Sound Royalties, an entertainment industry finance firm serving songwriters, producers, performers and other creatives in music, recently hosted a private reception in Nashville honoring composer and producer Rudy Pérez, an influential figure in Latin music.
More than 250 industry leaders including recording artists, label executives and representatives of ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC gathered at Nashville’s Icon Ultra Lounge in The Gulch to celebrate Pérez and his memoir, The Latin Hitmaker, written with Robert Noland. The book chronicles the journey of a young Cuban refugee who survived the gritty streets of Miami to ultimately create music in the 21st century.
"Having so many of my musical friends who mean so much to me and to the music world turn out for this event was really special and humbling to me," said Perez. "I've been blessed to work with some of the most talented people in the world, and this was an opportunity to express how grateful I am to the Nashville Music Community. A heartfelt thank you to the Sound Royalties team and Alex Heiche for putting on such a terrific event!"
A five-time GRAMMY winner who has earned 19 nominations, Perez has written and produced hits for artists including Celia Cruz, Beyoncé, Julio Iglesias, Christina Aguilera, Natalie Cole, Ricky Martin, Michael Bolton, Marc Anthony, José Feliciano, Il Divo, Cristian Castro, and many others. The only Latin producer to be named Billboard’s Producer of the Decade, he has won Songwriter of the Year five times. Together with his lifelong friend and fellow Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Desmond Child, Perez co-founded both the Latin Grammys and Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (La Musa Awards) and serves on the Board of ASCAP.
After welcoming guests, Sound Royalties Founder and CEO Alex Heiche introduced Child who paid tribute to the guest of honor. Perez was joined by his wife Betsy Perez along with his manager Mike Atkins (Atkins Entertainment), Aimee Oates (wife of John Oates), producer and songwriter Eddie Schwartz, and SESAC president Kelli Turner.
