Willie Colon
William Anthony Colon is a Puerto Rican salsa music icon. First and foremost a trombonist, also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City. Colon was born in the Bronx, New York in April 28 1950, to Puerto Rican parents. He picked up the trumpet from a young age, and later switched to trombone, inspired by the all-trombone sound of Mon Rivera and -at least during a specific period in the 1960s- that of Eddie Palmieri. He was bullied in his neighborhood because of this, and had to defend himself quite often from gang members.