Gerardo Manuel
Musical artist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerardo Manuel Rojas Rodó (18 August 1946 – 4 July 2020), known as Gerardo Manuel, was a Peruvian rock musician and TV host.[1] He was a member of bands like Los Shain's and Gerardo Manuel y el Humo.
He is also known for his TV show Disco Club. This program played music videos in Peru during the 1970s and 1980s.[2]
Biography
Early life
He was born in the district of Breña in Lima in 1946. His mother was a singer and his father was in the navy. He started to listen to classical music as a child. Later, his family moved to Ica. He studied at the San Luis Gónzaga school and played the saxophone.[3]
Music career
In Ica, he worked on a radio show called Surf Beat 63. He started a band called Los Doltons with friends. He played the saxophone and drums. The band played twist music.[3]
In 1964, he returned to Lima. He studied at the National University of San Marcos. He joined the band Los Doltons again in Lima, but later he left the group.[3]
In 1965, he joined the band Los Shain's and was the singer. The band recorded four albums between 1965 and 1968. He also appeared in a Mexican movie called Las sicodélicas.[4]
After Los Shain's ended in 1968, he formed a new group called The (St. Thomas) Pepper Smelter. Later, in 1970, he created the band Gerardo Manuel y El Humo. He recorded albums with the label Iempsa and El Virrey.[3]
Television career
In June 1978, he started a TV show called Disco Club on TV Perú (channel 7). The show broadcast music videos. It became a daily show in November 1978.
The show was very popular. On 8 December 1980, the show had high ratings when he did a special about John Lennon after his murder. Some sources say Disco Club was one of the first music video shows in the world, before MTV.[5][6] The program aired on open television until 1995.
Later years and death
In 2010, he had a stroke. He recovered but was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In 2011, the Ministry of Culture gave him an award for his work in Peruvian culture.[7]
Gerardo Manuel died in Lima on 4 July 2020 due to complications from Parkinson's disease.[8]
Discography
With Los Shain's
- El ritmo de los Shain's (1965)
- Segundo volumen (1967)
- Docena tres (1968)
- Instrumental's (1968)
With The (St. Thomas) Pepper Smelter
- Soul & Pepper (1969)
With Gerardo Manuel y el Humo
- Apocallypsis (1970)
- Machu Picchu 2000 (1971)[9]
- ¿Quién es el mayor? (1973)