Jerry González

Jerry González
Background information
Birth nameGerald González
Born(1949-06-05)June 5, 1949
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
OriginThe Bronx, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 1, 2018(2018-10-01) (aged 69)
Madrid, Spain
GenresAfro-Puerto Rican Jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, Latin Jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, arranger
Instrument(s)Trumpet, flugelhorn, congas

Jerry González (June 5, 1949 October 1, 2018) was an American bandleader, trumpeter and percussionist of Puerto Rican descent. Together with his brother, bassist Andy González, Jerry Gonzalez played an important role in the development of Latin Jazz during the late 20th century. During the 1970s, both brothers played alongside Eddie Palmieri and in Manny Oquendo's Conjunto Libre, and from 1980 to 2018 they directed The Fort Apache Band. From 2000 to 2018, Jerry González resided in Madrid, where he fronted Los Piratas del Flamenco and El Comando de la Clave. In October 2018, he died of a heart attack after a fire in his home in Madrid.