LETTER FROM RITA, DAUGHTER OF RUDY SALAS JR:
Dear Tierra Family,
Due to recent negative postings and misinformation floating around social media, I would like to take a moment to provide some now needed transparency and explain why there are seemingly two bands (Tierra & Tierra Legacy) at the moment. As you may or may not know, when my father Rudy Salas passed away in 2020, he unfortunately did not leave behind a will or trust. After initial plans to share the band’s trademark that he co-owned with his brother (Steve had a 40% “non-voting” share), my stepmother Joanna claimed that she was the sole owner. This action was disputed by my uncle Steve Salas, along with my brother and I, who maintain that the trademark should not be solely owned by Joanna, but should be shared, as even she admitted in the beginning that this is what my dad intended. Sadly, my uncle Steve passed away this past February (2022), but the court case is ongoing with his life partner Mary, as Steve’s main benefactor. All of that is verifiable through court records.
Any claims that one person alone currently owns the name is questionable, as the trademark issue is now in probate, and in my opinion should never have been re-registered under one person’s name without due process in the first place. Not only did Joanna ignore the 60/40 agreement that the brothers had made, but she has claimed to own 100%, thus denying Steve his share and ignoring the rights of my brother and I to share our father's estate. Her claim is that since the trademark was re-registered while they were married (after the agreement made by the brothers), it is community property, yet both our trademark and probate lawyers disagree with this, as the band was established and has has been in commerce since 1972, which was 26 years prior to their marriage. According to them, there are laws and precedent that support the fact that our father's share of the trademark should be divided between the three of us.
Unfortunately, this situation has brought online strife, false information and even misleading attempts to sway the public. I will not go into details, but am now writing because I feel that some of what has been shared was not only intrusive to my father and uncle’s personal lives, but it also does NOT honor them in any way, and can potentially harm both their reputations and their life’s work. I ask that you please respect their memory and try to keep your focus on their music and their legacy (both together and apart), regardless of what is said. Please keep in mind, things are not always as they seem, and it is also an undeniable fact that before my father passed, he and my uncle settled their business disputes and had been working on new music together and had planned a reunion concert. Their wonderful music and talents were a bond that neither could deny. Other family issues had also been mended prior to their death. Videos, posts, texts, etc. show that both Rudy and Steve and the entire Salas family were happy and moving forward. Any negative speculation on how they died and any insinuation that their deaths were related to other issues is just harmful rhetoric. COVID-19, along with their medical issues, was what took them both, and it’s just awful to hear people claiming that it was more than that. This can be verified by the cause of death listed on their death certificates.
The lives of the Salas Brothers were like any other family, and as we know, families in business together can be tumultuous at times, and it was no secret that the brothers had their share of strife. Yet, as we also know, the two brothers loved each other very much. My dad also loved ALL his family, and the love in the Salas family was virtually indestructible, and always made it through even the most difficult of times. When my uncle Steve found out he had cancer, there was no dispute that could stop my dad from helping to care for his brother. When both my father and brother David ended up in the hospital for certain health reasons, they were immediately at each other’s side each time. When the pandemic took a toll on our dad and his worry about supporting the band members, I created a gofundme for the band, and my brother even provided financial assistance to our dad without any expectations of being repaid. My twin uncles, Richard and Robert had even fronted funds to return the masters of the iconic City Nights album (which included the hit song “Together”) to my dad and Steve. The Salas brothers and settled their dispute before my dad passed, and they had even planned a reunion concert and were talking about writing new music together. Love and forgiveness was always a virtue in the Salas family, and got us through certain bad times, just like so many other families. Any claims that my father wouldn't have wanted my brother to carry on his own legacy because he was on Steve's side of one of those battles is ridiculous.
I remember sitting with my dad years ago, helping him when he began to write his song, “Human Rainbow”. He recorded it years later, and had known how special it was to me, so I had a very small part in it. It was one of his last music video projects, which I’m still heartbroken about, because I was supposed to record my part at the studio, but a regional stay at home order was declared the night before (this was during the pandemic), so I had to record my part from home and didn’t get to see him. His good heart and passion for justice was almost always reflected in his music, and the line, “one man’s truth is another man’s lie, one man’s laughter is another man’s cry”, was something we both believed in – that sometimes people could see the exact same thing and yet have different perspectives. It doesn’t mean they’re both right, but as the song continues, it talks about harmony, and eventually getting together to try and “make it right”. I am absolutely certain my dad believed in this sentiment until his death, and if he were alive today, he would continue to believe in this message. If you think he’s somewhere in heaven with resentment or unforgiveness still in his heart, then you really did not know my dad. I’m sure he’s up there with his brother wondering why others are trying to use something that was in the past to try and validate their own unreasonable actions.
Now to the situation regarding the fact that there are two bands. As a result of the trademark dispute, there are two parties who wish to continue the music and the legacy. Ultimately, the court will decide the ownership of the trademark, and things may change. But until then, yes, there are two bands that wish to keep the music and legacy going. In the following paragraphs, I will refer to my father and uncle as Rudy and Steve and use general language for clarification purposes:
The band “Tierra”, currently includes some members who played with Rudy Salas through the more recent years (a few for 15+ years), and some members who joined after Rudy passed. This band is led by Joanna Salas (Rudy’s second wife) and Rudy Villa. Rudy Villa was an original member, and although he was not in the band during the “City Nights” years, he and the others are well respected and very talented members. This band’s lead singer is currently “Will Rize”.
“Tierra Legacy” is composed of some original members who recorded on the City Nights album, some past Tierra members, and some who just very recently left “Tierra” and joined “Tierra Legacy”. The Tierra Legacy also includes Rudy & Steve’s younger brother, Richard on guitar, and David Salas (Rudy’s son/Steve’s nephew). David, who leads the band, co-produced and wrote dozens of Tierra songs alongside his father for many years. Recently added are two young new lead singers who were specifically selected because of their significant talents and their spirit of Chicano music and the Salas brothers. Although the actual trademark name is in litigation, note that “Legacy” was added so as to not confuse fans. They are also focused on recording new music with the Tierra influence.
Tierra’s founders, Rudy and Steve are no longer here but their legacy lives on through their music and ALL talented musicians and family who loved them. Until the court decides, no fan should be forced to “take sides” or feel the need to publicly share divisive rhetoric or possible misinformation, and this page I created many years ago will not be permitted to be used as a venue for such. Any disharmonious comments may be deleted or blocked, SO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL HERE. To honor Rudy and Steve is not only to honor and celebrate their lives values in music and community, but to also honor their privacy.
In musical love & harmony,
-Rita (Salas)