Passion and Pain: The Life of Hector Lavoe

by Marc Shapiro

From the poverty-stricken streets of Ponce, Puerto Rico to the vibrant barrios of New York City, HECTOR LAVOE became the singer of all singers, and the driving-force behind the Salsa movement in the mid-1960s. His popularity rivaled that of his contemporaries, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco.

Behind the music, Hector's life was filled with drugs, alcohol and women. An endless stream of tragedy plagued him a gun-related accident that killed his son, Hector's ninth floor jump from a hotel window and his death in 1993 from AIDS.

But Hector's pristine voice, one-of-a-kind stage performances, sold-out concerts and bestselling albums were what his fans remember most and what made him an international icon. His music brought joy to legions of people, and it continues today.

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2007

About the author

Marc Shapiro is the author of the New York Times bestselling biography, J.K. Rowling: The Wizard behind Harry Potter, and more than a dozen other celebrity biographies. He has been a freelance entertainment journalist for more than twenty-five years, covering film, television, and music for a number of national and international newspapers and magazines.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/marcsh...

Reviews

[Abraham · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made me so angry that I almost didn't finish it. OK, let me back up a second. Some background info: Hector Lavoe is one of my favorite musicians of all time. His music moves me in a way that has no comparison, and I have the deepest respect for the beauty that his music offers the world, and his tragic life.

So when I read this exploitative, fake, badly written drivel, I want to throw up. I don't know who this Marc Shapiro is, but the fact that he managed to publish this garbage and gets PAID for it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

First off, Shapiro presents absolutely no new information about Hector Lavoe. Everything is culled from other research. So right off the bat, Shapiro is offering nothing that he earned himself. Secondly, his writing reads like he did it in one draft. Terrible, terrible cliches and tired metaphors everywhere.

Maybe this is why he called it "Passion and Pain"...because that's what this book inspires in me. Passionate outrage and a pained heart at the disgrace that this author brings to the great salsa legend. Marc Shapiro, how do you sleep at night? You make the world a worse place.

[Fabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts out slow in the beginning. It goes in great detail about his music but overall it had sad story.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. The story of his music and life was so touching!