, The Bad, The Ugly — Willie Colón — Fania — 1975 • | Metiendo Mano! — Willie Colón — Fania — 1977 • | El Baquiné de Angelitos Negros — Willie Colón — |Fania — | 1977 • | Sólo Ellos Pudieron Hacer Este Álbum — Willie Colón — Fania — 1977 • | 49 Minutes — Willie Colón — |Fania — 1978 • | Deja Vu — Willie Colón — |Fania — 1978 • | Siembra — Willie Colón Ruben Blades — |Fania — | 1978 • | Solo — Willie Colón — Fania — 1979 • | Doble Energía — Willie Colón — Fania — 1980 • | Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos — Willie Colón — Fania — 1981 • | Celia & Willie — Willie Colón — Fania — 1981 • | Fantasmas — Willie Colón — |Fania — 1981 • | Corazón Guerrero — Willie Colón — Fania — 1982 • | The Last Fight — Willie Colón — Fania — 1982 • | Su Vida Musical: 14 Éxitos Originales — |Fania — 1982 • | Vigilante — Willie Colón — Fania — 1983 • | Criollo — Willie Colón — RCA — 1984 • | Tiempo Pa' Matar — Willie Colón — Fania — 1984 • | Contrabando Especial N°5 — Willie Colón — Sonográfica — 1986 • | Quién Eres — Willie Colón — 1986 • | Grandes Éxitos — | — | 1986 • | The Winners — Willie Colón — Fania — 1987 • | Top Secrets — Willie Colón — Fania — 1989 • | Color Americano — Willie Colón — Sony — 1990 • | Grandes Éxitos Vol. 2 — |Sony — 1991 • | Honra y Cultura — Willie Colón — Sony — 1991 • | Super Éxitos — |Fania — | 1992 • | The Best — |Fania — 1992 • | Willie Colón & Tito Puente — | Fania — | 1993 • | Hecho en Puerto Rico — Willie Colón, Cuco Peña — Sony — 1993 • | The Best II — |Sony — 1994 • | Americano Latino — Willie Colón — Sony — 1995 • | Tras La Tormenta — Willie Colón, Rubén Blades — Sony — 1995 • | Y Vuelve Otra Vez!!! — Willie Colón — Fonovisa — 1996 • | Demasiado Corazón — Willie Colón — Azteca — | 1998 • | El Rey del Trombón — | — | 1998 • | Mi Gran Amor — |Sony — 1999 • | Guerrero de Corazón — | — | 2000 • | Idilio — |Sony — 2002 • | La Experiencia — |Fania — | 2004 • | Colección de Oro — | — | 2005 • | OG: Original Gangster — |Emusica — | 2006 • | The Player — |Sony — 2007 • | La Historia: The Hit List — | — | 2007 • | El Malo Vol II: Prisioneros del Mambo — Willie Colón — Lone Wolf — | 2008 • | Asalto Navideño Live/En Vivo — | Lone Wolf — | 2008 • | La Esencia de la Fania — | — | 2008 • | Historia de la Salsa — | — | 2010 • | Selecciones Fania — |Vene Music — | 2011 • | Serie Premium: Sólo Éxitos — | — | 2013

In addition to serving as a visiting professor and receiving honorary degrees for music and humane letters at various universities, in 1991, Colón received Yale University's Chubb Fellowship. In 1999, Colón was a member of the Jubilee 2000 delegation to the Vatican, along with Randall Robinson of Trans Africa, Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs, Bono from U2 and Quincy Jones. This initiative received Pope John Paul II's endorsement and later prompted President Clinton to forgive the US portion of the debt owed by some developing countries. Jubilee 2000 resulted in the forgiveness of a total of $100 billion to debt-ridden countries. In September 2004, Colón received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Latin Recording Academy. Over the course of his career, he collaborated with notable musicians such as the Fania All-Stars, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, David Byrne, and Celia Cruz. Siembra, his record with Rubén Blades, was the best selling album for its genre. Colón was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2006, Colón was portrayed by actor John Ortiz, along with Marc Anthony's Héctor Lavoe in the biopic El Cantante, also starring Jennifer Lopez. The movie is about the life of Héctor Lavoe and it covers his achievements with Colón as the top salsa duo from the 1960s through the mid-1970s. In 2010, The "International Trombone Association" bestowed their Lifetime Achievement Award upon Colón. In their journal they went on to say, "Willie Colón has probably done more than anyone since Tommy Dorsey to keep the trombone before the public. Stylistically they are poles apart, Dorsey representing an ultra-smooth approach, Colón a Hard-edged roughness reportedly inspired by Barry Rogers. Unfortunately, Colón's public is largely Latino, so his music and contribution have gone unnoticed or ignored by the general press"- Gerald Sloan, professor of music University of Arkansas. On October 7, 2011, Westchester Hispanic Law Enforcement Association recognized Colón for his social and community activism and support. In 2015 Billboard magazine named Willie Colón one of the 30 most influential Latin Artists of All Time. On May 12, 2018, The Ellis Island Honor Society awarded Willie Colón the Ellis Island Medal of Honor which is presented annually to a select group of individuals whose accomplishments in their field and inspired service to the nation are cause for celebration. The Medal has been officially recognized by both Houses of Congress as one of our nation's most prestigious awards and is annually memorialized in the Congressional Record. On October 31, 2018, Willie Colón was awarded the "Lunas Del Auditorio Award" by El Auditorio Nacional. A recognition granted by the National Auditorium to the best live shows in Mexico, the award is a replica of the sculpture of La Luna by sculptor Juan Soriano that is outside that enclosure. This award is transmitted by Televisa, TV Azteca, Channel 22 of the Ministry of Culture and Channel Eleven of the National Polytechnic Institute. Colón served as the chair of the Association of Hispanic Arts.