Celia Cruz, the Grammy-winning queen of Latin music, died July 16, 2003, at her home in Fort Lee, N.J. She was 77. She was one of Latin music’s most vibrant and influential artists with over 70 albums, including her latest, Hits Mix, which is currently No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Tropical/Salsa Albums.

The Cuban-born singer had the charisma and pizzazz that could instantly light up any room with her powerful, raspy voice, sparkling outfits, and her trademark exclamation, “Azucar!” (“Sugar!”). Her infinite talent has earned her many honorary titles, including the Queen of Salsa, the Queen of Mambo, and the Queen of Latin Music.

Her numerous awards and honors include a Yale University doctorate, Grammy awards and nominations, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a statue in the Hollywood Wax Museum, and a major Miami street named “Celia Cruz Way” in honor of her. One of her outfits is in the Smithsonian’s permanent collection – a testament to her highly distinctive, outrageous sense of style, and she also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Smithsonian Institute. In 1994, Cruz was also bestowed an award from the National Endowment of Arts by President Bill Clinton.

In 1999, ASCAP also honored Cruz with the Latin Heritage Award, one of the Society’s most prestigious awards, celebrating her enormous contributions to Latin music and her tremendous success in introducing her wonderful music to millions of fans around the globe.

Over the years, Cruz has collaborated with the best of the best in music, including Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Emilio Estefan, Willie Chirino, Patti LaBelle, and David Byrne. Of course, her rise to the top of the Latin music charts started when she was only a child, growing up in the barrio of Havana, Cuba. Her childhood was rich with Cuban music and culture, and she frequently sang in school and local events. One of Cruz’s teachers recognized her talent and encouraged her to study music. In 1947, Cruz enrolled in Cuba’s Conservatory of Music and held fast to the philosophy that her lifelong background in authentic Cuban music rendered formal voice training unnecessary. Her instincts proved to be correct, and with lots of hard work, Cruz’s uplifting and joyous music won the affections of listeners worldwide.

Cruz’s big break came in 1950 when she joined Cuba’s popular La Sonora Matancera, an honor as prestigious as joining the Duke Ellington Orchestra. With constant touring, the group became a huge local favorite with popular singles like “Caocao Mani Picao” and “Mata Siguaraya.” During the group’s tour of Mexico in 1960, a year after Fidel Castro took over Cuba, she decided not to return to her homeland. Instead, Cruz moved to the U.S. and performed a lot in New York City. She was quickly embraced by the local Puerto Rican community, and earned her first gold album, Celia and Johnny, with Johnny Pacheco in 1957. In 1962, she married Pedro Knight, a trumpeter from La Sonor Matancera who became her musical director and full-time manager.

During the late 1960s, she frequently sang with Puente’s orchestra, and thus began her long, professional relationship with one of the most respected leaders in Latin music. The pair often toured together and produced eight critically acclaimed albums together.

She also joined Pacheco in the Fania All-Stars, which also included such Latin luminaries as Bobby Cruz, Ismael Quintana, and Mongo Santamaria. The super-group performed at Yankee Stadium in 1975. In 1989, she and Barretto won a Grammy for “Best Tropical Latin Performance” for their album, Ritmo En El Corazon.

Throughout her career, Cruz had a knack for keeping her music relevant and contemporary by seizing new opportunities and expanding her musical collaborations. In 1992, the release of the film, The Mambo Kings, brought her music to a whole new audience as Latin music became more and more popular in the U.S. In 1999 Cruz also received a Grammy nomination in “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” for her collaboration with rapper Wyclef Jean on “Guantanamera.” Over 70 albums, Cruz has garnered more than a dozen Grammy nominations. Just last year, she took home the Grammy for Best Salsa Album for La Negra Tiene Tumbao.

Her intense devotion to singing drove her to constantly perform, tour and record, even after her brain tumor surgery in December 2002. In February 2003, Cruz ventured back into the recording studio to record album, Regalo de Alma, slated for release August 5. And as recently as March, Telemundo broadcast a live tribute concert to her, during which she performed along side other stars like Marc Antony to raise funds for the Celia Cruz Foundation, an organization dedicated to aiding Hispanic students interested in studying music.

“Music is the only gift I have that was given to me by God,” Cruz told ASCAP in 1999 when she received the Latin Heritage Award. “Unless He takes it away, I will continue to share my gift with everyone. It is what gives me pleasure. It is what brings me happiness. And that is my purpose in life.”

ASCAP mourns the loss of such a brilliant talent, and our thoughts are with Cruz’s family. She is survived by her husband and her two sisters, Gladys Becquer and Dolores Cruz.