Juan Antonio Albino Ortiz (December 9, 1919 – May 7, 2011), also known by his stage name Johnny Albino, was a Puerto Rican bolero singer, born in Yauco, Puerto Rico but lived most of his life in Guayama, Puerto Rico. He played and sang through his youth years. It was not until years later, however, that he would get a chance to sing as part of an organized act. Albino joined the United States Army during World War II, where he formed a quartet and was allowed to sing for his fellow soldiers. In 1946, Albino performed in a trio for the first time. Later on, he would become a member and lead voice of the Trio San Juan, which went on to become an internationally acclaimed group. Trio San Juan was rivaled at the time by the trio Los Panchos for popularity. Albino later on left Trio San Juan and joined Los Panchos, as the leading voice, replacing another legendary trio singer, Julito Rodríguez.
Albino joined Los Panchos in 1958 and he remained there until 1967. The group became famous across the world, and Albino toured the United States, Europe and Japan. With Los Panchos, he recorded Japanese albums, and he also performed alongside well known performers such as Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. Steve Lawrence and others. Albino left Los Panchos and went on to form, or become a member of many famous Puerto Rican trios. Notably, Miguel Poventud whose participation in the album Los Panchos by Special Request are a compilation of love songs recorded in English for CBS."El Trio Los Panchos Historia y Cronica" by Pablo Mareial Ortiz Ramos p. 263. Also, Grandes Exitos de Johnny Albino con Los Panchos DHIT 2093.2 21 June 2005 is his main performance with Miguel Poventud on "requinto" (guitar) and voice accompaniment. His career spanned over 300 albums and CDs. As an artist, Albino toured Colombia, Peru, Japan, Argentina and Mexico. At 93, he died on May 7, 2011, in Long Island, New York. Albino is a member of the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Musical career Early success, Latin American tours Albino joined the Latin programming of radio station WHOM, where he first formed El Trio San Juan (along José Ramón Ortiz and Jaime González) on June 24, 1948, serving as its director, third guitar and lead singer. Within a year his songs were widely known in New York. Their first hits included "Tus Tormentos", "Amor en el campo", "Camino verde" and "María Dolores". In that city they became close to another trio, Los Panchos, holding musical debates against each other. While touring Argentina they recorded the songs "Quien tiene tu amor", "Triunfamos", "Jamás, jamás", "Marinera", "Llámame amor mío", "Cicatrices", "Pa' todo el año", "La media vuelta" and "El Noveno mandamiento". By the late 1940s, the music of Trio San Juan became popular in Puerto Rico and was a recurrent part of WITA's programming. In August 1950, they released "Verdad Amarga" and "Imprescidible". In September 1950, Johnny Albino and the Trio San Juan left for Venezuela, where they performed along singer Carmen Delia Dipiní at the Coney Island amusement park at Caracas. Along presenter Willy Chevalier, they formed the main attraction of a group that would make appearances in South America. Prior to this, they met with Martníez Vela Label representatives Juan Lozano and Totti Juliá and their agent Jaime Taronji. The group became well known outside of Puerto Rico before establishing themselves locally, finding success in New York and Latin America, and due to this they were promoted as "the youngest and most famous trio of America".
In November 1950, Albino and the Trio San Juan announced that they would begin a season of local shows the following year. In January 1951, they recorded Guillermo Venegas Lloveras' march for the 65th Infantry Regiment for New York-based Discos Verne. For their Puerto Rico tour, the group intended to perform at radio, theaters and nightclubs. However, they had issues presenting locally despite being announced by their agent. In February 1951, they released the bolero "Vergüenza". Popular music by Albino was also aired by WIAC and his songs along the Trio San Juan by WNEL and WAPA. While Albino was in New York, rumors that the group was recording under a different name became widespread in Puerto Rico, which were dismissed in a communication by Taronji in which he stated that their productions were only sold under the name "Johnny Albino y su Trio San Juan". In that city, he and Trio San Juan performed along the dancer Mike Vázquez at Teatro Puerto Rico and the RKO brand theaters.
During the spring of 1952, Albino and the Trio San Juan were contracted to appear at Mexico, where they were widely promoted. During the summer, the group began a Latin American tour that included stays at Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. During this time, Albino considered incorporating Dipiní and have her perform along the group in their international appearances. The group adapted songs by composers such as José Manuel Mateo and recorded several popular music LPs. In June 1952, Toño Alfonso assured that they would be making appearances in Puerto Rico in the near future. Later that month, their debut was announced for July, creating expectations among a local fanbase that had grown due to their work abroad. However, once again, their appearance was delayed. Meanwhile, Albino and Trio San Juan spent seven weeks at Argentina, where they appeared at radio for Radioemisora LRI and performed at the El Chanteclé, El Tronio, El Halcón and El Tribidabo clubs. They also met Agustín Irusta, Hugo del Carri and José Razono, and visited the tomb of Carlos Gardel. Albino and the Trio San Juan then made appearances at the Teatro Puerto Rico at New York, joining Antonio Badú, which facilitated a three-film agreement with Azteca Films.
Puerto Rican debut and disbandment In September 1952, Petrillo Pomares of the Federación de Músicos de Puerto Rico, the largest union in the local music industry, revealed that despite their intention to also perform in radio, they had only been approved to perform in theaters, cabarets and nightclubs. Unbothered by this, Toronji extended them a contract offer to make their debut later that month. They arrived on September 18, but the flight was delayed due to weather conditions and they took a day off before beginning their schedule, which was comprised by a two-month tour. The radio prohibition announced by Pomares only affected the guitar players, so Albino and the Trio San Juan superseded this limitation by only singing in their weekday appearances for WKAQ (for whom them made their local debut), bringing in the guitarists of Felipe Rodríguez's Trio Los Antares to play. The lack of familiarity and cohesion between both groups was evident in their initial performance, but they managed to air the full program and repeat on a recurrent basis.The group was announced as "proceeding from the principal theaters of Argentina and Venezuela" and as "the most popular trio in all of Latin America".
In September 1952, Albino and the trio debuted a show at the Teatro Oller, Teatro Puerto Rico and Teatro Broadway cinemas. They also performed at the Jack's nightclub and various theaters, including Cobian's Teatro Metropolitan, Teatro Paradise, Teatro San Luis, Teatro Victoria, Teatro Metro, Teatro Rex, Teatro Tanamá and Teatro Kresto-Denia. WKJB at Mayagüez and WPAB at Ponce also transmitted their songs. The three members also took some time off to visit their native towns. Mike Vázquez was expected to join the second month of their tour. Entertainment producer Gilbert Mamery expressed his interest in contracting Albino and the Trio San Juan to make appearances in the theater of Mayagüez. During their stay, Ángel Fonfrías of the Southern Music Publishing Co. and SPACEM received them and discussed business, with Albino noting interest in songs property of the host and Edmundo Disdier, beginning with "Testigo, la luna". On October 8, 1952, they performed at Teatro La Perla at Ponce with full attendance. During this tour, the group debuted the bolero "Delirium Tremens" on radio.
In October, they continued their tour with appearances at the Club Social Las Tres Palmas, where they hosted the floor show. At Teatro La Perla in Ponce, they were joined by Felipe Rodríguez, Arturo Correa and José Miguel Agrelot, selling out two shows. They also made their debut at Mayagüez, performing at Teatro San José. They also played at a dance commemorating the United Nations Day at Clínica Fernández García in Hato Rey. In November, Albino expressed that he was considering extending their stay in Puerto Rico. The group was then contracted to appear at the Club Caborrojeño during the Christmas season. Albino and the Trio San Juan also made appearances at New York during the winter.
In January 1953, they were contracted to participate in four films at Mexico, among which was Luna sobre Borinquen along Tito Puente. During the Korean War, Martínez resisted serving overseas after being drafted, eventually being tracked down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) while the trio performed at New York in March 1953. With his lead guitar being sentenced to two years of prison for draft dodging, Albino opted to temporarily disband the group, despite being widely popular at Puerto Rico at the moment. Despite this, they released the boleros "Deuda" and "Si tú me dijeras" two months later. In June 1954, Albino and the Trio San Juan performed at a beach at New Jersey, after which he encountered a car crash involving part of the crew in which guitarist Felipe Acevedo died. By January 1955, Albino and the Trio San Juan had resumed their appearances at WITA, holding the 4:30 time slot for the following months.
In early 1955, Albino returned to Puerto Rico after a tour of New York and joined comedian Fernando Soto’s show at Cobian's Matienzo, Teatro Puerto Rico and Teatro Kresto-Denia. They also made an appearances in television, being featured in WKAQ-TV's prime time Gran Show Libbys, a variety show that had hosted both local and international artists. They were also featured in Adalberto Rodríguez's (also known as "Machuchal") La Taberna India along Soto. When Bayamón opened its 1955 season of the Béisbol Superior, the Trio San Juan was contracted to host the show. In May 1955, Albino was contracted to perform at the Teatro Victoria in Río Piedras and made a return to the show floor of the Club Social Las Tres Palmas. On December 15, 1955, Albino joined Felipe Rodríguez and Los Antares, Tito Rodríguez and other artists in a homage to Ramón Rivero (also known as "Diplo") held at Teatro Puerto Rico in New York while he was on a tour of the city with the Tremendo Hotel troupe. After 15 years of consistently featuring their music in show at WITA, Alvino and the Trio San Juan were included in a cooperation between the station and New York-based WWRL titled Nueva York-Puerto Rico along the Trio Vegabajeño.