EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated with the artist’s passing.
Conflicting reports about Rubby Pérez‘s condition circulated the Internet following the deadly roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub in the Dominican Republic, where he was performing early on Tuesday (April 8). The artist’s death was confirmed just after 5 p.m.
The 69-year-old Dominican merengue singer — known for Billboard hits such as “Tu Vas a Volar,” “Enamorado de Ella” and “15,500 Noches” in collaboration with Romeo Santos, Toño Rosario, Fernandito Villalona and Raman Orlando — was presumably found alive earlier in the rubble, according to his daughter, Zulinka Pérez.
“He’s inside and we hope to God that he recovers soon,” she she said to local reporters Tuesday morning. “He’s injured, but he’s inside; they found him singing. He started singing so they could hear him. He’s always told me: ‘If something ever happens to me, cover me so no one takes pictures.’”
Zulinka, who’s also a backup singer for Pérez and was present when the roof collapsed, shared: “I’m his backup singe — my husband and I are backup singers. My husband covered me, threw himself on top of me, and he got trapped. He told me, ‘Get out quickly.’ The musicians were able to get out; the bass player is in critical condition; I think he had surgery in the hospital. And one of the saxophone players is dead.”
Meanwhile, various local news outlet announced that the artist was “stable and hospitalized at Centro de Medicina Avanzada (CEDIMAT)” in Santo Domingo. The hospital released a statement on social media, but did not confirm if Pérez was one of the patients. “As of this afternoon, we have received six patients at our facilities. They have been identified by their families and are in stable condition after being treated by our healthcare professionals.”
As news about the artist’s whereabouts circulated, his brother also gave a statement to local news Tuesday afternoon, denying the news that he’s been found and transferred to a hospital.
“At the moment, he has not been rescued from the rubble,” Pérez’s family member said. “He hasn’t been sent to any hospital. Given the time the event occurred, which has already been 14 hours…only God’s grace can truly perform a miracle. Rubby is still in the rubble; we haven’t been able to rescue him. We hope he’s alive. We’re sharing this news as a family and I want it to be the right one.”
The roof collapse left over 60 dead and over 160 injured, according to multiple reports. A cause for the roof’s collapse is not yet known.
Billboard reached out to Pérez’s managers for further comment. This is a developing story.
