April 20th is (well, was) Tito Puente's birthday!

[NightTrain]

HIGHLIGHTS OF TITO PUENTE'S CAREER

April 20, 1923: Tito Puente was born Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. to Ercilia Ortiz and Ernesto Puente Sr. in New York City.

1930s: Tito was already performing with local Latin and society bands. He was regularly playing matinees with "Los Happy Boys" at the Park Palace Hotel, By age 13, Tito Puente was considered a child prodigy in Spanish Harlem.

1939: Jose Curbelo meets Tito (age 16) immediately hiring him to play on his orchestra's US. tour.

Early 1940s: Tito was playing with Noro Morales and Machito.

1942: Tito Puente was drafted into the Navy. He was 19.

1945: Tito was discharged from the Navy receiving a Presidential Commendation for being in nine battles.

1945 - '47: Tito completed his formal musical education at Juliard School of Music, studying conducting, orchestration and theory under the GI bill.

1945 - '48: T.P. was playing with bands such as Jose Curbelo, Pupi Campo and Fernando Alvarez and his "Copacabana Group" becoming the most sought after young arranger of the time

1948: T.P. formed his own ten-piece conjunto, The Picadilly Boys, urged on by promoter Federico Pagani.

1949: Recorded his first six songs with his own band on Tico Records with the first hit "Abaniquito." Later that year he signed with RCA Victor recording the hit, "Ran Kan Kan."

1950 - '56: Tito was churning out hits such as "Babarabatiri," "El Ray del Timbal," 'Mambo la Roca" and "Mambo Ciallego,"

1956 - '60: RCA released such classics as "Cuban Carnival," "Puente Goes Jazz," "Dance Mania," "Top Percussion," and other classics. He is crowned the King of Latin Music by bobby Quintero at the Manhattan Center after beating world famous Perez Prado (King of the Mambo) in a contest where the public voted for their favorite bands.

1957: Cuban artists from around the world are asked to return home to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Cuban music. Tito becomes the only Puerto Rican invited by the Cuban government because of his major contributions to his art.

1960s: Tito began a series of collaborations with artists such as trombonist Buddy Morrow and Woody Herman and two new vocalists arriving in New York from Cuba named Celia Cruz and La Lupe.

1963 - '64: Tito records his classic tune, "Oye Como Va" (later recorded by Santana) on Tico Records.

1967: Tito would perform a program of his compositions at the Metropolitan Opera.

1968: Tito hosts his own show, "The World of Tito Puente" on Spanish-language T.V. He also served as Grand Marshall of the Puerto Rican Day Parade.

1969: Tito would receive the key to the City of New York from then Mayor John Lindsay.

1970s: Some time during the early '70s, the music Tito was playing came to be known as salsa.

The early '70s also saw the meteoric rise of Carlos Santana and his unique blend of Latin rhythms, blues, and rock. Santana's cover version of Puente's classic composition "Oye Como Va" on the "Abraxas" album introduced a whole new generation to Tito's music. "Santana III" included another Puente classic, "Para Los Rumberos," which Tito ad recorded in 1956.

1976: Tito is honored in Los Angeles' City Hall by Mayor Bradley.

1977: New York's Roseland Ballroom was the site of the first meeting of Santana and Puente in March.

1979: Tito Puente & his ensemble toured Japan, where the reception for Tito was tremendous. Tito and his orchestra played for then president of the United States, Jimmy Carter for Hispanic Heritage Month. Tito began to realize the worldwide popularity he had achieved.

1979: Tito won his first of four Grammy Awards for the albums "A Tribute To Benny More;" "On Broadway;" "Mambo Diablo' and "Ooza Ml Timbal." Tito Puente has been nominated for a Grammy eight times, more than any other artist in the Latin music field.

1980s: Tito Puente creates the Tito Puente Scholarship Foundation to benefit talented children.

First Latin artist to appear on the popular TV sitcom, "Bill Cosby Show,". Also performing on a Coca-Cola commercial with Bill Cosby. T.P. also appeared in such movies as Woody AlIen's "Radio Days;" and "Armed and Dangerous" with the late John Candy. He is listed in America's "Who's Who."

Tito Puente receives the first of two honorary Doctorate Degree from The College at Old Westbury.

1990: Received the Eubie Blake Award from the National Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Aug. 14, 1990: Tito Puente is unanimously voted in to receive a Hollywood Star. T.P. has traveled the world over opening new markets for his Latin rhythms internationally.

1991: Performance and speaking role in major Hollywood motion picture, "The Mambo Kings."

Launch of his 100th LP, "El Numero Cien" on RMM Records distributed by SONY.

1992: Receives his second honorary doctorate degree from Hunter College in New York.

Inducted into the National Congressional Record.

1993: Received the Smithsonian Medal.

1994: Received his third honorary doctorate degree from Long Island University.

June 24, 1994: Received the ASCAP Founder Award, its highest honor.

Sept. 1994: Receives Washington D.C.'s Hispanic Heritage Committee Award for the Arts.

[Palacsinta]

1. How 'bout his "Slanderous Mambo"

on The Simpsons"........"Wounds won't last long, but an insulting song, Burns will always carry with him. So I'll settle my score on the salsa floor, with this vengeful Latin rhythm! Burns!"

[Mandomaniac]

2. Sweet!

I'm putting in Live from the Playboy Jazz fest now!