Tito Puente’s station in the percussion world can be described in his two-word nickname: “El Rey” … The King.

Puento was born April 20, 1923, as Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr., the son of native Puerto Ricans Ernest and Ercilia Puento, who had emigrated to Spanish Harlem in New York City. “Tito” served in the United States Navy for three years during World War II, then used his G.I. Bill monies to study music at the prestigious Julliard School of Music, where he completed a formal education in conducting, orchestration and music theory.

Soon, Puente was at the top of the music world, bringing Afro-Cuban and Caribbean sounds like mambo, son and cha-cha-cha music to mainstream audiences. “Dance Mania,” perhaps Puente’s most well-known album, was released in 1958, but it was 1979 before he earned the first of his five Grammys. In the interim, Puente had ventured into even more genres, including pop music and bossa nova. And his song, “Oye Como Va,” had become a blockbuster hit in 1970 for Latin rock group Santana.

Puente’s five Grammys are augmented by a Latin Grammy for Best Traditional Tropical Album (“Mambo Birdland”) and a posthumous presentation of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. He had died of a heart attack in 2000.

A variety of other Puente honors include receiving the key to New York City from Mayor John Lindsay in 1992, induction into the National Congressional Record in 1992, and a Smithsonian Medal in 1993. During the presidency of Sen. Roberto Rexach Benítez, Puente received the honor not only of having a special session of the Senate of Puerto Rico dedicated to him, but he was asked to perform his unique style on the floor of the Senate chambers. Puente was presented honorary doctorates of arts and sciences by both SUNY Old Westbury and Hunter College.

On Sept. 10, 2007, a United States Post Office in Harlem was dedicated in Puente’s name. And, in San Juan, P.R., an amphitheatre is named in Puente’s honor, in Luis Muñoz Marín Park, right next to the Roberto Clemente Coliseum.

He owned Tito Puente’s Restaurant on City Island in The Bronx, a venue that to this day still has a mural depicting greats from the realm of Latin music.

Puente had a love life as sizzling as his music, and has children from three relationships. He and first wife Mirta Sanchez, whom he married while on leave during the war, have a son, Ronald, who was born in 1947. After the divorce, Puente began a relationship with dancer Ida Carlini, and their son, Richard Anthony Puente was born in 1953; like his father, he is a musician. Finally, from a 30-year relationship with Margaret Acencio (whom he eventually married) Puente fathered a daughter, Audrey Puente, who is a weather forecaster on New York City television, and a son, Tito Puente Jr., who carries on his father’s music as a bandleader.

Popular among fans from all walks of life, Puente’s work appeared in many films, and he guest starred on several television programs, including “The Cosby Show” and a noteworthy appearance in animated form during a popular two-episode airing of “The Simpsons.”

Puente’s broad appeal, humorously, might best have been summed up by a Bill Murray character in the classic comedy “Stripes.” Arguing with his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend over his tendency to play Puente albums until all hours of the night, Murray’s character tells her, “Tito Puente is gonna be dead, and you’ll say, ‘I’ve been listening to him for years. He’s fabulous.’”

Indeed.