Paco de Lucia Dead at 66

Paco de Lucia, who changed jazz guitar in the 1970s and 1980s with his amazing finger work, apparently had a heart attack, his family reported. A 1981 album, Friday Night in San Francisco, recorded with John McLaughlin and Al Dimeola, is one of the top live jazz guitar albums of...

By Chuck Strouse

February 26, 2014

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Paco de Lucia, who changed jazz guitar in the 1970s and 1980s with his amazing finger work, apparently had a heart attack, his family reported.

A 1981 album, Friday Night in San Francisco, recorded with John McLaughlin and Al Dimeola, is one of the top live jazz guitar albums of all time. His 1973 rumba, "Entre Dos Aguas," was one of the most popular songs ever recorded in Spain.

De Lucia was on vacation in Cancun and began to feel unwell on the beach. He was taken to a local hospital.

He last played in Miami at the Fillmore in April 2012. The concert was amazing. He will not be forgotten.

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Chuck Strouse is the former editor in chief of Miami New Times. He has shared two Pulitzer Prizes and won dozens of other awards. He is an honors graduate of Brown University and has worked at newspapers including the Miami Herald and Los Angeles Times.

Contact: Chuck Strouse

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Twitter: @chuckstrouse