Singer/songwriter Franky Perez wanted to make honest music.

"If you're going to write about life, you'd better have lived it," Perez said during a telephone interview from Charlotte, N.C. "I had gone through some tough times, but they have made me stronger as a person, and I learned a lot about myself and my music."

Perez, whose new album, "Poor Man's Son," was released last month, began his musical quest when he left his native Las Vegas in the late 1990s. He intended to go to New York but got sidetracked in New Orleans, where he spent time playing in clubs. "I believe everything happens for a reason," he said. "It sounds so cliche, but I think it's true."

During his stay in the Dixieland jazz capital, Perez went to a palm reader. She said he was on the right path.

From New Orleans, Perez decided to go south -- to Miami, a move that brought him closer to his family roots. His mother left Cuba after Fidel Castro gained control in 1959.

Perez began studying Latin percussion with Lazaro Valdez, a conga master and Santeria priest. "He knew how to read shells. And he told me what the palm reader said. I was on the right track."

It wasn't long before Perez played a gig for a representative of Lava Records. He was signed the next day. "I signed the contract three years ago, and it's been quite an experience. There were times when I thought the album would never be released. And there were times when I knew it would."

"Poor Man's Son" was finally released May 13 and has put Perez on the music map, thanks to its blend of folk-rock mixed with Cuban rhythms, rich harmonies and personal, storyline lyrics. "I feel the subject matter relates to everyone," said Perez, citing Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Glen Campbell as early influences. "So I wasn't worried about telling too much. I'm just an average guy that, hopefully, people can relate to."

Perez wants to keep making albums and playing his music for people. By the looks of his summer itinerary, he is well on his way to that goal. "I'm currently on tour with Jason Mraz and Maroon 5. I'll be coming to Salt Lake with Chris Isaak, and then I'll be playing outdoor festivals and state fairs.

"The one show I'm really looking forward to is playing my hometown in Las Vegas, opening for ZZ Top."

If you go

What: Chris Isaak and Franky Perez

Where: Olympic Legacy Plaza, Gateway Center, 400 West and South Temple

When: 7 p.m. tonight

How much: $35

E-MAIL: scott@desnews.com

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