Ruben Ramos (musician)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ruben Ramos | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rubén Pérez Ramos |
| Origin | Sugar Land, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Tejano, Mariachi |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Website | rubenramos |
Ruben Ramos, also known as El Gato Negro, is an American Tejano music performer. Beginning his music career in the late 1960s, Ruben's fame has grown throughout the years as he formed his distinct musical style.[1] In March 1998, Ruben was inducted into the Tejano Music Awards Hall of Fame and later won Best Male Vocalist in 1999.[2] His band, The Mexican Revolution, also won album of the year in 2008.[3][4][5]
Ruben Ramos was born into a family music legacy dating back to post-World War I Texas. Ruben's uncles began performing just after World War I in 1919 as Juan Manuel Perez y Los Serenaders. Meanwhile, Ruben's father, Alfonso Ramos Sr., worked the cotton fields and the railroads; he also played the fiddle while his mother, Elvira Perez, played the guitar at family gatherings. At the end of World War II, Ruben's Uncle Justin re-formed the band as Justin Perez and His Ex-GIs. Ruben's sister, Inez, joined the band as a singer in 1947. Then, in his early teens, Ruben's older brother Alfonso Ramos Jr. joined their uncle's group.
In the mid-1950s, the band became the Alfonso Ramos Orchestra.[6] Ruben continued with the band on weekends, increasingly singing English cover R&B tunes, even after landing a "good job" with the state insurance department. Now, all five Ramos brothers were performing. As the orchestra's drummer, Ruben performed throughout the 1960s with Alfonso's band. The band played a mix of tunes, from cha chas and cumbias to boleros and rancheras. Ruben provided the vocals and pushed many of the English songs the band played.
