Famed Singer Dead at 69 Following Dominican Roof Collapse
Famed Dominican singer Rubby Pérez, who was performing at the Jet Set nightclub when its roof collapsed on Tuesday night, has died at 69. The tragic news was first reported by Rolling Stone and Listín Diario and later confirmed to People by Pérez's manager, Enrique Paulino.Pérez was a noted musician who began his career as the lead vocalist in Wilfrido Vargas' orchestra. After going solo, he released 13 albums including Buscando Tus Besos (1987) and, most recently, Hecho Esta (2022). He is best remembered for his tracks 'Volveré' (1996) and 'Enamorado de Ella' (2021), the latter of which topped at No. 29 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart. Pérez released his final single, 'No Voy a Llorar,' on Valentine's Day of this year.Seventy-nine people have been confirmed dead following Tuesday night's tragic accident, which occurred about one hour into Pérez's performance, according to the Dominican Republic National Police. A further 155 victims have been transferred to hospitals throughout the country.
The roof collapse also claimed the lives of former MLB star Tony Blanco, who's the father of current Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Tony Blanco Jr.; as well as former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel. Pérez's saxophone player also reportedly died in the incident. No further details were released regarding their causes of death.
'Authorities reiterate that search, rescue, and medical care work continues uninterruptedly, under strict inter-agency coordination to provide support to victims and their families,' the national police said on Tuesday following the collapse. Rescue operations at the site are ongoing.
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