Latin Music Legend Dead at 88
Eddie Palmieri, a Latin music mainstay since the 1960s, has died at 88, The New York Times reports. The legendary pianist died in his New Jersey home after "an extended illness," according to his daughter.
The New York City native gained fame for fusing Afro-Caribbean rhythms with jazz, funk, and soul to create a new, bold sound that defied genre. His first band, La Perfecta, formed in 1961 and revolutionized Latin music with its use of trombones in place of trumpets. The group performed all around the city, specifically uptown, and went on the pave the way for the salsa music movement.
🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Palmieri's experimental sound came from combining traditional Cuban band elements with jazz. His 1974 solo album The Sun of Latin Music won him a Grammy, making him the first Latino ever to do so. He won 10 Grammy awards over the course of his life, per the AP. He also formed a fusion band called Harlem River Drive, which blended Black and Latin styles to create an eclectic sound that was equal parts funky, soulful, and jazzy.
In addition to his 10 Grammys, Palmieri received numerous accolades over his career. At the Latin Grammys, he earned a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Two of his 1988 concerts were catalogued at Washington's National Museum of American History, and Yale University awarded him the Chubb Fellowship Award in 2002—an award traditionally given to heads of state.
Until his death, Palmieri continued performing in New York City jazz clubs like Birdland and Blue Note. As recently as last year, the legendary pianist was even recording new music with his band, as he told The New Yorker. He was also inducted into Jazz at Lincoln Center's Hall of Fame and performed at Sony Hall in Times Square to comemorate what the city's public advocate declared Eddie Palmieri Day.
Latin Music Legend Dead at 88 first appeared on Parade on Aug 7, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNET
11 minutes ago
- CNET
Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Aug. 10
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Woo, my last name is in today's Mini Crossword! "Cooper" is part of the clue for 3-Down. Did I get that answer? Nope! I had to let the other clues fill it in. But that said, today's puzzle isn't too tough, even if your last name isn't featured. Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips. The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET's NYT puzzle hints page. Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword Let's get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for Aug. 10, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNET Mini across clues and answers 1A clue: Try to tag Answer: CHASE 6A clue: Fictional sports icon with a statue by the Philadelphia Museum of Art Answer: ROCKY 7A clue: Loosen, as laces Answer: UNTIE 8A clue: Trigger for a werewolf's transformation Answer: MOON 9A clue: "It's freezing!" Answer: BRR Mini down clues and answers 1D clue: Table tidbit Answer: CRUMB 2D clue: Pay homage to Answer: HONOR 3D clue: Driver, Cooper or Butler Answer: ACTOR 4D clue: Poisonous part of a poison dart frog Answer: SKIN 5D clue: Needle opening Answer: EYE
Fox News
12 minutes ago
- Fox News
Johnny Damon shares whether he's had anything thrown at him in the outfield
Two-time World Series champion Johnny Damon and the 'Fox News Saturday Night' panel dish on Sydney Sweeney, Bud Light and more.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Emma Thompson Says Donald Trump Asked Her on a Date the Same Day She Got Divorced: 'I Thought It Was a Joke'
'I could have changed the course of American history,' Thompson joked of the interaction, which coincided with her divorce from Kenneth BranaghNEED TO KNOW Emma Thompson has revealed that Donald Trump called to ask her out to dinner in the '90s on the same day her divorce from ex-husband Kenneth Branagh was finalized 'I thought it was a joke," Thompson said at the Locarno Film Festival, joking that she "could have changed the course of American history" Thompson is now married to Greg Wise, whom she wed in 2003The same day Emma Thompson received her divorce decree, she also received a call from Donald Trump, the actress says. While speaking at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland — where she was honored for her career accomplishments with the Leopard Club Award on Friday, Aug. 8 — Thompson, 66, revealed that the now-president asked her on a date the very same day her and Kenneth Branagh's divorce was finalized. According to The Telegraph, the actress said she was in a trailer on the set of the 1998 dramedy Primary Colors when her phone rang, and she answered it to hear the businessman, 79, say: 'Hello, this is Donald Trump.' 'I thought it was a joke and asked, 'How can I help you?' Maybe he needed directions from someone,' Thompson said, according to The Telegraph. 'Then he said: 'I'd love you to come and stay at one of my beautiful places. Maybe we could have dinner.' ' Her response, she said at the Swiss festival, was, 'Well, that's very sweet. Thank you so much. I'll get back to you.' The Love Actually star said she thinks Trump — who had separated from his second wife, model Marla Maples, around the same time — had members of his staff searching for someone 'suitable' for him to date, according to The Telegraph. 'I realized that on that day, my divorce decree had come through. And I bet he's got people looking for suitable people he could take out on his arm. You know, a nice divorcée, that's what he was looking for,' she said at the film festival, where her upcoming thriller The Dead of Winter also premiered. 'And he found the number in my trailer. I mean, that's stalking,' she added, per The Telegraph, before pondering — and joking about — what may have happened should she have accepted the dinner invitation. Said Thompson: 'I could have gone on a date with Donald Trump, and then I would have a story to tell. I could have changed the course of American history.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Thompson and Branagh, 64, first met on the set of the 1987 miniseries Fortunes of War, and married in 1989 before splitting six years later following the actor's affair with another actress, Helena Bonham Carter. The Nanny McPhee star went on to marry her current husband, Greg Wise, in 2003, years after they first met on the set of 1995's Sense and Sensibility. The couple share two children, son Tindyebwa "Tindy" Agaba and daughter Gaia, 25, the latter of whom accompanied her mom to the Locarno Film Festival. Trump, meanwhile, split from Maples, 61, in May 1997. He was previously married to his first wife,Ivana Trump, and later remarried, tying the knot with Melania Trump in 2005. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
