Salas was born on March 16, 1962 in Prince George's County, Maryland to parents Tomas and Mary. He left Maryland as a young child and moved to California where he studied the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards, eventually focusing on piano and keyboards as his main instruments. Salas attended Carson High School in Carson, California, Salas was a cofounder of the band Tease, which recorded three albums on the RCA and CBS/Epic labels between 1983 and 1988. Salas left Tease after the release of its first album, although several of his compositions were used in subsequent albums, and he was reunited with the band for a 1987 tour.
Songwriting and music production
As a member of Tease, Salas developed songwriting and arranging skills that would later aid him in producing recordings for multi-platinum artists including Vanessa Williams, and Boyz II Men. Salas has also recorded and produced other legendary artists through his company Racer-Ex Productions, including Earth Wind and Fire, The Isley Brothers, The Jacksons, and the late Robert Palmer.
Music direction and performance
Through the years Salas has continued to use his expertise in musical direction and as a keyboardist, and playing keyboards on two of singer Robert Palmer's major tours in the late 1980s as well as music-directing three Janet Jackson world tours, including Jackson's 1998 HBO TV special: The Velvet Rope: Live in Madison Square Garden, for which Salas was nominated for an Emmy award in the category Outstanding Music Direction for a TV show. Salas was also the musical director for TLC's final “Fanmail Tour” as well as director for headlining tours with Maxwell, Brandy, Sheena Easton and Brian McKnight. In 2009, Salas worked with The New York Symphonic Ensemble's 37 piece orchestra on a live tour with Boyz II Men in Japan. In 2010 the show was released on CD via iTunes Japan.
Charity work
In 2009, Rex musical-directed a show for Justin Timberlake at Elton John's Aids Charity benefit in London, England and he also worked with Timberlake on his first Shriners Hospitals for Children benefit in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2008, at which Salas was musical director for guest artists Lionel Richie, Rihanna, will.i.am, Leona Lewis, 50 Cent, Boyz II Men and Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5. On July 25, 2005, Rex and wife Stacee Brown welcomed their son, London Blue Salas.
1983 : Tease – Tease 1986 : Tease – Tease 1988 : Remember – Tease 1988 : Heavy Nova – Robert Palmer 1990 : The Right Stuff – Vanessa Williams (producer on six songs
Singles/Tracks
1984: Fine Fine Fella – Patti Austin 1985 : If Your Heart Isn't In It – Atlantic Starr 1985 : You Never Know When You're Gonna Fall in Love – The Isley Brothers 1989 : You Only Come Out at Night – George Howard 1989 : All of My Love – The Gap Band 1990: Finishing Touch – Klymaxx 1990 : Just Want to Hold You – Jasmine Guy 1991 : The Comfort Zone – Vanessa Williams 1993 : It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday – Boyz II Men 1993 : Two Hearts – Earth, Wind and Fire 1994 : Separate Ways – Lalah Hathaway 1995 : Misused – The Mac Band 1996 : If Your Heart Isn't In It – Atlantic Starr
Artists worked with
Salas has produced, written, arranged, played on albums and tracks by or performed with the following singers and groups:
