José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known professionally as José José, was a Mexican singer. Also known as ''El Príncipe de la Canción'' (The Prince of Song), his performance and vocal style have influenced many Latin pop artists in a career that spanned more than four decades.
Due to his vocals and popularity, José José was considered by Latin audience and media as an icon of Latin pop music and one of the most emblematic Latin singers of his time.
Born into a family of musicians, José began his musical career in his early teens playing guitar and singing in serenade. He later joined a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
bossa nova trio where he sang and played
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
and
double bass
The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
. José José found success as a solo artist in the early 1970s. Demonstrating his
tenor
A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
vocal ability with a stunning performance of the song "
El Triste" at a Latin music festival held in Mexico City in 1970, he climbed the Latin charts during that decade. Having achieved recognition as a
balladeer, his singing garnered universal critical acclaim from musical peers and media.
In the 1980s, after signing with
Ariola Records
Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola Express, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international ...
, José rose to international prominence as one of the most popular and talented Latin performers. His 1983 album ''
Secretos'' has sold over four million units. With many international hits, he received several
Grammy
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
nominations, sold more than 100 million albums and was once courted by music legend
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
, who wanted to win him for his own label. He sold out in venues such as
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
and
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...
. His music reached non-Spanish-speaking countries like Japan, Israel, and Russia.
He forged a career as an actor, starring in movies such as ''
Gavilán o Paloma'' (1985) and ''
Perdóname Todo'' (1995).
Life and career
1948–1962: Childhood
José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz was born on 17 February 1948 in Clavería,
Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco ( ; ; from ''wikt:azcapotzalli, āzcapōtzalli'' “anthill” + ''wikt:-co, -co'' “place”; literally, “In the place of the anthills”) is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City. Azcap ...
,
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. His father,
José Sosa Esquivel, was an
operatic tenor (tenor comprimario) and his mother, Margarita Ortiz, was a classical pianist. When José showed interest in singing, they tried to discourage him claiming that it was too difficult to be successful in show business. In that time, his reportedly alcoholic father abandoned the family forcing José to work to help his mother and younger brother.
1963–1969: Early career
At the age of fifteen, his mother gave him his first piano. Besides working in his teens, he learned to play
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
and sang in the
church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
and in
serenades along with his neighborhood friends for extra money.
In 1967, at the age of 19, José formed Los Peg, a Mexican band of
bossa nova/
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
.
Although they made several recordings as a group, they did not reach commercial success.
In 1965, under the name of "Pepe Sosa" and pursuing a solo career encouraged by his mother, he recorded the singles "Ma vie" and "El Mundo", which did not sell well either. He made a career breakthrough when he was invited to perform a song for a friend's sister on her birthday. His friend's sister was the executive secretary for the managing director of
Orfeón Records. He took a new performing name after this, joining his first name "José" with his father's first name (also José), who had died of alcoholism.
He signed a contract with
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...
and recorded his first album: ''
José José'' (also known as ''Cuidado''). The album featured songs by
Rubén Fuentes and
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché (7 December 1934 – 28 December 2020) was a Mexican musician, singer, composer, actor and music producer, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful comp ...
. It was arranged by his former teacher Mario Patrón, who was considered the best jazz musician of Mexico, and employed Brazilian percussionist
Mayuto Correa, who was in Mexico City playing with bossa nova stars João Gilberto,
Carlos Lyra,
Leny Andrade, and Tamba Trio. The album's sound is a combination of
boleros
Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It h ...
and romantic ballads with a jazz and bossa nova influence. The quality of his debut album garnered praise from critics but did not achieve much popular success.
1970–1980: "El Triste", consolidation and Ariola Records
In early 1970 he released the song "La nave del olvido" which became his first big hit in Mexico and Latin America,
and recorded his second album: ''
La Nave Del Olvido''. José's big break came on 15 March 1970, when he represented Mexico in the international song festival the ''II Festival de la Canción Latina'' (Latin Song Festival II, predecessor of the
OTI Festival) with a performance of the song "
El Triste". Although José José finished in third place, his performance helped launch his music career to a wider audience.
José José had several major hits in the 1970s including "De Pueblo en Pueblo", "Hasta Que Vuelvas", "Déjame Conocerte", "Sentimientos", "Paloma", and "Gavilan o Paloma".
One song which was played on the radio, "El Príncipe" ("The Prince"), earned the artist the title "El Príncipe de la Canción" ("The Prince of Songs") from a DJ.
In 1973,
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
listened to José's music at
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
and invited him to record a duet and a full album under Sinatra's label. The collaboration was impossible due to José's exclusivity agreement with his label.
In 1976, José signed with
Ariola Records
Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola Express, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international ...
with ''
Reencuentro'' being the first albums to be released under the label a year later.
1980–1989: International stardom, ''Secretos'' and Mexico's top singer
José José released several successful albums including ''
Amor Amor'' (1980), ''
Romántico'' (1981), ''
Gracias'' (1981), ''
Mi Vida''. ''Amor Amor'' sold over 1.5 million copies in Latin America. He recorded a Spanish version of the hit "
New York, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
", as a tribute to his friend Frank Sinatra.
In 1983, José José released ''
Secretos'', in which he collaborated with
Manuel Alejandro for the album's compositions. "Lo Dudo" ("I Doubt It") and "El Amor Acaba" ("The Love is Over") were major hits from the album and ''Secretos'' became the best selling recording in his career with four million copies sold.
''Secretos'' was nominated for
Best Latin Pop Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Latin pop genre. Honors in ...
in the
Grammy Awards of 1985. Following the release of ''Secretos'', José continued his international success. He released ''
Reflexiones'' in 1984. The album was written, produced and arranged by Rafael Pérez-Botija and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. ''Reflexiones'' became the first album to reach number one on the
''Billboard'' Latin Pop Albums in the United States upon its establishment in 1985, and was also nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the
1986 Grammy Awards.
In 1985, José José collaborated with performers such as
Plácido Domingo
José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
,
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top List of best-selling music artists, reco ...
,
Roberto Carlos,
José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma", Pedro Vargas and
Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican mariachi singer, actor and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente" (short for Vicente), "El Charro de Huentitán" (The Charro from Huentitán), "El Ídolo de México" (Th ...
for the
charity single, "
Cantaré, cantarás
"Cantaré, cantarás" ''(I Will Sing, You Will Sing)'' is a single by various Latin American icons called circumstantially "Hermanos", and it was released in 1985. The B-side is conformed by Herb Alpert's "African Flame". The song was considered ...
". He also performed a duet with Puerto Rican singer
José Feliciano
José Montserrate Feliciano García (; born September 10, 1945) is a Puerto Rican musician. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' " Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song "". Music genres he explo ...
on the song "Por Ella" ("For Her") on Feliciano's album ''Ya Soy Tuyo'' (1985) which was also nominated in the same category on the 1986 Grammy Awards.
The same year, José starred in his autobiographic film ''
Gavilán o Paloma'', alongside
Christian Bach and the comedian
Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo. The following, he released the album ''
Promesas'', written, produced and arranged by Pérez-Botija.
Its main hits were "Amantes", "Me vas a echar de menos", "Más", and "Tú me estás volviendo loco". One of the album's singles, "Pruébame", was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance at the
1987 Grammy Awards.
''Promesas'' became his second number-one album on the ''Billboard'' Latin Pop Albums.
On his next album ''
Siempre Contigo'' in 1986 he worked with the Spanish producer and guitarist
Paco Cepero.
The album produced three singles: "
¿Y Quién Puede Ser?", "Corre y Ve Con Él", and "Sin Saber". The former track became his first number-one song on the
''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States.
It was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the
Grammy Awards of 1988 and became his third number-one album on the ''Billboard'' Latin Pop Albums chart.
José José told magazine ''
Selecciones'' that during 1985 to 1987, he had a personal crisis because "my life was going on airplanes, trucks, locked in a hotel room."
His daughter was born in 1982 and that more or less balanced his marriage, but after a while he divorced his then wife.
In the same year, he also finished his work relation with his
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
, who also was his brother in law.
During this events, and his on-going battle with
alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
, José José recorded his album ''Soy Así'';
it became his fourth number-one album on the Latin Pop Albums chart.
The album included four singles:
the title track (became his second number-one song on the Hot Latin Songs chart), "Mi Hembra", "Salúdamela Mucho", and "Vergüenza Me Da Quererte".
''Soy Así'' was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the
1989 Grammy Awards.
It was also nominated for
Pop Album of the Year at the
1st Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in the same year while José José was awarded
Pop Male Artist of the Year.
José José played the role of the Mexican singer and composer
Álvaro Carrillo
Álvaro Carrillo Alarcón (2 December 1921 – 3 April 1969) was a Mexican popular music composer and songwriter, born in San Juan Cacahuatepec, Oaxaca. He wrote over 300 songs, mostly boleros, including the great hits ''Amor mío'', '' Sabor a ...
in the movie ''Sabor A Mí'', co-starring
Angelica Aragón. In 1989, José José released ''¿Qué Es El Amor?'' and included three singles: "
Como Tú", "Piel de Azucar" and "Él". "Como Tú" spent ten weeks at number-one on the
Hot Latin Songs
The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...
chart and received a nomination for
Pop Song of the Year at the
1990 Lo Nuestro Awards.
1990–1999: "Amnesia", ''40 y 20'', rehab and decline
In 1990,
Raúl Velasco
Raúl Velasco Ramírez (April 24, 1933 – November 26, 2006) was a Mexican Television presenter, host/Television producer, producer of the TV show ''Siempre en Domingo (TV series), Siempre en Domingo'' (''Always on Sunday'') which is his hallma ...
made a special TV show to celebrate José's 25th career anniversary. The show, broadcast by
Televisa
Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content.
In April ...
, lasted over five hours and featured special guests such as Armando Manzanero,
Libertad Lamarque, Vicente Fernández and Marco Antonio Muñiz. Later that year, he released ''
En las Buenas... y en las Malas'' with the lead single "
Amnesia
Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...
" reaching number-one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
Two years later, he released ''40 y 20'' in which the title track speaks about men who fall in love with women that are much younger than them and the reaction of the society to those situations.
By the early 1990s, José's vocals began to deteriorate. It worsened over time and became evident in his live performances. His excessive drinking and unceasing activity of his career caused his voice to falter.
In August 1993, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of José's career,
BMG hosted a tribute in the city of
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican resort city near the Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific coast of the Mexico, Mexican state of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadalajara ...
. It was called ''30 Años de ser el Príncipe'' (30 years of being the Prince). The tribute included some of the most prestigious artists of Spanish music such as
Rocío Dúrcal
María de los Ángeles de las Heras Ortiz (4 October 1944 – 25 March 2006), better known as Rocío Dúrcal (), was a Spanish singer and actress with a career spanning more than four decades. She performed pop music, bolero, mariachi and romanti ...
,
Camilo Sesto
Camilo Blanes Cortés (16 September 1946 – 8 September 2019), known professionally as Camilo Sesto, was a Spanish singer, songwriter and music producer. There are various sales figures for him, ranging from 70 to 200 million records sold, and ...
, Armando Manzanero, Marco Antonio Muñiz and
Raúl di Blasio. The tribute coincided with his recent divorce, a serious relapse into alcoholism and a significant loss of vocal abilities. He appeared to be in poor physical shape, too thin and lacking energy. Camilo Sesto even took a break in the middle of the presentation to speak words of encouragement. The album was not released until 1994. At that time, José suffered the worst stage of alcoholism of his life. During 1993, he retired from the stage and went into rehab. Upon completion of his rehabilitation, he started seasons in places like the famous "Teatro Blanquita" of Mexico City, and the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, among others.
In 1994, José José reunited with Manuel Alejandro and released the album ''Grandeza Mexicana''. The title track peaked at number 12 on the Hot Latin Tracks.
He recorded a duet with his son José Joél in the song "La Fuerza de la Sangre". In 1995, he played the lead role in the movie ''
Perdóname Todo'', a drama about an alcoholic has-been and how he tries to survive against himself and the music business. That same year, his album "Mujeriego" was released. It sold more than 180,000 copies in its first two weeks and reached number 12 on the Billboard Latin charts. The song "Llora Corazón" peaked at number 6 on the Hot Latin Songs and was nominated for Pop Song of the Year in the
Lo Nuestro Awards
The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish language, Spanish for "Ours") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music (genre), Latin music, presented by TelevisaUnivision, and is carried by its Univision network in ...
.
In 1996, he performed a duet with Paul Anka on "Déjame Conocerte (Let me Get to Know You)" from Anka's Latin album ''Amigos''. In 1997, he performed at the
Bally's Atlantic City
Bally's Atlantic City is a casino hotel on the Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is owned and operated by Bally's Corporation.
The Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel stood on the site before the casino was ...
. In September 1999, he joined fellow Mexican singers Armando Manzanero, Marco Antonio Muñiz and Argentine pianist Raúl di Blasio for a series of concerts dubbed "Noche Bohemia" (Bohemian Night) at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.
2000–2012: Vocal problems, TV and Sony BMG concept albums

In 2001, with a deteriorating voice he recorded ''Tenampa''. It was his first studio album with
mariachi
Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...
and the last one of his career. It was written and produced completely by
Juan Gabriel
Alberto Aguilera Valadez (; 7 January 1950 – 28 August 2016), known professionally as Juan Gabriel (), was a Mexican singer-songwriter and actor. Colloquially Honorific nicknames in popular music, nicknamed Juanga () and El Divo de Juárez, ...
. It received poor reviews and sold only about 500,000 units. After that, he retired from recording full-length albums. His vocal problems worsened, affecting not only his ability to sing, but also to speak. In 2003, BMG released a collection of three albums entitled ''El Principe Con Trio'' with some of his greatest hits recorded between 1969 and 1983, separated from the original accompaniment, remastered and accompanied by the guitar
trio "Los Tres Caballeros", transforming them into boleros.
In the mid-2000s, he played the role of Erasmo Padilla (the father of Leticia "Lety" Padilla) in ''
La Fea Más Bella
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
*"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...
'', a successful Mexican version of the Colombian production ''
Betty la Fea'' (adapted in the US as ''
Ugly Betty
''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from September 28, 2006, to April 14, 2010. It is based on the Colombian telenovela ''Yo soy Betty, la fea' ...
''). In 2007, he won a
TVyNovelas Award for best supporting actor for his work in ''La Fea Más Bella''.
In 2008, José recorded an emotive song called "Volver a creer" ("Believe Again") with Greek composer
Yanni
Yiannis Chryssomallis (; born November 14, 1954), known professionally as Yanni ( ), is a Greek composer, keyboardist, pianist, and music producer.
Yanni continues to use the musical shorthand that he developed as a child, blending jazz, clas ...
. The song is included on the album ''
Yanni Voices
''Yanni Voices'' (also released in Spanish as ''Yanni Voces'') is the twelfth studio album and fifth live DVD by Yanni, released on Yanni/Wake label in 2009.
Background
This was Yanni's first studio release in six years. In collaboration with pr ...
''. Yanni stated that he wanted to "help a true legend to fulfill his dream, to sing again". José José was invited by Yanni to sing their song live on Yanni's tour in Mexico. He published his
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
''Esta es mi vida'' (''This is My Life'').
In 2010, he released ''José José Ranchero'', another concept album with some of his greatest hits, separated from the original accompaniment, remastered and accompanied with mariachi, giving his classics a traditional Mexican sound. The same year, José launched his own perfume, called simply "José José", the profits from sales help women and children sick with HIV/AIDS.
José was planning a new, untitled album, adding that it would consist of nine unreleased tracks and a melody he used to sing in serenades "Que viva mi tristeza", from songwriter Armando Manzanero. It was never completed due to his vocal problems. In 2011, he went on the short Mexican tour "José José y sus amigos" (José José and friends), with singers
Dulce, Carlos Cuevas,
Celso Piña, and
Chamin Correa.
In 2012, as a celebration for his 50-year career, José gave a concert at the
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Miami, his final live performance.
2024: "Ya no pienso en ti"
On September 25, 2024,
Sony Music Mexico released through
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
the inedit single “Ya no pienso en ti”, song recorded by José José in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in 1978 for the album ''
Lo Pasado, Pasado''.
Personal life
Relationships, marriages and family
In 1970 he started a relationship with TV hostess, actress, and model Ana Elena Noreña, known in show business as
Anel. That year they split and he married Natalia "Kiki" Herrera Calles, a socialite 20 years older. He separated from Herrera and returned to Anel shortly after. He divorced Herrera in 1975
and married Anel in 1976. They had two children: their first-born José Francisco (known as
José Joel) who was born in 1975, and their daughter Marysol Estrella, born in 1982.
In 1991 he divorced Anel.
Four years later, he married Sara "Sarita" Salazar, his third wife. The same year during a Latin American tour, his third child Sara was born. He lived in
Miami, Florida
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, with his wife.
Financial problems
In later years, José made his financial problems public. Despite being one of the most recognized Latin artists for decades, his alcoholism caused him serious monetary loss. His career declined when he lost his vocal ability, stopping income from live performances. He claimed that during his career he was constantly defrauded by people close to him, including his former wife Anel and her brother. In November 2008, his wife suffered a
cerebral haemorrhage, José stated that the medical bills nearly caused him to go bankrupt. He told ''TV Notas'' magazine that he and his family lived "day to day" and in 2014, he sold his five-million-dollar house in
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Greater Downtown Miami, Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
, and moved to an apartment in Miami.
Health issues
José José suffered from a severe case of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
in 1972 and his
thoracic diaphragm
The thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm (; ), is a sheet of internal Skeletal striated muscle, skeletal muscle in humans and other mammals that extends across the bottom of the thoracic cavity. The diaphragm is the most important Muscles ...
was
paralyzed
Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, r ...
. The disease almost ended his career. He recovered after months of therapy involving breathing exercises. One of his lungs was permanently damaged.
In 1987, he underwent an operation at the
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, Tertiary referral hospital, tertiary, 915-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre, academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars ...
to remove
nodes in his vocal fold as a consequence of the excessive use of
cortisone
Cortisone is a pregnene (21-carbon) steroid hormone. It is a naturally-occurring corticosteroid metabolite that is also used as a pharmaceutical prodrug. Cortisol is converted by the action of the enzyme corticosteroid 11-beta-dehydrogenase ...
before singing, alcohol use, and the lack of rest after many of his performances. José would suffer dire consequences from his problem with alcoholism, as his health faltered dearly during the 1990s. He developed
diabetes
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
.
The effects of alcoholism, the abuse of cortisone, and his
hiatus hernia
A hiatal hernia or hiatus hernia is a type of hernia in which abdominal Organ (anatomy), organs (typically the stomach) slip through the Thoracic diaphragm, diaphragm into the mediastinum, middle compartment of the chest. This may result in gas ...
not only affected his ability to sing but to talk, as well. In 2007, he suffered from
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy is a type of facial paralysis that results in a temporary inability to control the facial muscles on the affected side of the face. In most cases, the weakness is temporary and significantly improves over weeks. Symptoms can vary f ...
. As a result of all these problems, he fought a serious depression. He acknowledged this during an interview on the Univision program ''Don Francisco Presenta...'', hosted by
Don Francisco. He struggled with
diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy (also known as diabetic eye disease) is a medical condition in which damage occurs to the retina due to diabetes. It is a leading cause of blindness in developed countries and one of the lead causes of sight loss in the wor ...
in one of his eyes undergoing a successful operation. In 2012, he underwent surgery due to
gastritis
Gastritis is the inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It may occur as a short episode or may be of a long duration. There may be no symptoms but, when symptoms are present, the most common is upper abdominal pain (see dyspepsia). Othe ...
. In November 2013, he underwent an operation to remove
cataract
A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens (anatomy), lens of the eye that leads to a visual impairment, decrease in vision of the eye. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colours, blurry or ...
s from one of his eyes.
Alcoholism
José said that he started drinking at the age of fifteen, when his father (an alcoholic) left home. As a result of his alcoholism, he developed a
cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
habit.
He stated that his addiction was because he "was frail, weak, innocent, ignorant, weak-willed and did not know how to say no". In the early 1970s, after the success of "El Triste" and missing a collaboration with
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
, he fell into depression and alcoholism, but with help of his friends and family he managed to stop drinking for a while. His ongoing battle against alcoholism continued during the 1970s and 1980s. He attended
AA meetings and stopped drinking for periods of time, but fell steadily back into the addiction. After his divorce from Anel in 1991 he reached his lowest point, reportedly declaring that he wanted to die drinking. With the help of his friends, family and fellow artists, he decided to go to rehab. He went to the
Hazelden clinic in
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
for rehab and remained a sober recovering alcoholic.
Illness and death
In March 2017, José José announced he had been diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of ...
. On 28 September 2019, although it was not entirely confirmed since an autopsy was not performed, José José presumably died of the disease at the Homestead hospital in
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city within Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in the United States, U.S. state of Florida, between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and ...
at 12:17 p.m., at the age of 71.
His death shocked Mexico and within several hours became a national
trending topic. A large number of personalities, artists, athletes and politicians mourned his death in
social media
Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
. President of Mexico
Andrés Manuel López Obrador
Andrés Manuel López Obrador (; born 13 November 1953), also known by his initials AMLO, is a Mexican former politician, political scientist, public administrator and writer who served as the 65th president of Mexico from 2018 to 2024. He se ...
stated that "his voice moved a lot of people", highlighting his collaborations with composer
Manuel Alejandro, also added that "the best homage is to keep remembering him and listening to his songs".
On 4 October, a funeral for José was held in Miami which was exclusively for family and friends and José was finally
cremated
Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning.
Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...
on 8 October. Also on 8 October, his death certificate was revealed and his ashes were divided; with a portion of his ashes staying in Miami, while the remainder of his ashes were flown back to Mexico.
On 9 October, half of his ashes were flown back to Mexico City aboard a
Mexican Air Force
The Mexican Air Force (FAM; ) is the air service branch of the Mexican Armed Forces. It is a component of the Mexican Army and as such overseen by the National Defense Secretariat (SEDENA). The objective of the FAM is to defend the integrity, in ...
military plane early in the day. A black
hearse
A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...
picked up the gold plated
casket bearing his ashes at the airport and drove to the city's downtown where admirers tossed
flower
Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...
s and waved to the passing vehicle as it made its way to the
Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is a monumental structure located in the Marina District of San Francisco, California, originally built for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition to exhibit works of art. Completely rebuilt from 1964 to 197 ...
. A three-hour long
tribute
A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of lands which the state con ...
was held at the Fine Arts Palace planned by the Mexican Culture Ministry with members of the
National Symphony Orchestra
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930 by cellist Hans Kindler, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The NSO regularly ...
played renditions of some of the icon's ballad songs including "El Triste". Artists from Mexico's the
Opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
Studio of Fine Arts and the Saloma
Quartet
In music, a quartet (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers.
Classical String quartet
In classical music, one of the most common combinations of four instruments in chamber music is the string quartet. String quar ...
also honored the singer's musical legacy during the ceremony. One of the surprises of the day was the visit of
Emmanuel.
Dulce and
Lucia Mendez arrived together at the tribute, where they also stood guard for the coffin.
Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo, was another of the people invited to say goodbye to the prince of the song. The ashes were then taken to the
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe, officially called Insigne y Nacional Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe (in English: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe) is a basilica of the Catholic Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary in her invoc ...
for a mass, after the family led a
funeral procession through the singer's former neighborhood. The ashes were interred at the
Panteón Francés de San Joaquín located in Mexico City.
Artistry and image
José grew up listening to
traditional pop
Traditional pop (also known as vocal pop or pre-rock and roll pop) is Western culture, Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known ...
,
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
swing, and
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
. He listened to performers such as
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
,
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Johnny Mathis
John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...
and such popular Mexican composers as
Consuelo Velázquez
Consuelo Velázquez Torres (August 21, 1916, in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco – January 22, 2005, Mexico City), also popularly known as Consuelito Velázquez, was a Mexican concert pianist and composer. She was the composer of famous Mexican balla ...
and
María Grever
María Grever (14 September 1885 – 15 December 1951) was the first female Mexican composer to achieve international acclaim.Rodríguez, Lee M. L. María Grever: Poeta Y Compositora. Potomac, Md: Scripta Humanistica, 1994. Print. She is best kn ...
. He was later inspired by vocalist
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
, whom he considered an influence.
The son of an operatic tenor and a pianist, he grew up listening to composers such as
Chopin and
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
, but never got the chance to play classical music. In his teens, José learned to play music from top Mexican jazz players and is recognized for playing several instruments, such as the piano, bass, guitar and double bass. Because of his
phrasing ability, he was once described as "a singer who sings as a musician". His musical preferences were classical musicians such as
Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
,
Debussy
Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
and
Musorgsky, jazz, and bossa nova.
Vocals
According to his autobiography, ''Ésta es mi vida'', vocal coach Guido Picco described José José as a
light lyric tenor. José worked for periods with coach
Seth Riggs, who later highlighted his vocal abilities. Over time, his voice and vocal style changed noticeably, being his prime the early 1970s. Inheriting the singing qualities of his father, he was able to reach high and low notes easily with a practically flawless intonation.
His live performance of "El Triste" in 1970 has been widely praised by many critics for its technique and intensity. His breathing technique allowed him to sustain long and clear notes.
After recording the song "El Triste" for the 2010 album ''
Iconos'', singer
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
said, "once you start to sing it you realize the magnitude, of that spectacular voice and special phrasing of José José and his incredible way to perform". On the
Latin VH1 show ''Las 100 grandiosas canciones de los 1980s en español'' (''The 100 Greatest Spanish Songs of the 1980s''), singer
Diego Verdaguer said: "If today he could sing, he would be the greatest of Latin America." In a 2018 interview, singer
Lupita D'Alessio
Guadalupe Contreras Ramos (born 10 March 1954), better known as Lupita D'Alessio (), is a Mexican singer and actress. She is nicknamed "La Leona Dormida" (title of one of her List of signature songs, signature songs, "The sleeping lioness").
Bi ...
stated "
oséis an icon, the master, the creator of phrasing, he's got a way of phrasing that there will not be another, for me, he is the greatest singer ever, with the pardon of
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (; born 19 April 1970) is a Mexican singer and record producer. Born in Puerto Rico to an Italian mother and a Spanish father, he is often referred to as Honorific nicknames in popular music, ''El Sol de Mexico'' ...
". D'Alessio also highlighted his technique to breathe and sustain long notes. In 2024, iconic
ranchera and
mariachi
Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music dating back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, two ...
singer
Aida Cuevas
Aída Cuevas (; born Aída Gabriela Cuevas Castillo; September 24, 1963) is a Mexican singer and actress. Affectionately known as "The Queen of Ranchera Music”, Cuevas has recorded 40 albums, selling 10 million copies worldwide. Her work has ...
stated in an interview with host and TV personality
Yordi Rosado, that José José is "the best singer that this country
exicohas given".
Legacy
The music of José José is widely known in the
Hispanic community. Many artists have acknowledged José as an influence, including
Cristian Castro
Cristian Sáinz Castro (born 8 December 1974) is a Mexican pop singer. He is the son of actors Verónica Castro and Manuel "El Loco" Valdés, and nephew of actors Ramón Valdés (known for playing Don Ramón in '' El Chavo del Ocho'') and ...
,
Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican mariachi singer, actor and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente" (short for Vicente), "El Charro de Huentitán" (The Charro from Huentitán), "El Ídolo de México" (Th ...
,
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández Abarca (; born 24 April 1971) is a Mexican singer. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, he is the son of the Mexican singer Vicente Fernández. Nicknamed as " El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million rec ...
,
Nelson Ned
Nelson Ned d'Ávila Pinto (2 March 1947 – 5 January 2014) was a Brazilian singer-songwriter. He built a career as a singer and composer of sentimental, suffering songs, rising to popularity in Brazil and Latin America in 1969 and becoming known ...
,
Pepe Aguilar,
Kalimba
Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and ...
, Erik Rubin, Manuel Mijares,
Lupita D'Alessio
Guadalupe Contreras Ramos (born 10 March 1954), better known as Lupita D'Alessio (), is a Mexican singer and actress. She is nicknamed "La Leona Dormida" (title of one of her List of signature songs, signature songs, "The sleeping lioness").
Bi ...
,
Diego Verdaguer, Reyli, Chayanne, Luis Fonsi and
Marc Anthony
Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...
.
In 1997, José was inducted into Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame, ''Billboard'' Latin Music Hall of Fame. He received the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
In 2002, José José was awarded the Lo Nuestro Excellence Award, Excellence Award at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2002, 14th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In 2004, he received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
A Latin Grammy Awards of 2005, year later he received the Personalidad del Año (Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, Person of the Year) by the Latin Recording Academy.
In 2006, Televisa produced a TV homage to José José in Acapulco, where singers such as Manoella Torres, Francisco Céspedes, and Gualberto Castro performed several of his greatest hits live.
In July 2008, Univision and the Latin Grammy recorded a special TV tribute in Miami to José José, called ''Latin Grammy Celebra: José José'' (Latin Grammy Celebrates: José José) at the Watsco Center, BankUnited Center. Stars such as Marco Antonio Solís, Ana Bárbara, Alicia Villarreal, Olga Tañon, Luis Fonsi, David Bisbal, and Aventura (band), Aventura performed some of his greatest hits live. Stars such as
Plácido Domingo
José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
, Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias,
Pepe Aguilar, Pedro Fernández (singer), Pedro Fernández, and RBD, showed their admiration with messages and greetings. Univision described José José as "One of the most beloved singers in Latin music."
In 2007, a bronze statue was unveiled in his honor in the Azcapotzalco area in Mexico City, where he grew up. He was honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars with a celebrity star and a book signing at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, the Rio in Las Vegas on 20 November 2008.

In February 2004, for his contribution to the recording industry, José José received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7036 Hollywood Blvd. He was posthumously given the Living Legend Award by the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.
Tributes
Latin rock music, rock and hip hop artists such as Molotov (band), Molotov, Jumbo (band), Jumbo, Julieta Venegas, Beto Cuevas, and Aleks Syntek recorded a tribute album in 1998 called ''Volcán: Tributo a José José'' (''Volcán: Tribute to José José''). Each artist recorded one of José's classics such as "Lo Dudo", "El Triste", or "Volcán" in a distinctive fashion. It sold over 500,000 units. Fifteen years after its release, in November 2013, a follow-up to ''Volcán: Tributo a José José'' was released under the title ''Un Tributo 2'', featuring performers such as Natalia Lafourcade, Moderatto, Los Claxons, Carla Morrison, and Panteón Rococó.
On 30 November 2010, Mexican singer Cristian Castro released ''Viva el Principe'' (''Long Live the Prince'') which includes a virtual duet with José José on "Lo Pasado, Pasado" and a poem recited by him. In the poem, José conveys that the singer cannot live if he cannot sing ("Ya no podrá vivir, si ya no canta"); an allusion to losing his singing voice. Rafael Pérez-Botija was involved in the production of the album. The success of ''Viva el Principe'' helped revive Castro's career.
Castro released another tribute album to José José titled ''Mi Amigo El Príncipe'' (''My friend the Prince'').
In 2009,
Kalimba
Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and ...
recorded an album, ''Amar y Querer: Homenaje A Las Grandes Canciones'' (''Love and Desire: A Tribute to the Great Songs''), which featured some of the most iconic Latin ballads, among them: "Amar y querer", "Desesperado", "Volcán", and "El Triste".
On 25 October 2019, 100,000 people paid homage to José during a rainstorm in the Zócalo of Mexico City.
Filmography
Selected discography
See also
*List of best-selling Latin music artists
References
External links
*
*
José Joséon YouTube
José Joséon Grammy Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jose, Jose
1948 births
2019 deaths
20th-century Mexican male actors
20th-century Mexican male singers
21st-century Mexican male singers
Mexican bossa nova musicians
Bossa nova singers
Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Florida
Hispanic and Latino American male actors
Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Latin pop singers
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honorees
Male actors from Mexico City
Mexican male jazz musicians
Mexican baritones
Mexican jazz musicians
Mexican male film actors
Mexican people of Spanish descent
Mexican Roman Catholics
Singers from Mexico City
Burials at the Panteón Francés de San Joaquín