Johnny passed away in a New Jersey hospital on Feb. 15, 2021, his family confirmed on his official Facebook fan page. His wife, Cuqui, led the statement on the public forum.

"With great pain in my soul and a void in my heart I inform you that teacher Johnny Pacheco with much peace passed away this afternoon," the Feb. 15 statement read. "Thank you for all your prayers and all the love you always gave him. Right now we ask for privacy and prayers."

The words were signed by "Cuqui Pacheco and family."

Just a few days before his death, Johnny's family asked fans for a "chain of prayer" because he had been hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia. Cuqui did not explicitly state what Johnny's cause of death was, but many have assumed that it was related to his recent bout with pneumonia. 

The official Twitter account for Fania Records (which was acquired by Concord in 2018), released a statement about his death as well. 

"It is with profound sadness we share the news of the passing of Johnny Pacheco," the tweet read. "He was one of Fania's founders and the man most responsible for the genre of Salsa music. He was a visionary and his music will live on eternally."

Our thoughts are with Johnny's loved ones and his ardent fans at this time.