Felipe Rodríguez (singer)
| Luis Felipe Rodríguez | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | "La Voz" |
| Born | May 8, 1926 Caguas, Puerto Rico |
| Died | May 26, 1999 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Genres | Bolero |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Labels | Fania Records |
 You may listen to Felipe Rodríguez sing "La ultima copa " on YouTube
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Luis Felipe Rodríguez, better known as Felipe "La Voz" Rodríguez, (May 8, 1926 – May 26, 1999) born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, was a singer of boleros. He is regarded as the most popular Puerto Rican male singer of the 1950s based on record sales and live audience records. Many of Rodríguez's recordings are often considered to be classics in Puerto Rico.
Rodríguez was born in the Savarona section of Caguas, the son of a sharecropper and a midwife. He had a rough childhood; his father died before he was born. In 1930, his mother Carmen moved to Santurce and settled in Barrio Obrero, a working class district of San Juan. There, Rodríguez went to school and practiced his singing skills during his free time. Julito Rodriguez (no relation to Felipe), another bolero singer, heard Rodriguez sing and invited him to form a singing duo; they later they formed a trio called "Los Romanceros" (The Romanceers) and he first took part in a radio program, the popular amateur showcase "Tribuna del Arte", hosted and produced by Rafael Quiñones Vidal.
In 1950, Rodríguez left the trio and tried different projects, such as forming or joining other trios (particularly the Trío Los Antares), duos (he formed the "Dúo Pérez-Rodríguez" with his then wife, and continued his professional relationship with her long after their divorce) and singing solo. He was given the nickname, "La Voz" (The Voice), a name which was to stay with him for the rest of his life, by Puerto Rican radio announcer Mariano Artau. Héctor Lavoe's stage name was based on Rodríguez's nickname.
Rodríguez went on tour in the United States where he broke the attendance and ticket records previously set for the Hispanic audience by Argentine singer Libertad Lamarque. In 1954, Rodríguez met Pedro Ortíz Davila ("Davilita") and formed a very successful duo performing in such places as the Teatro Puerto Rico. Even though "Davilita"'s voice was not as sharp as it was when he was younger, they were able to have many hits together, particularly the Pedro Flores song "La Rosa Blanca" (The White Rose). In the 1960s, they, together with Rafael Cortijo and El Gran Combo confronted the new wave of rock music which was invading the island head-on.
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Wikipedia