January 5, 1948 – December 29, 2020
The shocking news of the death of Rudy Salas, 72, founder of the popular East L.A. band Tierra and El Chicano guitarist, was announced on his Facebook page on December 29, via a post by his family.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Rudy Salas, the leader and co-founder of Tierra, early this morning. Millions have enjoyed Tierra’s music and we are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support,” the post reads.
The sad news traveled quickly across social media, followed by an outpouring of tributes left on his Facebook page which are a testament to how beloved Rudy was.
He was a music[al] genius who never sold out his culture or his values. He was a superhero in the Chicano Music world and will be remembered deeply for his love of family and Raza! R.I.P. mi Hermano.” — Pete Moraga, Partner of Strategic Communications
Rudy began his career along with his brother, Steve Salas as The Salas Brothers. Both went on to perform with El Chicano and in 1972 founded the much-loved band Tierra. Steve Salas was the lead singer, Rudy played lead guitar and managed the band. The group recorded their first self-titled album that year and then went on to publish 14 more records, the most recent being in 2013. The 80’s and 90’s were the height of when most of Tierra’s hits recorded. Steve Salas was the lead singer of the band until about 2002 when left on a hiatus of eleven years, returning in 2013.
Tierra’s original 1972 members were Rudy Salas, Steve Salas, Bobby Navarrete, Joey Guerra, Steve Falomir, Philip Madayag, Kenny Roman, David Torres Jr., Rudy Villa and Andre Baeza.
Initially, Tierra began performing in East Los Angeles where they developed their signature sound that included a blend of rock, pop, jazz, R&B, and salsa. The result was a Latin R&B rhythm that produced classics like their hit song Together, Gonna Find Her, Memories, and Zoot Suit Boogie.
From its inception, Rudy Salas served as the leader of the band, record producer, and head of business affairs for Tierra. This led to the growth and popularity of the band, hit songs and performances across the country in venues like Carnegie Hall and The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and TV shows like The American Music Awards and American Bandstand.
Tierra was named “Best R&B Vocal Group” by four leading magazines including Billboard and was the first Latino band to have four songs on the national chart and two simultaneously in the Top 100. The band has shared the stage with James Brown, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and many other talented groups during their over 40-year career.
In a 2013 interview for LatinoLA.com, when asked about the legacy of Tierra Rudy said, “I am so proud of what this band has achieved. We’ve made history. There haven’t been a lot of Latino groups who made it and had this longevity. We are one of the few groups who have had this achievement.”
Rudy, and the band he led played a role in opening doors for other Latino and non-Latino superstars of today, including comedian Paul Rodriguez, Arsenio Hall, Sheila E., Gloria Estefan, Los Lobos, Rudy Moreno, and more.
My memories of Rudy Salas go back to the 1990s when I got to meet him for a few seconds, the first time, sometime around the early to mid-1990s. It was at The Hop in La Puente. A hero for so many, and for me, he was someone that believed in me and invited me to share the stage with him on many occasions.” — Gregory Esparza, Vocalist for Thee Midnighters
“We have lost our rock, our creative spirit, husband, father, grandfather (and soon to be great-grandfather), uncle, brother, and leader of Tierra whose history spans nearly 5 decades,” the Salas family Facebook post reads.
Because of the pandemic, funeral arrangements are yet not known, according to the family’s posting on social media.
This is one of the last videos of Rudy singing, posted on December 10 on the Tierra YouTube Channel.
