HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Rudy Amado Pérez (born May 14, 1958) is a Cuban-born American musician,
songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
,
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...
, producer,
arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...
,
sound engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a sound recording, recording or a Concert, live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization (audio), equalization, Dynamic range ...
, musical director and singer, as well as entertainment
entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...
, and
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
. His area of specialty is ballads, although he has also worked in a variety of other genres. Pérez has produced more than 70
album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
s,People en Español (People in Spanish). September 1989. Page 63. composed over 1,000 songs (over 300 of which have been number one or have reached the top 10 charts), and written and produced music for popular international artists such as
Westlife Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 and later reun ...
,
Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...
, José Feliciano,
Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top List of best-selling music artists, reco ...
,
Luis Miguel Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (; born 19 April 1970) is a Mexican singer and record producer. Born in Puerto Rico to an Italian mother and a Spanish father, he is often referred to as Honorific nicknames in popular music, ''El Sol de Mexico'' ...
, Raúl di Blasio, Jaci Velasquez,
Cristian Castro Cristian Sáinz Castro (born 8 December 1974) is a Mexican pop singer. He is the son of actors Verónica Castro and Manuel "El Loco" Valdés, and nephew of actors Ramón Valdés (known for playing Don Ramón in '' El Chavo del Ocho'') and ...
,
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
,
Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...
,
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito". Fonsi received his first Latin ...
,
Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
,
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
, Il Divo, and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
. He has won many music awards throughout his career, including being voted the most important Latin composer four times (four years), and winning the title of Producer of the Decade in 2010, awarded by ''Billboard'' to the producer with the most top 10 hits of the decade. He is the first Latin producer to win ''Billboard''s Producer of the Year award four years consecutively. Pérez owns the
record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...
s Rudy Pérez Enterprises (RPE) and Bullseye Productions. He is a founding partner and the Chief Creative Officer of DiGa Entertainment and the co-founder of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (LARAS), the Latin Grammys. He was instrumental in the production of the premiere of the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards of 2000 and is on the board of the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
(ASCAP). In April 2013, Pérez (along with Desmond Child) created the Pabellón de la Fama de los Compositores Latinos ( Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame; LSHOF), in
Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...
, to honor the most important Latino composers and to drive them to continue creating Latin music.


Early years

Rudy Amado Pérez was born on May 14, 1958,TV y Novelas. Reportage: ''El Elegido por los Grandes'' (Magazine in Spanish: The chosen by the Great). Pages: 62 - 64. Number 14. June 9, 2001. in
Pinar del Río Pinar del Río is the capital city of Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. With a population of 191,081 (2022), it is the List of cities in Cuba, 10th-largest city in Cuba. Inhabitants of the area are called ''Pinareños''. History Pinar del Río was ...
,
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
,Mix en español (magazine in Spanish: Mix in Spanish). July, August 2000 to
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
parents.Universo increible: La canción del productor Rudy Pérez que Whitney Houston no llegó a cantar (Video Interview)
(in Spanish: Incredible Universe: The song's producer Rudy Perez that Whitney Houston did not could sing (Video Interview))
His grandfather was a Baptist minister.
webpage that digitalize the info published about Rudy Perez in the magazine "Latino Leaders", pages 30-33. Vol.3. No.3. Posted by Susan Hornik in Jun/Jul 2002. Web page consulted on February 22, 2012, to 23:35 pm.
Pérez's father, Rudy Amado, was a painter, religious minister and writer,Hora 20, Rudy Pérez: Un hombre para la música
(in Spanish: Hour 20, Rudy Pérez: A man for music). Posted by Diana Calderón on February 21, 2001. Consulted on July 27, 2012, to 20: 43 pm.
who served as
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the army of Cuban former president
Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (born Rubén Zaldívar; January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who played a dominant role in Cuban politics from his initial rise to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of t ...
, and was imprisoned following the Cuban Revolution of 1959, due to his involvement in prior conflict with Castro's
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
forces. The remainder of his family consisted of his mother, Elsa Pérez, a
seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notable d ...
, who made fine clothes and baskets, and three
sibling A sibling is a relative that shares at least one parent with the other person. A male sibling is a brother, and a female sibling is a sister. A person with no siblings is an only child. While some circumstances can cause siblings to be raised ...
s (two sisters and a brother).Mix: Professional audio and music production: Rudy Pérez
, 1 February 2001, Dan Dale.
When Pérez was nine years old, his family
emigrated Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
to the United States, leaving their home country to flee the political regime of Castro. The Pérez family moved to
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, initially living in a refugee camp, but soon settled in Liberty City, Florida.Rudy Pérez, el compositor de la década y de las estrellas
(in Spanish: Rudy Pérez, the composer of the decade and the stars). Posted by Cynthia De Saint in tuesday, January 26, 2010. Accessdate in May 2010.
Pérez discovered his interest in music as a child, influenced by
bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...
and
rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...
.Artist and Music: Rudy Pérez tops Hot Latin Tracks producers list for 2000. Billboard, December 30, 2000 He began singing at age two. It is reported that he was able to sing in perfect tune and he used any object like a musical instrument. After hearing the music of
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...
's pianist, Pérez was inspired to become a musician and learn to play the piano. He began singing and playing in the choir at the neighborhood Baptist church in the same year that his family arrived in the US, under the tutelage of the ministers, who taught him to sing and to play the guitar and piano. Pérez was also influenced by the African-American community, being subsequently introduced to R&B and
gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...
. At age twelve, Pérez worked for a company that manufactured
barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire or bob wire (in the Southern and Southwestern United States), is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the ...
to buy an
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...
(since his parents, according to Pérez, could not afford to pay for it). After a year of work he was able to buy the guitar, his first musical instrument, although he could not play it for three months due to the hand injuries he received working at the factory. He then began private guitar lessons. Throughout his teenage years he worked at hardware stores, gas stations and as valet to buy instruments and amplifiers.


Pearly Queen

Pérez quit school to join several rock bands in his neighborhood, until at age 15 he was invited to join the group Pearly Queen, a top 40 cover band that was popular in Miami in 1973. The group sang in English and was required to play the " hit" songs of the time. They won a contract to play for the Big Daddy Flanigan clubs in both the US and Canada (90 venues), playing five sets per night for five or six nights per week. The interpretations of the band in these clubs provided to Perez an introduction to music production, as he was responsible for the arrangements of the versions that the band played. He decided to study the arrangement and the recording of music. The band pitched two albums: ''Treasure Hunt'' (1974) and ''Disco?'' (1976) and had four singles and EPs: "Miénteme" (Move On), "Quit Jive' In" (Jungle Walk), "Adoro" (More) and "Understanding" (Young In Love; Yo Lo Comprendo). He stayed in the group for five years and, at age twenty, left the group to produce and write songs for local Latino singers in Miami.


Composing career


Miami Sound Studios and songwriter career starts

Later, Pérez began working as a gofer at Miami Sound Studios, in the studio of Carlos Diaz-Granados (doing things such as cleaning the studio or fetching food for the people who worked there), He lived in the studio for two years, according to Perez, because he "was just going through a divorce". He lived, cleaned and slept there. He "watched and learned all the details" about the musical work, and learned engineering. In 1983, he began working at Pablo Cano's studios Clímax, in North Miami on 30th Street, where he worked as an unpaid intern,Hola Miami.com: RUDY PEREZ
/ref> and was allowed to live at the studio for a year and a half. He continued looking at the details of the recordings of albums and songs by other artists.Diario El Popular: Rudy Pérez
(in Spanish: Diary The Popular). Posted by Rosana Azuero on November 8, 2012 at 11:32 pm.
He was determined to record his own songs and not just do
demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * Plural for Demo (computer programming ...
for his friends. According to Pérez, he was discovered by Pablo Cano's niece, when she heard him perform a song he had composed. She showed Cano a ballad that Pérez had written, and Cano decided to hire him permanently, "paying him a good salary", to make an album with him. Thus, Pérez got his first opportunity as a composer: Cano offered him to record with a band and to submit him to a company of musical albums. The band composed four songs, and Pérez gave his songs to top arrangers who asked for his material. After a while, however, he wasn't comfortable with the changes being made to the songs and he decided to make this song the way he "felt them". During this time, he began working with other artists who he met at the studio, such as Roberto Carlos and
Gloria Estefan Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
, and continued studying music. Finally, in 1983, Pérez released the album ''¿Qué voy a hacer sin tí?'' (What am I going to do without you?), with a promotional song by the same title. Jose Menendez, who was working at
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
at the time, heard the album and decided to hire him. This is when Pérez became a producer. A few weeks later, while he was on a promotional tour of his manager, Pablo Cano, in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, he met José Feliciano, for whom Menendez had played their version of "¿Qué voy a hacer sin tí?". Feliciano asked him to produce his next album. Pérez produced most of Feliciano's ''Ya soy tuyo'' album (I'm already yours) and it reached number one with the song "Me has echado al olvido" (you have thrown me into oblivion).Radio y Música: Música que suena se paga. Rudy Pérez: su exitosa carrera a travéz de los años (article in Spanish: Radio and Music: Music that sounds is paid. Rudy Pérez, his successful career Through the years). By Rosa Tanes. This album also won two
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nominations for production and the song "Ella" (She) in 1985. The album marked Feliciano's return to the elite of Latin music. Pérez became a professor of production and musical composition of their albums for two decades.


Composing and producing career since 1986

The Pérez album ''¿Qué voy a hacer sin tí?'' was awarded with a
Gold record Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
. In 1986, Pérez earned a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
as Producer in the "Best Latin Pop Performance" category with the José Feliciano's song "Ya Soy Tuyo" ("I am already for you"), and in 1988 ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' named him "Producer of the Year" for the first time. The success of his work with Feliciano opened the door for him to work with other singers.. Accessed on December 14, 2010.The Washington Post. It Always Translates Into Love
Posted by J. Freedom du Lac in Monday, August 27, 2007. Consulted 29 May 2011, to 20:34.
In 1992, WEA hired him to collaborate on the production of the record '' Aries'' by
Luis Miguel Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (; born 19 April 1970) is a Mexican singer and record producer. Born in Puerto Rico to an Italian mother and a Spanish father, he is often referred to as Honorific nicknames in popular music, ''El Sol de Mexico'' ...
, which meant he had to sign an exclusivity contract preventing him from producing for others until 1997. In 1993, he won another Grammy Award as Producer and Songwriter for the "Best Latin Pop Album" Aries, by Luis Miguel, and the following year, Rudy Pérez pitched his followup album, after ''¿Qué voy a hacer sin tí?''"Rudy" (also known as "Sencillos y otros"; in English: Singles and others), whose most played song was "Mi manera de querer" (''My way of loving''). However, the album was not very successful and Perez decided to focus only on his career as a composer. In 1997, after his contract with WEA came to an end, Pérez wrote and produced the album '' Lo Mejor De Mi'' for Mexican singer
Cristian Castro Cristian Sáinz Castro (born 8 December 1974) is a Mexican pop singer. He is the son of actors Verónica Castro and Manuel "El Loco" Valdés, and nephew of actors Ramón Valdés (known for playing Don Ramón in '' El Chavo del Ocho'') and ...
, an album with the hit song of the same name (which stayed for more than 90 weeks on the charts), " Después de Ti...¿Qué?" (dedicated to his mother, who later died of cancer), and " Si Tú Me Amaras". This album reached #1 on Hot Latin Tracks of 1997 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album of 1998. The title track was included in the 1999 compilation ''Billboard Latin Music Awards Superstar Hits''. The chart-topping album, along with Millie's "De hoy En Adelante" and "Una Voz en el Alma", also composed by Rudy Pérez, won him ASCAP Awards in 2000. In 1997
Ricky Martin Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...
also reached #1 on Hot Latin Tracks of 1997 and was included in the 1999 compilation recording ''Billboard Latin Music Awards Superstar Hits''. In 1999 he also received the Ace Awards for ''Senor Bolero'' for "Album of the Year" recorded by José Feliciano and a concession of the dove through the production of the album by Christian artist Jaci Velasquez '' Llegar A Ti''. This album featured the ballad "Solo Tú" which made the top 10 on ''Billboard''s Latin chart. That year, he received the ASCAP Award for "Songwriter of the Year". In 2000, Pérez produced the album by
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito". Fonsi received his first Latin ...
, '' Eterno'', composing seven of its 13 songs, including the hit "Imagíname Sin Ti" and its English version (Imagine me without you).Later, Pérez would collaborate again with Fonsi in some songs from their two albums following: '' Amor secreto'' (between them, the single "Quisiera poder olvidarme de tí", winning of other award to the Pop/Balada Song. The album was released in 2002) and '' Abrazar la vida'' (released in 2003). In 2000, due to the success of their production of Spanish album by Jaci Velasquez in 1999, Pérez decided to produce the Spanish-language album by
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
'' Mi Reflejo'', through which he came into contact with Ron Fair RCA. This became one of the most successful albums in Spanish in the world, selling 1 million copies in the U.S. and another 2.5 million in the rest of the world, and won the 2001 Latin Grammy for "Best Female Pop Album". The success of this album and the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
he received allowed him to work with
Anglophone The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the largest language ...
artists in the United States and elsewhere, producing and composing songs in Spanish for singers and bands like
Westlife Westlife are an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1998. The group consists of members Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian McFadden was a member before leaving in March 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 and later reun ...
and
Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...
. After Pérez's work on the Spanish songs of these artists, they also wanted him to work with them on their songs in English. Thus, his work with Jaci Velasquez produced the song "Imagine Me Without You", which was adapted into English of the song produced earlier for he to
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito". Fonsi received his first Latin ...
"Imagíname sin tí". It was nominated for a CMA - Dove Award for Best Song of the Year. In 2002, Pérez wrote the song "I Wanna Hear You Say It" for the English album ''
Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...
'', by the same singer. The tracks were co-written and co-produced by Pérez along with Bolton and
Billy Mann William Hort-Mann (né Isaiah Erlichman; born December 20, 1968) is an American record producer and songwriter. He is known for producing " 3 Is Family" by Dana Dawson in 1995 as well as ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 40 hits such as " For You I ...
. He also worked on some English songs of others English-speaking singers (or other singers who were not
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
), such as Charlie Williams (in the song "If You Should Leave Me") or Julia Kova ("Don't go for anything but love"). Many of his songs have become top ten hits. In 2002, the song he produced for Pilar Montenegro, "Quítame ese hombre", was the first to reach number 1, remaining in this position for 13 consecutive weeks. After this, he continued composing and producing songs that have also reached No. 1. Other of his songs have reached number one, remaining there for many weeks, such as "El Dolor De Tu Presencia" by Jennifer Peña, also produced in 2002, which remained at No. 1 for nine weeks.During that time, his productions were able, together, to stay 22 consecutive weeks at no. 1. In this year, Pérez also worked on the Jordi's album ''Tú no sospechas'' (in Spanish: "You have no idea"), on which he was responsible for 11 tracks. The album was released on October 8, 2002, to which was added a first single, the title track, produced by veteran stars as Alejandro Jaén. The song "Tú no sospechas" was the only song on the album played all over the U.S. and some countries of Latin America, appearing on the most important charts in these countries. In 2004, Pérez created his own record label: Rudy Pérez Enterprises, RPE. In 2005, Pérez was elected as a Latino producer / songwriter of the year. He also wrote songs on all Il Divo's albums. Between 2006 and 2007, he produced
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
's Spanish album '' Irreemplazable'', which was nominated for a Grammy.El destacado compositor y productor musical Rudy Perez y Diga Entertainment anuncian proyecto revolucionario con la comunidad global elHood.com
(in Spanish: The outstanding composer and music producer Rudy Pérez and Diga Entertainment Launch Revolutionary Project with the global community elHood.com). Accessed September 1, 2010 at 13: 10.
In September 2009, he launched his second record label, Bullseye Productions. In January 2010 he won the "Producer of the Decade" award from ''Billboard'', for his constant success over ten years in public preference lists. In 2012, Pérez released his third album, ''Lo mejor de mí'' ("The best of me"), a compilation of many of the songs he had composed for other singers, interpreted by him. Later, he produced the first Spanish language album of American singer
Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...
: Natalie Cole en Español, released on 25 June 2013.Los Angeles Times: A reunion decades in the making for Natalie Cole, Chucho Valdés
Published by Reed Johnson on August 12, 2013. Retrieved on December 15, 2013, to the 1:20pm
In 2014, Pérez released the single "Despues de ti... ¿Qué?", sung by himself on the
Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Mar ...
.


Music in other media

Pérez has also composed and produced numerous songs for other medias, such as
film soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured ...
s and TV soundtracks (songs for television). His music has appeared in movies,
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
s,
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
s, world music specials, commercials and music television channels. Pérez also worked with some advertising companies, writing and producing songs for ads. He was hired by AT&T, for which he wrote and produced the music for the "True Voice" and "Leadership" advertising campaigns, sung by the Cuban singer Jon Secada. Perez wrote the original theme song for
Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
, which was produced in 1995 and is still being used today. He also composed the central theme of the ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
'' special Valentine episode, "Come as you are".Carteles: El reflejo cultural artístico de Miami (magazine in Spanish: Posters: The artistic cultural reflection Miami). Number 1. 1999. Pages: 12 - 13. Posted by Onel Medina In 1992 he was hired by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
to work on pre-production on the song "
Colors of the Wind "Colors of the Wind" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 33rd animated feature film, '' Pocahontas'' (1995). The film's theme song, "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by ...
" for the animated film ''
Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, also known as Matoaka and Rebecca Rolfe; 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. S ...
''. His songs have not only been directed at singers, cinema and television. Between the end of the 1990s and early in the 21st century, he wrote and produced the official Olympic song to the
Telemundo Telemundo (; formerly NetSpan) is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television network owned by NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, a division of NBCUniversal, which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. It provides content ...
's Olympic coverage in English and Spanish, which was sung by Michelangelo Mejia. Pérez also wrote the theme "Vamos al Mundial" (Let's go to the World Cup), the song was used by Univision Network for the 2002 World Cup, which was sung by Jennifer Peña. In 2007, Pérez produced the Amor Gitano song for the
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
'' Zorro, La Espada y la Rosa'', recorded as a duet by Alejandro Fernández and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
. In 2011, he wrote the song "La fuerza del destino" with Mauricio Abaroa Suzarte, sung by Marc Anthony and
Sandra Echeverría Sandra Echeverría Gamboa (born December 11, 1984) is a Mexicans, Mexican actress. Life and career In 2002, Echeverría starred in TV Azteca's ''Súbete A Mi Moto'', alongside Bárbara Mori and Michel Brown. In 2004, she led the second season ...
for the soap opera of the same title. According to the journalist J. Freedorm du Lac, his singles have been used for various themes such as "breakups, makeups, courtships, wedding dances, babymaking, proms, self-pity sessions and bouts of teenage melodrama".


Other projects

On April 23, 2007, the global electronic community elHood.com announced a collaboration with Rudy Pérez and DiGa Entertainment. This union allows Perez to produce a series of musical projects directly with music fans. The first project was an album for singer and actress Pilar Montenegro. During a competition organized by elHood, fans accessing the site of the singer heard songs from singer's new album, vote for their favorites, and send their reactions. The singer chose a fan from the contestants to join her and Perez in the studio during the album's production. elhood transmit the video process exclusive and regular reports on the official website of singer. DIGA Entertainment, of which Perez is Chief Creative Officer, together with Epana, a service company marketing and communications aimed at the Hispanic market at a national level, promoted the contest with a new marketing technology that reached some seven million Mexican consumers per month through phone cards and approximately 35 million pre-recorded announcements. Pérez was one of the founders of the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
(ASCAP)'s Latin Council. He and Desmond Child created the Pabellón de la Fama de los Compositores Latinos (in Spanish: Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame – LSHOF),Sayce. Sociedad de Autores del Ecuador
(in Spanish: Sayce. Society of autors from Ecuador). Posted in Monday, 26 November 2012 17:49 pm.
which opened in October 2012, in
Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...
, to honor the most important Latino composers (those whose first success was made more than 20 years agoLa Prensa: MÚSICA: Salón de la Fama de Compositores Latinos reconoce a íconos con ‘La Musa’
Posted by GABRIELA GONZÁLEZ, in Abril 23, 2013.
). According to them, the nonprofit organization's mission "is to educate, preserve, honor and celebrate the legacy of the greatest Latin songwriters from all over the world and their music in every genre while developing and inspiring new songwriters through workshops, showcases, scholarships and digital initiatives. The Hall of Fame has a nominating committee that was created to choose 24 Spanish and Portuguese people, from which five winners will be selected.Diario de Las Américas. Nace el salón de la fama de compositores latinos
(in English: Americas's Diary: It was born the Hall of Fame Latino Composers). Posted by Miguel Toral on April 4, 2013.
The award is a statuette, "The Muse", that reflects his long history in music. For a composer, artist or song to be considered, they must be at least 20 years on the air. The foundation was officially registered in 2012, and is in the development of the headquarters building, which will be a museum in the city of Miami that will show things related to Latin music, information about the great composers, history behind the songs and performers, and other educational information. The museum, sponsored by the American Songwriters Hall of Fame, will offer projects from art galleries and music, educational workshops, music classes and composition, educational scholarships and composition contests. Perez and Child plan to expand this foundation to Mexico and Argentina. The museum opened in 2014. The foundation plans to recognize music icons, first at composition and then in other categories in music. On April 23, 2013, the first awards gala was held in Miami, honoring seven iconic songwriters, including Manuel Alejandro, Jose Feliciano, José Ángel Espinoza "Ferrusquilla,"
Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top List of best-selling music artists, reco ...
,
Armando Manzanero Armando Manzanero Canché (7 December 1934 – 28 December 2020) was a Mexican musician, singer, composer, actor and music producer, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful comp ...
, Concha Valdés Miranda, and a posthumous recognition award for Roberto Cantoral. Currently, Pérez is working on a book with thousands of stories about many of the artists he has worked with.


Awards and recognition

Pérez's compositions have included numerous top ten hits during the last 20 years (over 300 of which have been #1 or have reached the Top 10 Charts). Some of them have remained in the top position of the charts for many consecutive weeks (between 9 and 13 weeks), such as "Quitame ese hombre" (by Pilar Montenegro; 13 weeks in the top position) and "El Dolor de tu precensia" (Jennifer Peña; 9 weeks in the top position). He won the
Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...
, being also the first Hispanic composer and producer to win this award, and he was chosen as producer of the year for four consecutive years. He is the first Latino producer who has won the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks Producer of the Year for four consecutive years. Perez has been awarded ASCAP songwriter of the year five times.Pr Newswire: Los líderes de la industria musical, David Frangioni, Rudy Perez, Jon Secada y Mark Hudson buscan nuevo talento musical
(in Spanish: The leaders of the music industry, David Frangioni, Rudy Perez, Jon Secada and Mark Hudson seeking new musical talent)
The success of the songs he has composed and produced earned 30 gold records and 50 platinum. His work has been nominated for 19
Latin Grammy The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...
Awards, of which he won five. Considered one of the "most outstanding creators" in the field of international pop music, he also has been voted the most important Latin composer and won the title of "Producer of the Decade" in 2010, awarded by ''Billboard'' magazine for having the most songs at number # 1 and Top Ten Hits from 2000 to 2010, more than any other producer in Latino history. He was elected the first president of the Florida branch (which now is a full chapter) of
NARAS National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...
. Pérez has received more than 400 awards for albums that have reached gold and platinum sales.


Philanthropy

In 2003, Pérez launched a scholarship program of the ASCAP Foundation (Rudy Pérez Songwriting), which allows for Hispanic songwriters with great talent, but without resources and with a little success in their compositions, to study at prestigious music schools worldwide. He gave $25,000 for the start of the first scholarship. The scholarship rotates annually among students from five universities. The first scholarship is awarded in Miami, and the others are given to the Juilliard School of Music at New York, the National Conservatory of Music at Puerto Rico and High School of Art and music at the
University of Texas at San Antonio The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA or UT San Antonio) is a Public university, public research university in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Established in 1969, In 2012, Pérez, along with David Frangioni, Mark Hudson and Jon Secada, developed an educational program for talented young musicians called IDA ("Inspire & Develop Artists"), whose role is to guide and teach them to develop their musical talent. In the program, twhichhat only lasts a week (the first was developed between November 25 - December 1 in
Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...
), a participant with great talent for music or singing is chosen by his team (formed by composers, engineers, teachers of singing, and musicians), through its website, to be with the four main mentors (including Pérez himself). According to Pérez, through the program, the boy "goes a superstar" after spending only one week in the program. According to
PR Newswire PR Newswire is a distributor of press releases headquartered in Chicago. The service was created in 1954 to allow companies to electronically send press releases to news organizations, using teleprinters at first. The founder, Herbert Muschel, ...
, "The course includes classes in singing, composing, recording, mixing and studio technology, rehearsals, live performances, stage presence, and special guests from the music business. Classes are kept to a maximum of 12 people to ensure that participants receive personalized attention. Those selected will work with teachers and they will also have tutorials and staff support by other experts in the world of music to cover all aspects of the industry. At the end of the program, each participant will have the skills to compete in this profession including image creation, choreography training, business fundamentals and professional recording their own song to help them launch their careers". The program was first released in English and, in January 2013, was released in Spanish.


Personal life

Rudy Pérez has one daughter with his first wife (whom he married at age 19) and four children with his second wife, Betsy. According to him, "life inspired my songs, however, I only write about what I would like to live". He admires artists like
Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...
,
Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...
,
George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...
,
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
,
Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...
,
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
and Manuel Alejandro. Pérez reported that, while he worked for Pearly Queen, he decided to compose only English songs. However, after dating a Spanish rich girl in Miami, whose parents never accepted the relationship (and who sent her "away", making it impossible to maintain the relationship), he heard the song of Julio Iglesias, "Abrázame" (Hold me), and since this moment Pérez decided to also write songs in Spanish.


Discography

Pérez, in addition to his job as composer and producer, is also a singer. His albums can be divided into two categories: those he launched while working on the Rock band from Miami Pearly Queen (1973–1977) and those he launched as a soloist.


Pearly Queen

* ''Treasure Hunt'' - 1974 * ''Disco?'' - 1976


As a soloist

* ''¿Qué voy a hacer sin tí?'' - 1984 * ''Rudy'' (also known as "Sencillos y otros"; in English: Singles and others) - 1994 * ''Lo mejor de mí'' ("The best of me", an album compilation of many of his songs, but sung by himself) - 2012


Awards


American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Awards

Pérez has won the following ASCAP awards.ASCAP Awards: *1994 Awards: *1995 Awards: *1996 Awards: *1998 Awards: *1999 Awards: *2000 Awards: *2001 Awards: *2002 Awards: *2003 Awards: *2004 Awards: *2005 Awards: *2011 Awards: *2012 Awards: , - , scope="row", 1994 , scope="row", "Ayer" , rowspan="2" scope="row", Pop Songs , , - , rowspan="2" scope="row", 1995 , scope="row", "Tu y Yo" , , - , scope="row", "Vivir lo Nuestro" , rowspan="2" scope="row", Tropical Songs , , - , scope="row", 1996 , scope="row", "Se Mi Sigue Olvidando" , , - , scope="row", 1998 , rowspan="2" scope="row", " Lo Mejor de Mí" , rowspan="2" scope="row", Pop Songs , , - , rowspan="3" scope="row", 1999 , , - , scope="row", "El Amor Nunca Pregunta" , scope="row", Tropical Songs , , - , rowspan="2" scope="row", Himself , rowspan="2" scope="row", Songwriter of the Year , , - , rowspan="4" scope="row", 2000 , , - , scope="row" , "Una Voz en el Alma" , rowspan="3" scope="row", Pop Songs , , - , "De Hoy en Adelante" , , - , " Después de Ti...¿Qué?" , , - , rowspan="3" scope="row", 2001 , scope="row", "Que Voy a Hacer Sin Ti" , scope="row", Regional Mexican Songs , , - , scope="row", " Imaginame Sin Ti (Imagine Me Without You)" , rowspan="6" scope="row", Pop/Balada Songs , , - , scope="row", "Solo Tú" , , - , scope="row", 2002 , scope="row", "Cómo Se Cura una Herida" , , - , rowspan="3" scope="row", 2003 , scope="row", " El Dolor de Tu Presencia" , , - , scope="row", "Hay Otra en Tu Lugar" , , - , scope="row", "Quisiera Poder Olvidarme de Ti" , , - , rowspan="2" scope="row", 2004 , scope="row", Himself , scope="row", Songwriters of the Year , , - , scope="row", "Si No Estás" , scope="row", Pop/Balada Songs , , - , rowspan="3" scope="row", 2005 , scope="row", Himself , scope="row", Songwriter of the Year , , - , scope="row", "Te Llamé" , rowspan="2" scope="row", Pop/Balada Songs , , - , scope="row", "Vivo y Muero en Tu Piel" , , - , 2011 , " Amor Quédate" , scope="row", Pop/Ballad Songs , , - , 2012 , "Mi Corazón Insiste" , Pop Songs , , -


Notes


References


External links


Musictory: Rudy Perez Acordes
(in Spanish: Rudy Perez Chords).
Rudy Perez Discos en Yahoo! Música
(in Spanish: Rudy Pérez Albums on Yahoo! Music).
Rudy Pérez: Un compositor a gran escala
(in Spanish: A large-scale composer)

(in Spanish: Interview with Rudy Perez)
RUDY PEREZ ¿QUE VOY A HACER SIN TI?

RUDY PEREZ MI MANERA DE QUERER

Rudy Perez Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2017) {{DEFAULTSORT:Perez, Rudy 1958 births Living people Writers from Miami Songwriters from Florida American musicians of Cuban descent Cuban songwriters Male songwriters Record producers from Florida Latin Grammy Award winners Latin music record producers Latin music songwriters