Ralph Mercado
Ralph Mercado | |
---|---|
Birth name | Ralph Mercado Jr. |
Born | Brooklyn, New York | September 29, 1941
Died | March 10, 2009 Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack | (aged 67)
Occupation(s) | promoter of Latin music |
Website | Claudia Brant Office Website (in English and Spanish) |
Ralph Mercado Jr. (September 29, 1941 – March 10, 2009) was an American businessman and music promoter. He promoted
Early life
Mercado was born on September 29, 1941, in
In his early teens, he was "completely blown away" after seeing the
Career
Shifting across the
Mercado started RMM Records in 1987, which had in excess of 130 artists performing across the Latin music spectrum, representing merengue, salsa, Latin jazz and Latin rock. He rode the expanding size and economic power of the nation's Hispanic population and a general interest in salsa music. Mercado brought in international groups and influences from Africa, Brazil and even Japan.[1]
He achieved acclaim as the most successful promoter of salsa music, comparable to
RMM Records was sold to the
Thereafter the sale of RMM, Ralph Mercado returned to promoting salsa concerts, on a global basis.[1] He retained control of three music publishing firms, RMM Filmworks and Ralph Mercado Presents. He also owned, in whole or part, Manhattan clubs Babalu and the Latin Quarter, as well as the Conga Room in Los Angeles.[3]
Awards and recognition
In 1998, Mercado received the El Premio Billboard Lifetime Achievement Award.[4] On September 28, 2008, Mercado was honored by Union City, New Jersey with the key to the city and a star on the Walk of Fame at Union City's Celia Cruz Park.
Personal life
Mercado had lived in Cresskill and Hackensack, New Jersey, before moving to Cliffside Park, New Jersey, where he lived the rest of his life, though he also owned an apartment in Manhattan.[1]
Mercado died on March 10, 2009, at age 67 at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack from cancer.[2] He was survived by his daughters - Debra, Damaris, Melissa and Chanel; his son - Ralph III; his brothers - John Ayala, Richard Ayala and Jorge Sanchez; his sister - Angelica Kreiger; and six grandchildren.[1][5]
See also
References
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
Ralph Mercado, a promoter who took his passion for Latin music and built an empire around it, not only staging concerts but creating a recording and publishing label, a film and video company, and nightclubs and restaurants, died on Tuesday in Hackensack, N.J. He was 67. The cause was cancer, said Blanca Lasalle, a spokeswoman, who gave no other details. ...
- ^ The Record (Bergen County), March 11, 2009. Accessed March 12, 2009.
- ^ a b c Navarro, Mireya. "For Sale: A Latin Music Legacy; Facing Bankruptcy, a Record Pioneer Draws Gratitude and Reproach", The New York Times, June 7, 2001. Accessed March 11, 2009.
- ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
- The Union City Reporter; October 5, 2008; Pages 1 & 21
RMM labels
External links
- Ralph Mercado at IMDb