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Biography Jake Salazar, Jr.

Jake Salazar, Jr. was born in Laredo, Texas in 1952. A year later his parents and an uncle brought him to
Detroit, Michigan where he was raised. The family lived in a predominately African-American
neighborhood that hosted a very small Hispanic community within, which eventually contributed to Jake’s
diverse musical taste. He began a journey a whole world apart mixing in his cultural upbringing of
Mexican origin with the urban street life. Growing older he was not able to speak a word of English. He
learned the language taught to him by his follow playmates and in public school.
The fifties were historically musical times. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard was part of Jake’s
repertoire and they began to influence the musical desire that exploded within. During the phenomenon of
this era, he learned to play the drums taught to him by his father (Jake, Sr.) who occasionally played with
his own brothers (Juan & Hector) and other members of the Hispanic community for their own enjoyment.
Jake’s Uncle Juan led the band and focused on training Jake at an early age. Being that Jake was the first
one born of the siblings, there was no escaping the methodical rehearsal schedule every weekend set by his
uncle that turned into parties in the living room and performances for the entire neighborhood who stopped
by to hear the band and experience the traditional sounds of the Hispanic culture.
Those moments established a wealth of inspiration and set a course that continued to fuel a passion as
the years went by.
The sixties escorted in a new era in music history with Motown Records establishing itself as a crossover
sensation. The Temptations, The Miracles, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Little Stevie Wonder was among the
groups that penetrated deep enough to sprout roots within and Jake matured into a soul affectunado. He
was in the local record shop so much listening to the latest records that the owner gave him a space where
he could set up a shoeshine stand and shine shoes in the store. He also did chores for his mother around
the house to earn money to afford the records. After buying the records, he and other musical warriors
stood on the street corners and mimicked the records acappella style to the note later entering and winning
talent shows in school. Jake was a member of the first Latin group that ever recorded for Motown Records
called, “Little Miguel & The Golden Five” on the Gordy label. The group had one jukebox recording
with a salsa flair but mostly played private parties for Erlis Gordy, the brother of Berry Gordy, Jr. founder
of Motown Records.
The mid to late sixties became a rebellious period, which was transcended in music. The British invasion
and the Psychedelic mind trips began yet another lag of a journey only to be experienced. During this time,
Jake switched from playing the drums to bass guitar and followed this new music scene. The switch from
drums to bass came about during the Detroit riots of 1967. Still living in a predominately African-
American neighborhood, the community supported and encouraged Jake’s musical talent by providing him
with a gift of a bass guitar that was looted from the rampage of the riots. With this new instrument, he
went back to his uncle Juan who played guitar and he asked to be taught how to play the bass. His uncle
did not hesitate and immediately gave him a crash course.
Not long after learning the basics, Jake changed the repertoire of the band and began playing psychedelic
music letting his hair grow long and claiming peace, love and rock n’ roll. Jake founded the groups, “The
Salt Of The Earth “ and later “The Warlords. “ Members of the band including himself later joined or
played in the Detroit Rock scene with the MC5, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Ted Nugent, Frigid
Pink and Bob Seger to name a few opening for many of the up and coming acts of the era such as
Fleetwood Mac, Savoy Brown, Atomic Rooster, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Sweat Hog and Led Zeppelin
throughout Detroit and Canada.
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At the same time, Jake kept in touch with his musical roots frequently helping his uncle and
various other groups playing ethnic music around Michigan and Ohio.
The recording studio opened up another world for Jake Salazar and he started to analyze the

recordings with curiosity and ambition dissecting each note like a surgeon and precisely
orchestrating the production not only as a session studio musician but also as a record producer.
Jake took direction from Richard Becker who was the chief engineer for Motown Records and owner of
Pac 3 Recording Studio in Detroit that produced all of the hits for Westbound Record
(Parliament/Funkadelic, The Ohio Players, Patti LaBell.)
Jake later hooked up with DJ (Ben Mercado) who played Latin music at a Detroit local black
station, WJLB late at night. He worked for the DJ who asked Jake to go through the records from the mail
room addressed to the show and separate the playable records from the non-playable records. Jake got to
take the non-playable records home. The playable records, of course, were the records that contained
money in the album jackets.
The music industry was deeply embedded heart, mind and soul and it surrounded Jake day and night with
its creative influences. His devotion was unparalleled to no other desire.
Jake did a sting promoting records for several independent record promotions companies with clients such
as CBS Records, Warner Bros. Records, RCA Records, MCA Records and Capitol Records and traveled
around the country visiting stations and their PDs to get them to play the records.
During the late seventies and eighties he started working for labels, production companies and music
publishers while occasionally performing live and recording in the studio. Jake Salazar has led a
successful career as a music record executive a long side his many accomplishment as a record producer.
Jake has achieved three Grammy Nominations for his record productions. One in 1987 for “Best Mexican
American Performance “ producer of the international recording of “Unidos Cantemos”, Salvador Torres,
Discos MAS/Westbound/WB. Another in 1997 for “Best Polka Album “ producer featuring Frank
Yankovic, Weird Al Yankovic, Drew Carey and Little Joe, Cleveland Int’l Records/CBS, and one in 1998 for
“Best Tejano Album” producer of Little Joe Y La Familia, EMI/Capitol Records along with 8 Gold Record
Awards, 1 Double Gold Record Award, 2 Platinum Record Awards, 1 Gold Video Award, Las Palmas De
Oro, 3 Producer of The Year, A.N.D.A. Awards, 2 La Medalla Ruben Fuentes, City of Detroit Proclamation,
City of Los Angeles Proclamation and various International Recognition awards.
Jake has recorded in Canada, England, Mexico and Australia achieving commercial success in Japan and
the UK and was personally invited to the Caribbean Island by producer George Martin (The Beatles) to
work at Air Studios in Montserrat. To his credit, Jake has recorded over fifty albums containing over five
hundred recordings.
Clarence Avant, the current Motown Record’s Chairman mentored Jake steering him towards perfection not
only in his productions but also in the business of music.
According to Jake Salazar, a highlight of his executive career came about when he was asked to form a
Latin division for Satellite Records in Burbank, California in the early nineties. This was no ordinary
label. The label was owned by Warren “Pete ” Moore a former member of The Miracles.
Pete wrote several of The Miracles greatest hits, including “Tracks Of My Tears “, “Ooo Baby Baby”,
“Since I Lost My Baby”, “Ain’t That Peculiar” and “Going To A Go-Go. “ Pete also produced records for
Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross & The Supremes. The label’s president was Barney Alef
former president of Motown Records.
After Jake successfully established the Latin division, Barney Alef resigned and Jake Salazar was asked by
Pete Moore to become the President of Satellite Records, which Jake accepted.
Being in the company of legends, heighten Jake’s capabilities with extreme confidence.
Jake Salazar became affiliated with Manuel Montoya of MEG (Montoya Entertainment Group) a company
that provided international services to clients such as Herb Alpert, Janet Jackson, Marie Osmond, Quite
Riot, Julio Iglesias, Kenny Rogers, Placido Domingo and Sylvester Stallone to name a few and established
a production company.
Jake Salazar was a co-founder of the Tempo Music Group. A coalition of independent record companies
owned by veteran industry professionals and celebrities such as Anita Baker/Michael Powell, Sylvia Moy,
Martha Reeves, Isaiah Thomas, Thomas Hearns, John Salley, Lee Marcus, and Leonard Jones among other
prominent business colleagues.
Jake has been a consultant to over forty record labels and for many of the industries’ major artists and

manages the careers of a chosen few. Composer/singer/actor, Grammy Nominated Salvador Torres, the
female group and Latin sensation MiraSol & musician extraordinaire Juanito Castillo all on Picante
Records. Hip-Hop/Rap artist Baby Blue, A.K.A. Big Nic on Big Money Records produced by Jake’s son,
Jake “Chacho ” Salazar, III. All distributed through an arrangement with Universal. Prior administrative
obligations were for Grammy Winner Little Joe/Polygram Records, Grammy Winner Cesar Rosas/Los
Lobos/Warner Bros. Records, Platinum artist Tierra/MCA Records and DeLeon Music Publishing/Peer
Publishing.
Jake Salazar has also been active in the motion picture industry by contributing to and producing
sound tracks for movies such as, “Crime Of Crimes, ” David Carradine, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Zack
Motion Pictures/Million Dollar Video, “Always Roses, ” Luis Avilos, Universal Pictures, “Down For The
Barrio, ” Little Joe Hernandez, Miramax, “A Song Of Life, ” Salvador Torres, Great Lakes Pictures and
“L.A. City Nights, ” NBC Special. Jake has been instrumental in the negotiations of music licensing for the
show “Dawson ‘s Creek, ” Tri Star/Columbia Pictures for the WB Network and a music consultant on the
television series “Miami Vice.”
In October of 2003, Jake Salazar signed a seven-year book deal with PublishArnerica a subsidiary of
Britannica and became a published author for the book entitled, “In Search Of Amelia. “ The book is due
out in the summer of 2004.
Jake Salazar is also the Executive Producer along with Anthony Gilbert on three-reality television shows,
“Cookin’ With Pancho, “First Date “ and “Untapped TV. “
Jake Salazar is the creator of and is currently developing The Music Store Channel, which is the first and
only interactive music merchandising television channel to be launched. The channel is expected to hit the
airwaves early of 2005.
Jake Salazar is the Chairman/CEO of MusiCo TV, The Music Store Channel.