Santana was formed in 1967 in San Francisco with Malone playing as the band's percussionist, specializing in Latin instruments. Originally known as "Carlos Santana Blues Band", the group found little success in the music scene until it was slated to perform at the upcoming Woodstock Music Festival and began work on its debut album "Santana". However, by this point, Malone had already been convicted of manslaughter and had started serving his sentence in San Quentin State Prison.