Henry Stone on Tito Puente and Tito Puente Jr.: “I Distributed One and Recorded The Other”

Tito Puente and Celia Cruz on Tico Records

“Tito Puente. I distributed his records and became pretty tight with him cause I liked what he did. I met Tito through George Goldner and Morris Levy up in New York. George had Tico Records and used to go to Cuba all the time. He had a Puerto Rican wife named Mona. I distributed his records. Tito Puente records never really sold much, but what a great musician, and now he’s a legend. I never recorded him, but I ended up cutting his son Tito Puente Jr. I distributed one and recorded the other. I ended up recording him at Hot Productions. I kept him goin’ man. He even says, “If not for you, man, I wouldn’t be doin’ the shows I’m doin’ today. He came in and wanted to be a rapper. Tito Puente Jr. Good kid.”

• From a 2013 interview with Henry Stone

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