José Antonio Torresola Ruiz, better known as Frankie Ruiz was an American-born Puerto Rican salsa singer and songwriter. He was a major figure in the salsa romántica subgenre that was popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. During his youth, he developed a passion for percussion, later confessing that this would have been his second choice after singing. While still in his 30s, he became known as El Papá de la Salsa