CASH BOX – JULY 7, 1979

LATIN BEAT

“Tito Puente, the “father of salsa,” recently received the first gold record in his 30 year career. But he was beaten to the gold plateau by another Puente….his son Richie, whose recording career goes back less than three years.

Richie Puente is a co-founder of the TK/Dash recording group Foxy. Foxy and Richie recently received a gold album and platinum single for “Get Off.” Then, a short time later, Tito received his first gold album for (Homenaje A Beny More, on Fania/Tico Records).

Now 25 years old Richie and Foxy are on their way to another gold album with their current LP Hot Numbers.

Born and raised in Brooklyn New York, Richie was originally known as Tito Jr. As a child his father would let him sit in on concerts or at sessions, and finally began presenting him at concerts to do a solo. “I began at age 4,” Richie recalls. “We had this act where my dad would pick me up, put me at the drums or congas and let me bang away.When he felt it was enough, he would lift me up, arms still wildly swinging and carry me off stage.” This went on until Richie was older, when he actually started sitting in with the band and playing solos at various concerts around the city. And how does Tito feel about two gold records in one family? “He’s thrilled about it,” Richie says.”