Birth and early life

Leroy Gómez was born July 8, 1950, in Wareham, Massachusetts, of Cape Verdean descent.

Career as saxophonist and in the Tavares

See Tavares

After learning how to sing and play the saxophone, Gómez started his own band at 14, and later joined Tavares, a local group of brothers who shared his Cape Verdean heritage, and with whom he would go on to tour in North America and Europe.

Work with Elton John in Paris

In Paris, Elton John invited him to play the sax on Social Disease, a song on his 1973 classic album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.^[1] Amidst this success, Gómez decided to leave his band "Tavares" and remain in Europe, getting work as a session player in Paris.

Work with Nicolas Skorsky and Jean Manuel de Scarano: Fauves Puma label

In Paris he met Nicolas Skorsky and Jean Manuel de Scarano, songwriters who had launched their own label with the aim of producing artists who would record their compositions. Santa Esmeralda was born of their collaboration, and the album Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, with Gómez on lead vocals, debuted on the independent French label, Fauves Puma. A sudden huge success in Europe, the record was picked up for worldwide distribution by Casablanca Records of Los Angeles, the preeminent label of the Disco era.^[2]

Essentially a studio act, Gómez was eager to perform, and a touring group was put together including a troupe of dancers, one of whom, by the name of Tequila, would appear on several album and single cover photos and ultimately become his wife.^[3]

Success with Gypsy Woman and I Got It Bad

Leroy Gómez left "Santa Esmeralda" in early 1978 to go as a solo artist and so recorded 2 solo albums: Gypsy Woman (Casablanca Records, 1978) and I Got It Bad (Casablanca, 1979).