Dandy was one of the first Latin artists to use fiberglass congas. In time they became the standard of the dance band conga drummer.

I first met Johnny Rodriguez, Jr. in 1962 when he was 15 years old, playing bongos with the Tito Puente Orchestra at the famous Paladium Ballroom in New York City. Our encounter led to my meeting his father and many other musicians who gave me insight into their needs and the experience which helped me build and repair percussion instruments. He has been an important person in shaping my career.

His parents called him Dandy after the children's furniture store where his crib was purchased. At the time I met him, he was still attending Roosevelt High School in the Bronx and at his father's insistence, he made sure to finish his high school education. I was still working as an engineer with no inkling of where this new found curiosity in percussion and Latin music would take me. When I set out to make my first timbale, Dandy told me that Tito had a set of Cuban timbales he wasn't using and borrowed them for me to use to create my first version. Since I made that first drum, Tito has used exclusively LP timbales.

His mother, Tati, became my best friend and introduced me to my first endorser, Willie Bobo. I met Willie in 1967 at Count Basie's, a music club in Harlem.

In 1978, when I desired to make recordings, Dandy helped me get Tito for a few of the jobs which were done in the basement of my home. After making some recordings, I put a group together for an international tour. Dandy participated in this. The record business part of these endeavors was wasteful, but the touring brought me business I never could have gotten any other way. The band that came out of this tour became the nucleus band with which Tito Puente had the most financial success and continues to tour the world over with.