José Miguel Class Ponce (September 26, 1935 – April 13, 2017) was a
Puerto Rican singer who garnered international fame during the 1960s and 1970s.
Biography
Nicknamed "El Gallito de Manatí" ("Manati's Bantam"), Class achieved fame in
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
in the 1960s before moving to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, where he achieved wide success. His period as a resident there proved important for his career: He released various Mexican music
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
s and he was able to achieve fame across
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
,
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
and the rest of the
Caribbean.
When Class returned to Puerto Rico during the decade of the '70s, he immediately landed a weekly
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
show in
Rafael Perez Perry's Channel 11, which he co-hosted with Awilda (Awilda La Mimosa) Pedrosa. His adopted Mexican accent was noticeable during the run of this show; as a matter of a fact, he kept the Mexican accent for a very long time. His catchphrase was "Yo soy el Gallo!" ("I am the Rooster!") He retired to his hometown of Manati. He released over 20 albums, many of which have been converted into
CD format.
Death
Class died on the morning of April 13, 2017, aged 81 following a long illness at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in
Hato Rey
Hato Rey is a former barrio located in the northwest part of the dissolved municipality of Río Piedras. It now stretches over three barrios, of the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico:
Urban landscape
Its name means "king's cattle farm" (' ...
, Puerto Rico.
Selected discography
;Singles
Nuestro Pan De Cada Dia
*"Despedida", written by Jose Manuel "Taty" Calderón Hernandez.
References
External links
José Miguel Class biography, National Foundation for Popular Culture, San Juan, Puerto Rico (in Spanish) prpop.org; accessed April 13, 2017.
SEE English translation here
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
*List of Puerto Rican songwriters
This is a list of Puerto Rican songwriters. It includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of Puerto Rican ancestry, and many long-term residents and/or immigrants who have made Puerto Rico their home, and who are recognized for th ...
*Irish immigration to Puerto Rico
Irish immigration to Puerto Rico began during the period of Spanish colonization of the island, continuing through 19th century to the present day. During the 16th century, many Irishmen, who were known as " Wild Geese", deserted from the Eng ...
1936 births
2017 deaths
People from Manatí, Puerto Rico
21st-century Puerto Rican male singers
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