Eulogy

By Marc Anthony

TITO PUENTE seemed superhuman to me. He was the founding father of Latin music as we know it, the master of masters. He took all the hits in the beginning. Without Tito, who would have carried it on this long? Who would have helped generations make Latin music their own? He and I came from the same neighborhood in Spanish Harlem, and, knowing that, I felt nothing was impossible. The day I met him, he said I reminded him of his son, and thereafter he treated me as a son, always telling me, "Keep it up. You're on the right track." He had no idea how much those words meant to me. Tito's presence inspired us all. He was a man who was revered, honored and respected, in his lifetime. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to know and care for one of the most amazing men ever to walk the earth, for his funny stories and infectious laugh, for his honesty and generosity, but most of all for his friendship. This year he honored me by playing with me at Madison Square Garden. He knew I was nervous, so he hung out with me in my dressing room before the show. That was Tito for you. He was my friend, mentor, godfather and inspiration, and it's painful knowing I'll never see him walk through a door and fill up a room again.

--By Marc Anthony