music
Willie Colon: Funeral Details and His Final Farewell
The renowned American trombonist and arranger Willie Colon passed away on February 21, 2026, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Bronxville, following respiratory complications. The legendary 'bad boy of the Bronx' grew up surrounded by music from birth, decisively influenced by his grandmother Antonia, with whom he was raised. She sang to him, instilled in him a love for music, and pride in his Puerto Rican roots. This cultural legacy took him to stages worldwide, alongside the salsa born in the streets of New York, a genre of which he was one of its great architects. Read: The story behind 'the Bad Boy of the Bronx,' Willie Colon's nickname.
TL;DR
- Willie Colon, the renowned trombonist and arranger, passed away on February 21, 2026.
- A private wake for family and friends is scheduled for Saturday, March 7th.
- A public wake will be held on Sunday, March 8th, from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at McMahon, Lyon & Hartnett Funeral Home in White Plains, New York.
- A public funeral mass will take place on Monday, March 9th, at 9:30 AM at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
- The burial will be private.
- In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Columbia University's ILD program for research and care.