Dominican singer and co-founder of Fania records, Juan Azarías Pacheco Knipping, popularly known as Johnny Pacheco, has died at the age of 85.
Widely regarded as the “Godfather of Salsa”, the singer was said to have been hospitalized for complications stemming from pneumonia before his death. However his cause of death is yet to be revealed.
His death was confirmed in a statement released on Twitter by Fania Records.
“It is with profound sadness we share the news of the passing of Johnny Pacheco. He was one of Fania’s founders and the man most responsible for the genre of salsa music. He was a visionary and his music will live on eternally,” the statement read.
Born on March 25, 1935 in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, Pacheco grew up in a musical household. A solo artiste who released dozens of albums of his own since 1961, and as part of Pacheco y Su Charanga, he recorded and played live as part of the legendary Latin supergroup, the Fania All-Stars, and was awarded a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.
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Pacheco is most renowned for co-founding the independent and influential Fania Records, the label that brought salsa to the global mainstream.
He is survived by Maria Elena Pacheco, his wife, daughters Norma and Joanne and sons Elis and Phillip.
Below is a mix of Pacheco’s greatest songs.
