He tells the astonishing story of his rise to fame and his battle with drugs and now, how he is ministering through music to addicts around the world
SANTA ANA, CA. (ANS) -- Super percussionist and singer, Santos, is (talking aobut) his dramatic story of his rise to fame in the music world and his subsequent battle with drugs.
In a dramatic interview with journalist Dan Wooding, Santos recalled the time when the 200 inmates at the notorious Rikers Island Jail in New York Harbor were restless and were making it clear that they didn't want to be at the service organized by a team from Mike MacIntosh’s “Festival of Life NYC02” outreach. But then they were shocked when a singer and percussion had some straight talking for them.
The Bronx-born Santos, who had previously had a miraculous conversion and deliverance from drug addiction, came up the microphone, looked at the group before him, and said pointedly, “You guys think you are so smart. If you are that smart, how come you are in here?”
The prisoners were stunned. Santos had got there attention and this man, who had been in jail in New York years previously for drug-related offenses, began to preach to them on the topic: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
He got their attention!
As a super percussionist, Santos had toured nationally in the United States with a Who's Who of the music business, such as Weather Report and Fandango, sharing tour dates and stages with The Charlie Daniels Band, The Outlaws, Pure Prairie League, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Moby Grape, Judas Priest, and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Santos said that he learned to play Latin percussion on the streets, with groups on the “stoops,” a NYC term for hanging out on the front porch of a house. “I hung out in these strong ethnic neighborhoods,” he said. “They took me in as one of their own -– I had a name like Santos, but I looked so German! After a while I was asked to play in clubs with a lot of R&B bands in the neighborhood. My first break came when I was asked to play percussion with Charles Earland on the same bill with The Jazz Crusaders at Carnegie Hall. What a place to start a career! After that, I became a member of the Charles Earland Sextet and we toured nationally with the likes of George Benson, Les McCann, Jimmy Smith, and Stanley Turrentine. I also did a short stint with Top Jazz ensemble Weather Report back in there early days.”
But he had a terrible secret that was destroying his life -- he was addicted to drugs, a habit that nearly had him sentenced to life imprisonment. But then a miracle began to happen in his life when former teenage idol Dion DiMucci, who had such hits as “A Teenager in Love,” “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer,” told him to totally give his life to Jesus Christ. He did and later was completely delivered from his habit at Calvary Ranch in the rodeo town of Lakeside, a suburb of beautiful San Diego, California, which offers 24 hour-a-day care for every resident.
Now Santos has produced a new album called “South of the Bronx” – available at the end of July -- in which in pays tribute to the music he learned at Calvary Ranch, where he was discipled and blessed by the ministry of Pastor Tom McAloon who, along with his Paulette, his wife of 29 years, founded the center in 1975 after starting three Rescue Missions in the most dangerous parts of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. In a family like setting, Tom and Paulette live on the Ranch along with the staff to provide hands on leadership and support. Santos says that the time he spent at The Ranch changed his life forever.
“Calvary Ranch is a testimony of people living the gospel through pure and simple devotion to Christ,” said Santos. “At first, the simplicity of the country/gospel songs sung there was not my style of music, but I stood in amazement as the Lord used those very songs to heal my broken heart."
Since Santos’ time at Calvary Ranch, the Lord has done amazing things. He has put him back in the ministry, opened up many doors to help others and share his testimony – even at Rikers Island – as well as giving him a beautiful wife what he calls “a truly abundant life.”
He then explained how the new CD came about. “While singing in Midland, Texas a few years back the thought struck me to do a Country CD – a totally foreign thought for New York guy from the Bronx who loves to sing Doo-Wop music,” he said. “As I prayed and thought about it, and with encouragement from my West Texas brothers the idea began to come together. I contacted the producer of Street Corner Symphony, JL Seville, and he loved the idea. We started work about six months ago and in just a few short weeks the project will be completed.
“South of the Bronx is a country Gospel/western CD that has a little New York flavor to it. We used some of the best session players in the business to capture that pure and simple sound.”
The CD, which Santos has lovingly dedicated to Calvary Ranch, includes some old-time country/gospel songs like:
* Turn Your Radio On
* Love Lifted Me
* May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You, which was originally done by Bing Crosby
Some sweet ballads like:
* The Lighthouse
* For Those Tears
* Lord, I don’t Understand, (which received an Honorable Mention from Billboard) written by Santos’ friend Paulette McAloon
Some real hay shakers like:
* Victory in Jesus
* Give My Oil In My Lamp
“We have also included ‘Thanks to Calvary’ – a classic Bill Gaither song originally sung by the late great southern Gospel Hall of Famer, George Younce and The Cathedrals,” said Santos. “What an awesome banner story/song for the Calvary Ranch recovery program.”
As with all of Santos’ CD’s, this one will also include resources to get help for anyone addicted.
As Santos always says to those who are struggling with addictions, “Don’t wait -- the life you save will be yours.”
For those who cannot listen to the program live in Southern California, it will also be webcast on www.kwve.com at 5:00 PM (Pacific Time) each Sunday and then the latest show will be posted on the website www.kwvenews.news where you can also listen to the latest show by logging in and then clicking on Front Page Radio.
KWVE radio has agreed to make the program available to other stations who would like to run it. For more information on how to get it, please e-mail Kay Poland, program/music director at KWVE. Her e-mail address is: kaypoland@kwve.com.
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