Renowned merengue singer Rubby Pérez tragically passed away at the age of 69 following a devastating roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo on Monday night. The accident reportedly claimed at least 66 lives. Pérez's manager, Enrique Paulino, confirmed his passing to Rolling Stone, stating that the singer was performing when the incident occurred.
Rubby Pérez was married to Inés Lizardo for nearly five decades until her death in 2022. On the day of her death, Pérez was performing with the Latin Philharmonic Orchestra in Houston, Texas.
According to his family, the Dominican merengue singer was found under the rubble, still singing, a testament to his unwavering passion for music. His daughter, Zulinka Pérez, shared that he had used his voice to signal rescuers. Earlier reports suggested that he was transferred to a hospital, but his brother denied these claims in a statement.
“At the moment, he has not been rescued from the rubble,” Pérez's brother said. “He hasn’t been sent to any hospital. Given the time the event occurred, which has already been 14 hours…only God’s grace can truly perform a miracle. Rubby is still in the rubble; we haven’t been able to rescue him. We hope he’s alive. We’re sharing this news as a family and I want it to be the right one.”
Authorities reported that the collapse led to over 150 emergency transfers from the nightclub. Officials continue efforts to locate missing individuals. They are still figuring out what caused the roof to cave in.
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Rubby Pérez's early life and career beginnings
Roberto Antonio Pérez Herrera was born on March 8, 1956, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Originally aspiring to be a baseball player, a car accident that left permanent damage to his leg led him to pursue a music career. He studied at the National Conservatory of Santo Domingo and became a member of various musical groups, including Los Hijos del Rey.
In 1982, the Dominican merengue singer joined the orchestra of Wilfrido Vargas and quickly became popular through hits like "El Africano" and "Volveré. In 1987, he started on his own and took off, releasing songs like "Buscando Tus Besos" as well as "Dame Veneno", cementing his legacy in the history of Latin music forever.
Throughout his career, Rubby Pérez earned recognition in the Billboard charts, with his album Rubby Pérez peaking at number 15 on the Tropical list and his song Love Her reaching number 29 on the Latin Charts.
Rubby Pérez's untimely death is a significant loss to the Latin music community, but his contributions will be remembered for generations to come.