Tony Moran

Since his early-'80s entry as one-half of the Latin Rascals, Tony Moran has figured prominently in commercial post-disco club music. A producer, remixer, DJ, and occasional recording artist, Moran thrived throughout the '80s with Latin Rascals partner Albert Cabrera. The pair built their reputation on arduous and inventive mastermixes broadcast by New York's Kiss FM and applied their editing talent to dozens of singles by the likes of Beastie Boys, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Diana Ross, and the Rolling Stones. As producers, the two earned their first major crossover hit with the Cover Girls freestyle classic "Show Me" (1986). During the tail end of the '80s and into the following decade, Moran branched into house-oriented solo projects such as Concept of One and Same Sun, Same Sky (1991), the latter released under his birth name on major label RCA. Later in the '90s, two co-productions for Gloria Estefan, "Heaven's What I Feel" and "Don't Let This Moment End," were nominated for Grammy Awards in the category of Best Dance Recording. Most of Moran's works throughout the next several years were commercial house productions with Kristine W., Ultra Naté, Jennifer Holliday, and Martha Wash among his collaborators. Additionally, he was behind several DJ mixes, including a crop of discs for Centaur Music and one for Tommy Boy, Tour de Beats. During 2015 and 2016, three of Moran's singles — the Wash-fronted "Free People" and the Jason Walker collaborations "So Happy" and "Say Yes" — topped Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. ~ Andy Kellman