José José
Encyclopedia
José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz known by his artistic name José José, is a Mexican singer.
Referred in the entertainment world as "El Príncipe de la Canción" ("The Prince of Song"), José José is best known for his romantic ballads and renowned for his vocals. He is recognizable by his pure vocal tone and his ability to sustain high and low notes.
Born into a family of musicians, José José started his musical career in his early teens playing guitar
and singing in serenade
s. He later joined a jazz
and bossa nova
trio
where he sang and played the bass and double bass
. José became a successful solo artist in the early 1970s. Demonstrating his vocal ability with a masterful performance of the song "El Triste
" in a Latin music festival in 1970, he climbed the Latin charts during the decade.
In the 1980s, after signing with Ariola Records
, he gained international fame as a talented and successful performer. His 1983 album Secretos
has sold over 7 million copies around the world. With a series of huge hits, he received several nominations to the Grammy and numerous recognitions worldwide. He sold out in venues such as the Madison Square Garden
and the Radio City Music Hall
. His music has reached non Spanish-speaking countries like Japan, Israel and Russia. During the 1990s, after several hits, his career began to decline as his voice started to falter due to alcoholism
and health issues. José has also forged a career as an actor, starring in movies like Gavilán o Paloma
and Perdóname Todo
.
In a career that has spanned more than four decades, his performance and distinctive vocal style have influenced a big number of Latin pop artists. Due to his wide-range vocals, his talent, his performance and the high popularity he achieved, he is considered by the media, the press and the people as an icon of the Latin pop music.
, Mexico City
. He was raised into a Roman Catholic family of gifted musicians; his father, José Sosa Esquivel
, was an operatic tenor
(tenor comprimario) and his mother, Margarita Ortiz, was a classical pianist
. They never achieved relative large success, and when José began to show interest in singing, they tried to discourage him, claiming that it was too difficult to achieve success in show business. In 1963, when he was fifteen years old, his mother gave him his first piano
. The same year, his reportedly alcoholic father abandoned the family, forcing José to work to help his mother and younger brother.
, Erroll Garner
, Antonio Carlos Jobim
and João Gilberto
used to play.
In 1967, searching for a solo career, he signed a small contract of two singles under the name of "Pepe Sosa", and released the songs "El mundo" (Jimmy Fontana
's "Il Mondo") and "Ma Vie" without success. José returned to serenades and to play with "Los PEG" in night clubs. He left "Los PEG", took the artistic name "José José" (in honor of his father, who had recently died of alcoholism; he joined his first name "José" and the first name of his father "José", from whom he says, had inherited the voice), signed a contract with RCA Victor
and recorded his first album: Cuidado
. The album contains songs by Rubén Fuentes
and Armando Manzanero
. The sound of the album is a combination of boleros and romantic ballads with an influence of jazz and bossa nova. Because of the quality, his debut album was praised by the critics but did not achieve much popularity.
He struggled, but then during the late 1960s, his fame began to rise, as he was featured on various television shows. With songs like "Una mañana" and "Cuidado", José started to get attention from the people and the media.
. José's big break came on March 25, 1970, when he represented Mexico in an international song festival, the "II Festival de la Canción Latina" (Latin Song Festival II, predecessor of the OTI Festival
) with an amazing performance of the song "El Triste
". The performance of the song was so impressive that caused tears, standing ovations, expressions of amazement and cheers from Angélica María
, Alberto Vázquez
, Marco Antonio Muñiz
, the judges and the spectators in the Teatro Ferrocarrilero in Mexico City. The fact that José José got the third place shocked the audience. After the hit of "El Triste", his popular romantic ballad style mixed with a unique voice made him the star of stars in Mexico. He began his first international tour through Los Angeles
, Miami, Puerto Rico
, Guatemala
, Costa Rica
, Brazil
and Argentina
. He played leading roles in such small films as Sueño de amor and La carrera del millón. José performed at the Hollywood Palladium
and the Hollywood Bowl
.
During the early 1970s, José José became one of the best known romantic ballad singers in Latin America. He was featured constantly on the most popular Mexican television shows, where he used to sing live with old legends of the Hispanic music such as Pedro Vargas
and Carlos Lico. In 1974, he performed a season in the Casino Royale & Hotel of Las Vegas
. The same year he was invited by Frank Sinatra
to record an album under Reprise Records
. It was not possible because of the exclusivity agreement that José had with RCA Victor
.
He made various international number one hits and toured Latin America several times. His main hits were: "Del altar a la tumba", "Buscando una sonrisa", "De pueblo en pueblo", "Soy como quieras tú" (Mina's
"Sono, come tu mi vuoi"), "Cuando tu me quieras", "Hasta que vuelvas", "Candilejas" (Charles Chaplin's "Terry's Theme"), "Paloma 'Cada mañana que te vas'", "Sentimientos" (Morris Albert
's "Feelings
"), "Vive", "Dejame conocerte" (Paul Anka
's "Let Me Get To Know You"), "Divina ilusión" (an adaptation of Étude Op. 10, No. 3 of Chopin
), "Sabrás que te quiero" and "El Príncipe" (The Prince) song earned him the nickname "El Príncipe de la canción" (The Prince of the song).
In 1977, José signed a contract with Ariola Records
(Today part of Sony BMG). He recorded the album Reencuentro
in London, England under the new record label. Reencuentro released the hits " El amar y el querer" and "Gavilán o paloma" that got him to the top of the lists of popularity. During 1978 and 1979, he achieved enormous success with the albums Volcán
, Lo Pasado, Pasado
and Si Me Dejas Ahora
. His main hits were "O tú o yo", "Farolero", "Volcán", "Lo que un dia fué no será", "Lo pasado, pasado", "Si me dejas ahora", "Te quiero tal como eres" (Billy Joel
's "Just The Way You Are") and the hit ballad "Almohada".
, recorded in Los Angeles, California
. Amor Amor released the singles "Insaciable amante", "No me digas que te vas", "Amor Amor" and the classic bolero "No me platiques mas". He later recorded the bolero album Romántico
; production that not only created a new way to sing boleros but also made very popular this form of old ballads. Songs like "El reloj", "La gloria eres tú", "Un poco más", "Cancionero" and "Regálame esta noche" were crafted in such exquisite form that they became classics in Mexico and Latin America. In 1981, the album Gracias
was released. The songs "Me basta" and "Preso" were the main hits of the album. José released the highly successful record Mi Vida
in 1982. The album contained the hits: "Desesperado" and "Mi vida" (an autobiographic song written by his future working partner Rafael Pérez-Botija). José co-produced his albums and wrote songs like "Si alguna vez" and "Amor para los dos". He did a duet with Lani Hall
on the hit "Te quiero así". José performed with sold-out for seven days in a row at the National Auditorium
and a month in the popular night club "El Patio". He recorded the Spanish version of the hit "New York, New York
", as a gift to Frank Sinatra
, who had invited him to do a duet, but due to differences with the record labels, it could not be performed.
In 1983, José released what proved to be by far the biggest album of his career: Secretos
. The album was recorded in Spain and was written and produced by Manuel Alejandro
. It was his first album that released a video
for each song. The main hits were "Lo dudo", "El amor acaba", "Lagrimas", "He renunciado a ti", and "A esa". Secretos was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance
in the Grammy Awards of 1985
. It has sold over 7 million units until today. Following the hit of Secretos, José kept on with international success. He released the album Reflexiones
in 1984. The production was written, produced and arranged by Rafael Pérez-Botija. The songs "Payaso", "Seré, "Tu ganas", "De hombre a hombre" and "¿Y qué" were the main hits. Reflexiones sold over 2 million copies worldwide, became his first number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums
and was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the 1986 Grammy Awards
. Later, José José joined José Feliciano
to release a duet that became a major hit for both singers: "Por ella". Their song was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1986 as well.
In 1985, José José was asked to participate in the song "Cantaré, cantarás
", along with other icons such as Plácido Domingo
, Julio Iglesias
, Roberto Carlos
, José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma", Pedro Vargas
and Vicente Fernández
among others. It was recorded in Los Angeles in April 1985, at the A&M Studios, same studio used for "We Are The World
". The same year, José starred his autobiographic film Gavilán o Paloma
, alongside Christian Bach
and the comedian Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo
. Later that year, 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 "Tu me estas volviendo loco". The single "Pruébame" was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance at the 1987 Grammy Awards
. Promesas became the second number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums by José José. He received two Billboard awards: Top Latin Artist and Top Latin Album
of 1985. In his next album Siempre Contigo of 1986 he worked with the Spanish producer and guitarist
Paco Cepero
. The songs "Corre y ve con él", "Sin saber" and "¿Y Quién Puede Ser?
" were its main hits. It was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1988
and became the third number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums by José.
In 1987, he released the album Soy Así
, written and produced by his working partner Rafael Pérez-Botija once more. It was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the 1989 Grammy Awards
and became his fourth number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums. Soy Así released four successful singles: the title track
reached the number-one position in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart while "Mi Hembra" peaked at number five, "Salúdamela Mucho" at number 22 and "Vergüenza Me Da Quererte" reached number eight.
During the 1980s, José José sold out Madison Square Garden
, The Dunes and performed several seasons at the Las Vegas Hilton
, Greek Theatre
, and the Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City among others. He was known as "Mexico's Top Singer" in his shows. In 1987, he sold out Radio City Music Hall
. That same year, José traveled to Israel
and performed in Tel Aviv
and Jerusalem. In 1988, he played the role of the Mexican singer and composer Álvaro Carrillo
in the movie Sabor A Mí, costarring Angelica Aragón
. In 1989, José sold out with two massive concerts at the Plaza México
, gathering over 100,000 people. The same year, he traveled to Japan, where he was featured on television shows and offered several performances. His album ¿Qué Es El Amor? released the pop songs "Piel de azucar" and "Como Tú
", and José climbed to the top of the lists of popularity. The song "Como Tú" lasted ten weeks at number-one on Billboard
Hot Latin Tracks.
made a special television show to pay homage to José's 25th anniversary. The show lasted over five hours and featured very popular singers as special guests like Armando Manzanero
, Libertad Lamarque
, Vicente Fernández
and Marco Antonio Muñiz
. In 1991, he released the hit song "Amnesia
" of the album En las Buenas... y en las Malas
. The song lasted 21 weeks on the charts and peaked at number-one on Billboard
Hot Latin Tracks, while his next single "Atrapado", spent 16 weeks and peaked at number seven. In 1992, he released another hit single: "40 y 20". From the self-titled album, the song speaks about men who fall in love with women that are much younger than them and the way society sees those situations. "40 y 20" lasted over 17 weeks on the charts and peaked at number four. His next single "Eso no más", spent 15 weeks and peaked at number five.
In the 1990s José's voice began to deteriorate. It worsened over time and became evident especially in his live performances. His excessive drinking and the incessant activity during his career caused his voice to falter.
In 1993, to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of José José as a singer, his record company BMG
hosted a tribute in the city of Puerto Vallarta
. It was called 30 Años de ser el Príncipe (30 years of being the Prince). The tribute included a number of the most prestigious artists of the Spanish music such as Rocío Dúrcal
, Camilo Sesto
, 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; caused by his addictions and several respiratory problems suffered throughout his life. 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 to José. The album was not released until 1994. At that time, José suffered the worst stage of alcoholism in his career. During 1993, he retired from the stage and went to rehab. Upon completion of his rehabilitation, he started seasons in places like the famous "Teatro Blanquita" of Mexico City, and the Gibson Amphitheatre
of Los Angeles.
In 1994, after the great success he achieved ten years back with Secretos
, José re-teamed with Manuel Alejandro
and released the album Grandeza Mexicana. The title track peaked at number 12 on Billboard
Hot Latin Tracks and spent over seven weeks on the charts. He did a duet with his son José Joél in the song "La fuerza de la sangre", second single of the album. 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 to himself and to 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" lasted 11 weeks on the charts and peaked at number six, while the second single, the title track, spent only two weeks on the charts.
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
. His last album of the decade, Distancia, was released on 1998. A video of the single "Ojala que te mueras" was released. On September 1999, he joined fellow countrymen Armando Manzanero
, Marco Antonio Muñiz
and Argentine pianist Raúl di Blasio
for a series of concerts dubbed "Noche Bohemia" (Bohemian Night) at the Gibson Amphitheatre
in Los Angeles.
, but the last one of his career, Tenampa. The album was written and produced completely by Juan Gabriel
. The single "Cada vez y cada vez" lasted two weeks on the charts. Tenampa received poor ratings and sold only about 500,000 units. After that, he retired from recording full-length albums. The problem of his voice got worse, and affected not only his ability to sing, but also to speak. In 2003, his label 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 with the guitar trio
"Los Tres Caballeros", with which these recordings are transformed into boleros. The work of technical excellence, was attended by José's old colleague Rafael Pérez Botija, who directed and composed some of the original recordings. This collection of concept albums again allowed José to achieve success in sales.
In the mid 2000s, José appeared briefly as the "Mystery Musician" in the movie Sueño
and played the role of Erasmo Padilla (the father of Leticia "Lety" Padilla) in La Fea Más Bella
, a very successful Mexican version of the Colombia
n production Betty la Fea
(adapted in the US as Ugly Betty
). In 2006, José participated as a singing professor in Televisa
's high-rating show, Cantando por un sueño
.
José released Mis Duetos in 2007, an album featuring duets he recorded in the past. However, it featured two new songs, "E-mail me" with his daughter, "Sarita" and "Aunque vivas con él" with Reyli
. In 2008, José recorded an emotive song called "Volver a creer" (Believe again) with the world famous musician Yanni
. The song is included in the album Yanni Voces. 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 in Yanni's tour in Mexico. He released his autobiographic book, named "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 to his classics a traditional Mexican sound. The same year, José launched his own perfume
, called simply "José José", the profit from the sales are to help women and children sick with HIV
/AIDS
.
José is still working in a new, untitled album, adding that it will consist of nine unreleased tracks and a melody he used to sing in serenades "Que viva mi tristeza", from songwriter Armando Manzanero
. It has not been completed due to the ups and downs faced by his voice. He is currently on a national Mexican tour named "José José y sus amigos" (José José and friends), with Dulce, Carlos Cuevas, Celso Piña
and Chamin Correa
.
He told the magazine Selecciones that from 1985 to 1987, he underwent a serious personal crisis because "my life was spent on airplanes, tour buses and locked in a hotel room". In 1991, he divorced Anel. Several years back, he ended his work relationship with his manager, who also was his brother-in-law.
In 1995, he married Sara Salazar, his third wife. That same year, during a Latin American tour, Sara, his third daughter was born. On November 2008, his current wife suffered from a cerebral haemorrhage. She recovered after spending several months in the hospital and receiving therapy. José stated that the medical bills nearly lead him to bankruptcy. He lives in Coral Gables, Florida
with his wife and his youngest daughter.
habit.
José 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 huge success of "El Triste
", with the quick fame and money, like his father, he fell into alcoholism, but with help of his friends and his 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 he fell steadily into the addiction. His alcoholism caused him serious financial problems and he claims that during his career he was constantly defrauded by his managers, Anel and her brother.
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, his personal friend Ricardo Rocha and other artists, he decided to go to rehab. He went to the Hazelden
clinic in Minnesota
for rehab. He remains a sober recovering alcoholic.
in 1972; his thoracic diaphragm
was paralyzed; the disease almost ended with his career. He recovered after going through months of therapy based on breathing exercises, but one of his lungs was permanently damaged.
In 1987, he underwent an operation to remove nodes in his vocal fold
as a consequence of the excessive use of cortisol
, alcohol 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.
In 2001, he suffered from a case of emphysema
. The effect of alcoholism, the abuse of cortisol and his hiatus hernia
, have not only affected his ability to sing, but also to talk. In 2007, he suffered from Bell's palsy
. As a result of all these problems he has fought a very serious depression over the recent years. He acknowledged this during an interview on the Univision program "Don Francisco Presenta..." hosted by popular TV host Don Francisco
.
He has recently struggled with a diabetic retinopathy
in one of his eyes, he underwent a successful operation.
, rock and roll
, jazz
, swing, big band
, the music of Frank Sinatra
, Johnny Mathis
and popular Mexican composers like Consuelo Velázquez
, Álvaro Carrillo
, María Grever
and Armando Manzanero
. He also was inspired by vocalist Barbra Streisand
, whom he considers an influence. Son of an operatic tenor and a pianist, José grew up also listening to artists such as Chopin and Mozart, but never got the chance to play their genre of music. His music has been influenced by numerous genres, including Latin pop, bolero, romantic ballads, bossa nova, jazz and classical. He is also acclaimed for playing such instruments as the piano, bass, guitar and double bass. His predilect music is the classical (Ravel, Debussy, Musorgsky), jazz and bossa nova.
"Esta es mi vida" (This is my life), his vocal coach identifies José José in his prime as a Leggiero tenor
or light lyric tenor. His lowest note is a Ab2, registered on the song "No valio la pena". He gives his highest note, a Ab4, in the song "El Triste
". The vocal range
of José José covers from an Ab2–Ab4 in chest voice
. His highest note with falsetto
, a C5, is recorded on the song "Amor para los dos ", having then, a vocal range of Ab2–C5. With the mentioned falsetto, his range covers 2 octaves and a quarter. His vocal range was generally located between F3 and F4, it can be heard in songs such as "Gavilan o paloma", "Lo pasado, pasado", "Volcán", "Te extraño", "Buscando una sonrisa", "Amor Amor" and "Polvo enamorado" among others.
His voice is often considered one of the most influential in Latin pop music. Over time, because of his alcoholism and excesses, his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. By inherit the qualities of his father for singing, in his prime, he achieved high and low notes and his intonation was practically perfect. Upon his performance of "El Triste", many critics had welcomed his vocal inflections, and he was praised for his technical virtuosity and intensity. One of the most peculiar qualities of his voice, is his handling of the breathing and lung capacity, that to sustain long notes in tune, without losing power, or show any signs of suffocation.
of the world. He is an influence to pop artists like: Cristian Castro
, Vicente Fernández
, Alejandro Fernández
, Nelson Ned
, Pepe Aguilar
, Kalimba, Erik Rubin
, Manuel Mijares
, Lupita D'Alessio
, Diego Verdaguer
, Reyli
and Marc Anthony
among many others.
In 1996, he was awarded a special concession by the Mexican government. The Mexican government deemed him deserving of this award based on the cultural impact José José has had on the country. In 2002 he achieved "El Premio a la Excelencia" (Prize to Excellence) in the Premios Lo Nuestro ( Lo Nuestro Awards). The Billboard Magazine awarded him for "Mejor Artista Latino" (Best Latin Artist) and "Mejor Disco Latino" (Best Latin Album) several times. In 2005
he received the "Personalidad del Año" (Person of the Year
) by the Latin Grammy Award Recording Association; he has been nominated nine times to the Grammy.
In 2006, the TV network Televisa
, made a special television show in Acapulco
to pay homage to José José's career. Singers like Manoella Torres
, Francisco Céspedes
, Dulce and Gualberto Castro
performed several of José Jose's greatest hits.
In July 2008, Univision
and the Latin Grammy, recorded in Miami at the BankUnited Center
a special TV tribute to José José, called Latin Grammy Celebra: José José (Latin Grammy Celebrates: José José). Stars such as Marco Antonio Solís
, Ana Bárbara
, Cristian Castro
, Alicia Villarreal
, Reyli
, Olga Tañon
, Luis Fonsi
, David Bisbal
and Aventura performed his greatest hits live; stars such as Plácido Domingo
, Ricky Martin
, Enrique Iglesias
, Pepe Aguilar
, Pedro Fernández
, and RBD
, sent him special messages congratulating him and showing their admiration. In the show, Univision described José José as: "One of the most beloved singers in Latin music".
In 2007, a bronze statue was unveiled on his honor at 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 booksigning at The Rio
in Las Vegas on November 20, 2008.
For his contribution to the recording industry, José José has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 7036 Hollywood Blvd.
like Molotov
, Jumbo
, Julieta Venegas
, Beto Cuevas
, and Aleks Syntek
, recorded a tribute album called "Volcán: Tributo a José José
" (Volcano: Tribute to José José), singing José's classic songs like "Lo Dudo", "El Triste
", "Volcán", and many others, each song with a special personal style of the band. The album sold over 500,000 units. In 2005, Manuel Mijares
released the album Honor a Quien Honor Merece
, singing some of José's most popular songs. Pop singer Kalimba recorded in 2009 the album Amar y Querer: Homenaje A Las Grandes Canciones (Love and Desire: A tribute to the great songs) that features some of the most iconic Latin ballads, among them "Amar y querer", "Desesperado", "Volcán" and "El Triste
".
Marc Anthony
released the album Iconos
(Icons), which covers Latin ballads from the past, among them "El Triste
" and "Almohada". About the difficulty of singing "El Triste", Anthony stated that "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 November 30, 2010, Cristian Castro
released the album Viva el Principe
(Long Live the Prince), his tribute to José José. The album includes a duet with José José on "Lo Pasado, Pasado" and a poem recited by him. Rafael Pérez-Botija is involved with the production of the album. Due to its high sales, Viva el Principe has achieved Gold Certification in Mexico. On November 1, 2011, a follow-up to Viva el Principe
was released under the title Mi Amigo el Príncipe
(My friend the Prince). The album debuted at numer one on Billboard Top Latin Albums and peaked 57 on Billboard 200.
TOTAL OF 22 GOLD AND PLATINUM RECORDS FOR "Secretos"
Referred in the entertainment world as "El Príncipe de la Canción" ("The Prince of Song"), José José is best known for his romantic ballads and renowned for his vocals. He is recognizable by his pure vocal tone and his ability to sustain high and low notes.
Born into a family of musicians, José José started his musical career in his early teens playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and singing in serenade
Serenade
In music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....
s. He later joined a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
trio
Jazz trio
The term "piano trio" in jazz usually refers to a group comprising a pianist, a double bass player and a drummer. The pianist is usually considered the leader of these trios, and trios are usually named after their pianist...
where he sang and played the bass and double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
. José became a successful solo artist in the early 1970s. Demonstrating his vocal ability with a masterful performance of the song "El Triste
El Triste
El Triste is a song written by Mexican composer Roberto Cantoral. It was performed for the first time on March 25, 1970, at the "Latin Song Festival II" by the Mexican singer José José...
" in a Latin music festival in 1970, he climbed the Latin charts during the decade.
In the 1980s, after signing with Ariola Records
Ariola Records
Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
, he gained international fame as a talented and successful performer. His 1983 album Secretos
Secretos
-Secretos tracks sampled by other artists:"Lo Dudo"In 1998 - U.S. rapper DMX sampled the intro of romantic ballad "Lo Dudo" in his song "Let Me Fly" of which was included in his debut release It's Dark and Hell Is Hot....
has sold over 7 million copies around the world. With a series of huge hits, he received several nominations to the Grammy and numerous recognitions worldwide. He sold out in venues such as the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and the Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
. His music has reached non Spanish-speaking countries like Japan, Israel and Russia. During the 1990s, after several hits, his career began to decline as his voice started to falter due to alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and health issues. José has also forged a career as an actor, starring in movies like Gavilán o Paloma
Gavilán o Paloma (film)
Gavilán o Paloma is a 1985 Mexican drama film. The movie is titled after one of Jose Jose´s greatest songs. It chronicles the rise of Mexican music icon José José from his humble beginnings in Mexico City to his international superstardom. Gavilán o Paloma is starred by José José, playing himself,...
and Perdóname Todo
Perdóname Todo
Perdóname Todo is a 1995 Mexican drama film starring José José, Alejandra Ávalos and Sergio Jiménez.-Plot :Ricardo Alfaro is a popular composer and singer who has failed in life because of alcohol...
.
In a career that has spanned more than four decades, his performance and distinctive vocal style have influenced a big number of Latin pop artists. Due to his wide-range vocals, his talent, his performance and the high popularity he achieved, he is considered by the media, the press and the people as an icon of the Latin pop music.
Early life
José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz was born on February 17, 1948 in AzcapotzalcoAzcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco is one of the 16 delegaciones into which Mexico's Federal District is divided. Azcapotzalco is in the northwestern part of Mexico City...
, Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. He was raised into a Roman Catholic family of gifted musicians; his father, José Sosa Esquivel
José Sosa Esquivel
José Sosa Esquivel was a Mexican tenor. He is best known for being the father of the famed singer José José...
, was an operatic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
(tenor comprimario) and his mother, Margarita Ortiz, was a classical pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
. They never achieved relative large success, and when José began to show interest in singing, they tried to discourage him, claiming that it was too difficult to achieve success in show business. In 1963, when he was fifteen years old, his mother gave him his first piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. The same year, his reportedly alcoholic father abandoned the family, forcing José to work to help his mother and younger brother.
Early career
José continued his attempts to become a singer. In 1963, as a teenager, he had launched his own career with serenades. In 1966, José started singing and playing the bass and double bass with a bossa nova and jazz band called "Los PEG". The band played at the major jazz venues of Mexico City, where musicians like Dizzy GillespieDizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
, Erroll Garner
Erroll Garner
Erroll Louis Garner was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty", has become a jazz standard...
, Antonio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Jobim
Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim , also known as Tom Jobim , was a Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist. He was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, and his songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within...
and João Gilberto
João Gilberto
João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira, known as João Gilberto , is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. His seminal recordings, including many songs by Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, established the new musical genre of Bossa nova in the late 1950s.-Biography:From an early age, music...
used to play.
In 1967, searching for a solo career, he signed a small contract of two singles under the name of "Pepe Sosa", and released the songs "El mundo" (Jimmy Fontana
Jimmy Fontana
Jimmy Fontana is famous Italian actor, composer and singer. One of his most famous songs is Che Sarà, performed also by José Feliciano and Ricchi e Poveri. His other hits include Non te ne andare and Il mondo . La mia serenata won Disco per l'estate in 1967...
's "Il Mondo") and "Ma Vie" without success. José returned to serenades and to play with "Los PEG" in night clubs. He left "Los PEG", took the artistic name "José José" (in honor of his father, who had recently died of alcoholism; he joined his first name "José" and the first name of his father "José", from whom he says, had inherited the voice), signed a contract with RCA Victor
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
and recorded his first album: Cuidado
Cuidado
Cuidado is the title of the debut studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1969.With this, his first LP album recorded at RCA Victor in Mexico City and produced under the supervision of composers Rubén Fuentes and Armando Manzanero, José José begins a long and successful career...
. The album contains songs by Rubén Fuentes
Rubén Fuentes
Rubén Fuentes Gassón , is a Mexican classical violinist and composer, who is best known for his contributions to Mariachi music. In 1944, he joined Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán as a violinist and later as a music arranger. In 1955 Fuentes stopped performing in the group, but he maintains his...
and Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
. The sound of the album is a combination of boleros and romantic ballads with an influence of jazz and bossa nova. Because of the quality, his debut album was praised by the critics but did not achieve much popularity.
He struggled, but then during the late 1960s, his fame began to rise, as he was featured on various television shows. With songs like "Una mañana" and "Cuidado", José started to get attention from the people and the media.
The 1970s: "El Triste", Consolidation as star, Ariola Records
He released the song "La nave del olvido" that became his first big hit in Mexico and Latin America, and recorded his second album: La Nave Del OlvidoLa Nave Del Olvido
La Nave Del Olvido is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1970.With this album, José José became known nationally...
. José's big break came on March 25, 1970, when he represented Mexico in an international song festival, the "II Festival de la Canción Latina" (Latin Song Festival II, predecessor of the OTI Festival
OTI Festival
OTI Festival was an annual singing competition, held between 1972 and 2000, among active member countries of the Organización de Televisión Iberoamericana .- Venues and Presenters :- Winners :-By country:...
) with an amazing performance of the song "El Triste
El Triste
El Triste is a song written by Mexican composer Roberto Cantoral. It was performed for the first time on March 25, 1970, at the "Latin Song Festival II" by the Mexican singer José José...
". The performance of the song was so impressive that caused tears, standing ovations, expressions of amazement and cheers from Angélica María
Angélica María
Angélica María Hartman Ortiz is an Mexican-American actress and a Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter. She is a legendary entertainer and is known as La Novia de Mexico .-Early life:...
, Alberto Vázquez
Alberto Vazquez
Alberto Vazquez is an American actor, screenwriter, teacher, director and producer. He founded the Alberto Vazquez Actors Workshop, organized primarily for beginners, semi-trained and working actors.- TV :-Film:-Off-Broadway:...
, Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz is a singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, Muñiz actually has declared publicly and in most countries he has visited, that Puerto Rico is his second country, and many Puerto Ricans consider him to be an "honorary Puerto Rican"...
, the judges and the spectators in the Teatro Ferrocarrilero in Mexico City. The fact that José José got the third place shocked the audience. After the hit of "El Triste", his popular romantic ballad style mixed with a unique voice made him the star of stars in Mexico. He began his first international tour through Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Miami, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. He played leading roles in such small films as Sueño de amor and La carrera del millón. José performed at the Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
and the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
.
During the early 1970s, José José became one of the best known romantic ballad singers in Latin America. He was featured constantly on the most popular Mexican television shows, where he used to sing live with old legends of the Hispanic music such as Pedro Vargas
Pedro Vargas
Pedro Vargas Mata was a Mexican singer and actor, from the golden age of Mexican cinema. He was known as the "Nightingale of the Americas".-Biography:...
and Carlos Lico. In 1974, he performed a season in the Casino Royale & Hotel of Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. The same year he was invited by Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
to record an album under Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
. It was not possible because of the exclusivity agreement that José had with RCA Victor
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
He made various international number one hits and toured Latin America several times. His main hits were: "Del altar a la tumba", "Buscando una sonrisa", "De pueblo en pueblo", "Soy como quieras tú" (Mina's
Mina (singer)
Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
"Sono, come tu mi vuoi"), "Cuando tu me quieras", "Hasta que vuelvas", "Candilejas" (Charles Chaplin's "Terry's Theme"), "Paloma 'Cada mañana que te vas'", "Sentimientos" (Morris Albert
Morris Albert
Morris Albert is a Brazilian singer and songwriter, famous for his 1975 hit single "Feelings"....
's "Feelings
Feelings (song)
"Feelings" is a song based on a melody composed by Loulou Gasté and made famous by Morris Albert, who recorded it as a single released in 1974 that later appeared as the title track of his 1975 debut album. The song's lyrics, recognizable by their "whoa whoa whoa" chorus, concern the singer's...
"), "Vive", "Dejame conocerte" (Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
's "Let Me Get To Know You"), "Divina ilusión" (an adaptation of Étude Op. 10, No. 3 of Chopin
Étude Op. 10, No. 3 (Chopin)
Étude Op. 10 No. 3, in E major, is a study for solo piano composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1832. It was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England as the third piece of his Études Op. 10. This is a slow cantabile study for polyphonic and legato playing. Chopin himself believed the...
), "Sabrás que te quiero" and "El Príncipe" (The Prince) song earned him the nickname "El Príncipe de la canción" (The Prince of the song).
In 1977, José signed a contract with Ariola Records
Ariola Records
Ariola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
(Today part of Sony BMG). He recorded the album Reencuentro
Reencuentro
Reencuentro is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1977 and the first for the Ariola label.With this album, made in the Music Center Studios, in London, England, José José returned to the pinnacle of success, with the participation of great composers such as Juan...
in London, England under the new record label. Reencuentro released the hits " El amar y el querer" and "Gavilán o paloma" that got him to the top of the lists of popularity. During 1978 and 1979, he achieved enormous success with the albums Volcán
Volcán (album)
Volcán is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1978. The arranger and director of all the songs was the Spanish composer Rafael Pérez Botija. The main hits of the album were: O Tu O Yo, Volcán, Farolero, and Preguntaselo A Ella...
, Lo Pasado, Pasado
Lo Pasado, Pasado
Lo Pasado, Pasado is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1979. The album has the participation of the popular singers/composers Juan Gabriel and José María Napoleón. The first single of the album was the song Lo Pasado, Pasado, that instantly became a huge hit...
and Si Me Dejas Ahora
Si Me Dejas Ahora
Si Me Dejas Ahora is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1979.José José produces an album for the first time in collaboration with Spanish singer, composer and producer Camilo Sesto....
. His main hits were "O tú o yo", "Farolero", "Volcán", "Lo que un dia fué no será", "Lo pasado, pasado", "Si me dejas ahora", "Te quiero tal como eres" (Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
's "Just The Way You Are") and the hit ballad "Almohada".
1980s: International stardom, Secretos, Mexico's top singer
In 1980, José released the album Amor AmorAmor Amor
Amor Amor is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1980. It was recorded at the Salty Dog Studios in Los Angeles, California....
, recorded in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Amor Amor released the singles "Insaciable amante", "No me digas que te vas", "Amor Amor" and the classic bolero "No me platiques mas". He later recorded the bolero album Romántico
Romántico
Romántico is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1981. In this album José José performs classic boleros like La gloria eres tú, El Reloj and Regálame esta noche...
; production that not only created a new way to sing boleros but also made very popular this form of old ballads. Songs like "El reloj", "La gloria eres tú", "Un poco más", "Cancionero" and "Regálame esta noche" were crafted in such exquisite form that they became classics in Mexico and Latin America. In 1981, the album Gracias
Gracias (album)
Gracias is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1981. The main hits of the album were: Gracias, Una noche de amor, Sólo tú y yo , Preso, Vamos a darnos tiempo and Me basta.-Track listing:...
was released. The songs "Me basta" and "Preso" were the main hits of the album. José released the highly successful record Mi Vida
Mi Vida (album)
Mi Vida is the title of the studio album released by Mexican pop singer José José in 1982. The main hits of the album were: Mi vida, Contigo no, Siempre te vas, Nunca sabrán and Desesperado. José José continued positioned as one of the top sellers of records in Latin America...
in 1982. The album contained the hits: "Desesperado" and "Mi vida" (an autobiographic song written by his future working partner Rafael Pérez-Botija). José co-produced his albums and wrote songs like "Si alguna vez" and "Amor para los dos". He did a duet with Lani Hall
Lani Hall
Lani Hall is an American singer and the wife of Herb Alpert.-Music career:Her first public appearances occurred in Old Town Chicago in early 1966. At one of those performances, she was heard by Brazilian Bossa Nova pianist/bandleader Sérgio Mendes, who happened to be on tour in Chicago...
on the hit "Te quiero así". José performed with sold-out for seven days in a row at the National Auditorium
National Auditorium
National Auditorium is an entertainment centre located at Paseo de la Reforma #50, Chapultepec in Mexico City right in front of the Polanco hotel zone next to Campo Marte....
and a month in the popular night club "El Patio". He recorded the Spanish version of the hit "New York, New York
Theme from New York, New York
"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli...
", as a gift to Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, who had invited him to do a duet, but due to differences with the record labels, it could not be performed.
In 1983, José released what proved to be by far the biggest album of his career: Secretos
Secretos
-Secretos tracks sampled by other artists:"Lo Dudo"In 1998 - U.S. rapper DMX sampled the intro of romantic ballad "Lo Dudo" in his song "Let Me Fly" of which was included in his debut release It's Dark and Hell Is Hot....
. The album was recorded in Spain and was written and produced by Manuel Alejandro
Manuel Alejandro
Manuel Alejandro is one of the most popular and sought after composers of Latin love songs, which are better known as ballads. He has written, composed, and arranged songs for the likes of Luis Miguel, Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias...
. It was his first album that released a video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for each song. The main hits were "Lo dudo", "El amor acaba", "Lagrimas", "He renunciado a ti", and "A esa". Secretos was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance
Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album
The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album was awarded from 1984 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1984 to 1991 the award was known as Best Latin Pop Performance*From 1992 to 1994 it was awarded as Best Latin Pop Album...
in the Grammy Awards of 1985
Grammy Awards of 1985
The 27th Grammy Awards were held February 26, 1985, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1984.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
. It has sold over 7 million units until today. Following the hit of Secretos, José kept on with international success. He released the album Reflexiones
Reflexiones (album)
- Personnel :* Rafael Perez Botija – Arranger, Director, Producer, Direction, Realization* José José – Interpretation-Chart performance:...
in 1984. The production was written, produced and arranged by Rafael Pérez-Botija. The songs "Payaso", "Seré, "Tu ganas", "De hombre a hombre" and "¿Y qué" were the main hits. Reflexiones sold over 2 million copies worldwide, became his first number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums
Latin Pop Albums
Latin Pop Albums is a record chart published on Billboard magazine. It features Latin music information of the Pop music genre. Established in June 1985, this chart features only full length albums and like all album charts on Billboard, is based on sales. The information is compiled by Nielsen...
and was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the 1986 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1986
The 28th Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1986. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year, 1985.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Quincy Jones for "We Are the World" performed by USA for Africa...
. Later, José José joined José Feliciano
José Feliciano
José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
to release a duet that became a major hit for both singers: "Por ella". Their song was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1986 as well.
In 1985, José José was asked to participate in the song "Cantaré, cantarás
Cantaré, cantarás
Cantaré, cantarás is an album by various Latin American icons called circunstancially "Hermanos".It was released in 1985....
", along with other icons such as Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
, Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos (singer)
Roberto Carlos Braga is a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian singer and composer, who has achieved a great deal of success and recognition in his 50 year career, also known as King of Latin Music....
, José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma", Pedro Vargas
Pedro Vargas
Pedro Vargas Mata was a Mexican singer and actor, from the golden age of Mexican cinema. He was known as the "Nightingale of the Americas".-Biography:...
and Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández Gómez is a Mexican singer, producer and actor. Known as Chente or El rey de la canción ranchera throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernández, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to...
among others. It was recorded in Los Angeles in April 1985, at the A&M Studios, same studio used for "We Are The World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
". The same year, José starred his autobiographic film Gavilán o Paloma
Gavilán o Paloma (film)
Gavilán o Paloma is a 1985 Mexican drama film. The movie is titled after one of Jose Jose´s greatest songs. It chronicles the rise of Mexican music icon José José from his humble beginnings in Mexico City to his international superstardom. Gavilán o Paloma is starred by José José, playing himself,...
, alongside Christian Bach
Christian Bach
Christian Bach is an Argentine actress and producer of telenovelas. She is married to Mexican actor Humberto Zurita with whom she has two sons Sebastián and Emiliano.-Biography:...
and the comedian Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo
Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo
Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo Pallás is a Mexican comedian, actor, film director, screenwriter, television producer and host....
. Later that year, he released the album Promesas
Promesas
-Personnel:*Rafael Pérez-Botija — Arranger, director, realization*Tito Saavedra — Engineer*Joel Soiffer — Engineer -Chart performance:...
, written, produced and arranged by Pérez-Botija. Its main hits were "Amantes", "Me vas a echar de menos", "Más" and "Tu me estas volviendo loco". The single "Pruébame" was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance at the 1987 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1987
The 29th Grammy Awards were held in 1987. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Russ Titelman , Steve Winwood for "Higher Love"*Album of the Year...
. Promesas became the second number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums by José José. He received two Billboard awards: Top Latin Artist and Top Latin Album
Billboard Top Latin Albums
Latin Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all Billboard album charts, the chart is based on sales...
of 1985. In his next album Siempre Contigo of 1986 he worked with the Spanish producer and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Paco Cepero
Paco Cepero
Paco Cepero is a Spanish Flamenco guitarist. In addition to accompanying numerous artists, he has released several solo albums, including Corazón y Bordón and De Pura Cepa.- Beginnings :...
. The songs "Corre y ve con él", "Sin saber" and "¿Y Quién Puede Ser?
¿Y Quién Puede Ser?
"¿Y Quién Puede Ser?" is a song written and produced by Paco Cepero, co-written F.M. Moncada, and performed by Mexican singer José José. It was released in 1986 as the first single from his studio album Siempre Contigo...
" were its main hits. It was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1988
Grammy Awards of 1988
The 30th Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1988. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Paul Simon for "Graceland"*Album of the Year...
and became the third number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums by José.
In 1987, he released the album Soy Así
Soy Así
Soy Así is the title of a studio album released by Mexican performer José José on 1987. It was written and produced by Spanish producer Rafael Pérez-Botija...
, written and produced by his working partner Rafael Pérez-Botija once more. It was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the 1989 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1989
The 31st Grammy Awards were held in 1989. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Linda Goldstein & Bobby McFerrin for "Don't Worry, Be Happy"*Album of the Year...
and became his fourth number-one set on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums. Soy Así released four successful singles: the title track
Soy Así (song)
"Soy Así" is a ballad written and produced by Spanish composer Rafael Pérez-Botija and performed by Mexican singer José José. It was released as the first single from his twenty fourth studio album of the same title in late 1987...
reached the number-one position in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart while "Mi Hembra" peaked at number five, "Salúdamela Mucho" at number 22 and "Vergüenza Me Da Quererte" reached number eight.
During the 1980s, José José sold out Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, The Dunes and performed several seasons at the Las Vegas Hilton
Las Vegas Hilton
The Las Vegas Hilton is a hotel, casino, and convention center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a joint venture between Colony Capital, which owns 60 percent, and New York City-based REIT Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, which owns the remaining 40 percent...
, Greek Theatre
Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater, located at Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year...
, and the Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City among others. He was known as "Mexico's Top Singer" in his shows. In 1987, he sold out Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
. That same year, José traveled to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and performed in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
and Jerusalem. In 1988, he played the role of the Mexican singer and composer Álvaro Carrillo
Álvaro Carrillo
Álvaro Carrillo Alarcón was a Mexican popular music composer born in San Juan Cacahuatepec, Oaxaca, on 2 December 1921, who died in a car accident on 3 April 1969...
in the movie Sabor A Mí, costarring Angelica Aragón
Angélica Aragón
Angélica Aragón is a Mexican actress of telenovelas and such films as Dune, A Walk in the Clouds, Bella, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Vivir un poco, Mirada de mujer, Novia que te vea, and the blockbuster film Sexo, pudor y lágrimas.-Early life:Aragón was born Angélica Espinoza Stransky in Mexico...
. In 1989, José sold out with two massive concerts at the Plaza México
Plaza México
The Plaza México, situated in Mexico City, is the world's largest bullring. This 48,000-seat facility is usually dedicated to bullfighting, but many boxing fights have been held there as well, including Julio César Chávez's third bout with Frankie Randall...
, gathering over 100,000 people. The same year, he traveled to Japan, where he was featured on television shows and offered several performances. His album ¿Qué Es El Amor? released the pop songs "Piel de azucar" and "Como Tú
Como Tú
"Como Tú" is a pop song written by Wildo, arranged by Daniel Freiberg, and performed by Mexican singer José José. It was released in 1989 as the first single from the studio album ¿Qué Es El Amor?, and became his third number-one single in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart after "¿Y Quién Puede...
", and José climbed to the top of the lists of popularity. The song "Como Tú" lasted ten weeks at number-one on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Latin Tracks.
The 1990s: "Amnesia", Decline, Rehab, Minor hits
In 1990, the late Raúl VelascoRaúl Velasco
Raúl Velasco was born in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. For 30 years, he was the Mexican host/producer of the TV show Siempre en Domingo which is his hallmark contribution to the Latin American world and eventually to other parts of the world where Spanish entertainment programs are broadcast.Raúl...
made a special television show to pay homage to José's 25th anniversary. The show lasted over five hours and featured very popular singers as special guests like Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
, Libertad Lamarque
Libertad Lamarque
Libertad Lamarque was an Argentine-Mexican actress and singer. Originally from Argentina, she reached fame throughout Latin America while living in Mexico and working in Mexican cinema.-Career:...
, Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández Gómez is a Mexican singer, producer and actor. Known as Chente or El rey de la canción ranchera throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernández, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to...
and Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz is a singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, Muñiz actually has declared publicly and in most countries he has visited, that Puerto Rico is his second country, and many Puerto Ricans consider him to be an "honorary Puerto Rican"...
. In 1991, he released the hit song "Amnesia
Amnesia (José José song)
"Amnesia" is a song written by Chico Novaro and Dino Ramos, produced by Oscar Lopez and performed by Mexican singer José José. The song was released as the lead single from the album En las Buenas.....
" of the album En las Buenas... y en las Malas
En las Buenas... y en las Malas
-Chart performance:...
. The song lasted 21 weeks on the charts and peaked at number-one on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Latin Tracks, while his next single "Atrapado", spent 16 weeks and peaked at number seven. In 1992, he released another hit single: "40 y 20". From the self-titled album, the song speaks about men who fall in love with women that are much younger than them and the way society sees those situations. "40 y 20" lasted over 17 weeks on the charts and peaked at number four. His next single "Eso no más", spent 15 weeks and peaked at number five.
In the 1990s José's voice began to deteriorate. It worsened over time and became evident especially in his live performances. His excessive drinking and the incessant activity during his career caused his voice to falter.
In 1993, to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of José José as a singer, his record company BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
hosted a tribute in the city of Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
. It was called 30 Años de ser el Príncipe (30 years of being the Prince). The tribute included a number of the most prestigious artists of the Spanish music such as Rocío Dúrcal
Rocío Dúrcal
Rocío Dúrcal , born as María de los Ángeles de Las Heras Ortíz, was a Spanish singer and actress, known artistically as Rocío Durcal. Spanish is the best selling solo albums with more than 80 million to date...
, Camilo Sesto
Camilo Sesto
Camilo Blanes Cortés , better known as Camilo Sesto, is a Spanish singer , composer and producer who enjoyed fame during the 1970s and the 1980s...
, Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
, Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz is a singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, Muñiz actually has declared publicly and in most countries he has visited, that Puerto Rico is his second country, and many Puerto Ricans consider him to be an "honorary Puerto Rican"...
and Raúl di Blasio
Raúl di Blasio
Raúl di Blasio is an Argentine latin jazz and easy listening pianist.- Life :Born in Zapala, Argentina, Raúl Di Blasio showed a great interest in piano at the age of six. After his parents' recommendations that he should study music, he began to pursue piano as a career.Di Blasio practiced piano...
. The tribute coincided with his recent divorce, a serious relapse into alcoholism and a significant loss of vocal abilities; caused by his addictions and several respiratory problems suffered throughout his life. 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 to José. The album was not released until 1994. At that time, José suffered the worst stage of alcoholism in his career. During 1993, he retired from the stage and went to rehab. Upon completion of his rehabilitation, he started seasons in places like the famous "Teatro Blanquita" of Mexico City, and the Gibson Amphitheatre
Gibson Amphitheatre
The Gibson Amphitheatre is a theatre located in Universal City, California, USA. It seats up to 6,189 for concerts, including 6,089 chairback seats...
of Los Angeles.
In 1994, after the great success he achieved ten years back with Secretos
Secretos
-Secretos tracks sampled by other artists:"Lo Dudo"In 1998 - U.S. rapper DMX sampled the intro of romantic ballad "Lo Dudo" in his song "Let Me Fly" of which was included in his debut release It's Dark and Hell Is Hot....
, José re-teamed with Manuel Alejandro
Manuel Alejandro
Manuel Alejandro is one of the most popular and sought after composers of Latin love songs, which are better known as ballads. He has written, composed, and arranged songs for the likes of Luis Miguel, Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias...
and released the album Grandeza Mexicana. The title track peaked at number 12 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Latin Tracks and spent over seven weeks on the charts. He did a duet with his son José Joél in the song "La fuerza de la sangre", second single of the album. In 1995, he played the lead role in the movie Perdóname Todo
Perdóname Todo
Perdóname Todo is a 1995 Mexican drama film starring José José, Alejandra Ávalos and Sergio Jiménez.-Plot :Ricardo Alfaro is a popular composer and singer who has failed in life because of alcohol...
, a drama about an alcoholic has-been and how he tries to survive to himself and to 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" lasted 11 weeks on the charts and peaked at number six, while the second single, the title track, spent only two weeks on the charts.
In 1996, he performed a duet with Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
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
Bally's Atlantic City is a luxury hotel and casino on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey that opened in 1979. It is one of the largest casinos on the boardwalk with nearly 2,000 rooms. Bally's is unique in that two of its four hotel towers are at least 80 years old. The Claridge Tower was...
. His last album of the decade, Distancia, was released on 1998. A video of the single "Ojala que te mueras" was released. On September 1999, he joined fellow countrymen Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
, Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz is a singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, Muñiz actually has declared publicly and in most countries he has visited, that Puerto Rico is his second country, and many Puerto Ricans consider him to be an "honorary Puerto Rican"...
and Argentine pianist Raúl di Blasio
Raúl di Blasio
Raúl di Blasio is an Argentine latin jazz and easy listening pianist.- Life :Born in Zapala, Argentina, Raúl Di Blasio showed a great interest in piano at the age of six. After his parents' recommendations that he should study music, he began to pursue piano as a career.Di Blasio practiced piano...
for a series of concerts dubbed "Noche Bohemia" (Bohemian Night) at the Gibson Amphitheatre
Gibson Amphitheatre
The Gibson Amphitheatre is a theatre located in Universal City, California, USA. It seats up to 6,189 for concerts, including 6,089 chairback seats...
in Los Angeles.
2000s: Loss of vocals, movies and TV, Sony BMG concept albums
In 2001, with a very deteriorated voice, he recorded his first album with mariachiMariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
, but the last one of his career, Tenampa. The album was written and produced completely by Juan Gabriel
Juan Gabriel
Alberto Aguilera Valadez , better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel , is a Mexican singer and songwriter who is one of the most famous living representatives of the Mexican ranchera, ballad, mariachi, and pop music....
. The single "Cada vez y cada vez" lasted two weeks on the charts. Tenampa received poor ratings and sold only about 500,000 units. After that, he retired from recording full-length albums. The problem of his voice got worse, and affected not only his ability to sing, but also to speak. In 2003, his label BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
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 with the guitar trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
"Los Tres Caballeros", with which these recordings are transformed into boleros. The work of technical excellence, was attended by José's old colleague Rafael Pérez Botija, who directed and composed some of the original recordings. This collection of concept albums again allowed José to achieve success in sales.
In the mid 2000s, José appeared briefly as the "Mystery Musician" in the movie Sueño
Sueño
Sueño is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed by Renée Chabria that stars John Leguizamo, Ana Claudia Talancón, and Elizabeth Peña.-Cast:* John Leguizamo - Antonio* Ana Claudia Talancón - Nina* Elizabeth Peña - Mirabela* Nestor Serrano - El Zorro...
and played the role of Erasmo Padilla (the father of Leticia "Lety" Padilla) in La Fea Más Bella
La fea más bella
La Fea Más Bella is a Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa. It is the second Mexican version of the popular Colombian telenovela: Betty la fea...
, a very successful Mexican version of the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n production Betty la Fea
Betty la fea
Yo soy Betty, la fea is a popular soap opera filmed in Colombia, written by Fernando Gaitán and produced between 1999 through 2001 by the Colombian network RCN . More than a dozen versions of the telenovela have been made in other countries...
(adapted in the US as Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
). In 2006, José participated as a singing professor in Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
's high-rating show, Cantando por un sueño
Cantando por un sueño
Cantando por un Sueño is a television contest produced by the Mexican television network Canal de las Estrellas which also aired on Univision in the United States. As with its twin show Bailando por un sueño , celebrities are paired with common, everyday people...
.
José released Mis Duetos in 2007, an album featuring duets he recorded in the past. However, it featured two new songs, "E-mail me" with his daughter, "Sarita" and "Aunque vivas con él" with Reyli
Reyli
Reyli Barba , most commonly known as Reyli, is a well-known Mexican singer-songwriter who has reached staggering success in the past few years all over Latin America and the Latin U.S....
. In 2008, José recorded an emotive song called "Volver a creer" (Believe again) with the world famous musician Yanni
Yanni
Yanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
. The song is included in the album Yanni Voces. 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 in Yanni's tour in Mexico. He released his autobiographic book, named "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
Mariachi
Mariachi is a genre of music that originated in the State of Jalisco, in Mexico. It is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the historical development of Western Mexico. Throughout the history of mariachi, musicians have experimented with brass, wind,...
, giving to his classics a traditional Mexican sound. The same year, José launched his own perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
, called simply "José José", the profit from the sales are to help women and children sick with HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
.
José is still working in a new, untitled album, adding that it will consist of nine unreleased tracks and a melody he used to sing in serenades "Que viva mi tristeza", from songwriter Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
. It has not been completed due to the ups and downs faced by his voice. He is currently on a national Mexican tour named "José José y sus amigos" (José José and friends), with Dulce, Carlos Cuevas, Celso Piña
Celso Pina
Celso Piña is a professional singer, composer, arranger, and accordionist mainly in the genre of cumbia.Celso Piña is a pioneer in the mixture and fusion of tropical sounds with many of his works having elements of musica norteña, sonidero, ska, reggae, rap/hip-hop, R&B, etc...
and Chamin Correa
Chamin Correa
Chamin Correa, is a Latin-American guitarist from Mexico. He is renowned in the Spanish-speaking world for his traditional romantic music. Member of Los Tres Caballeros together with Roberto Cantoral and Leonel Gálvez from 1954...
.
Personal life
In the 1970s, José started a relationship with the TV hostess, actress and model, Ana Elena Noreña (known as Anel). They split and in 1970 he married Natalia "Kiki" Herrera Calles, a socialite twenty years older than he was. They divorced in 1975. In 1976, he married his first girlfriend, Anel. They had two children: their first-born José Francisco (known as José Joél) who was born in 1975, and their daughter Marysol Estrella, born in 1982.He told the magazine Selecciones that from 1985 to 1987, he underwent a serious personal crisis because "my life was spent on airplanes, tour buses and locked in a hotel room". In 1991, he divorced Anel. Several years back, he ended his work relationship with his manager, who also was his brother-in-law.
In 1995, he married Sara Salazar, his third wife. That same year, during a Latin American tour, Sara, his third daughter was born. On November 2008, his current wife suffered from a cerebral haemorrhage. She recovered after spending several months in the hospital and receiving therapy. José stated that the medical bills nearly lead him to bankruptcy. He lives in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
with his wife and his youngest daughter.
Alcoholism
During most of his career, José José suffered from a serious problem of alcoholism, until he got into rehab in 1993. He said he started drinking at the age of 15, when his father (an alcoholic) left the house. Due to his alcoholism he developed a cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
habit.
José 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 huge success of "El Triste
El Triste
El Triste is a song written by Mexican composer Roberto Cantoral. It was performed for the first time on March 25, 1970, at the "Latin Song Festival II" by the Mexican singer José José...
", with the quick fame and money, like his father, he fell into alcoholism, but with help of his friends and his family he managed to stop drinking for a while. His ongoing battle against alcoholism continued during the 1970s and 1980s. He attended AA
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
meetings and stopped drinking for periods of time, but he fell steadily into the addiction. His alcoholism caused him serious financial problems and he claims that during his career he was constantly defrauded by his managers, Anel and her brother.
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, his personal friend Ricardo Rocha and other artists, he decided to go to rehab. He went to the Hazelden
Hazelden
The Hazelden Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Center City, Minnesota. Hazelden has alcohol and drug treatment facilities in Minnesota ; Newberg, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; Naples, Florida and New York City, New York...
clinic in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
for rehab. He remains a sober recovering alcoholic.
Health issues
José suffered from a severe case of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1972; his thoracic diaphragm
Thoracic diaphragm
In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm , is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration...
was paralyzed; the disease almost ended with his career. He recovered after going through months of therapy based on breathing exercises, but one of his lungs was permanently damaged.
In 1987, he underwent an operation to remove nodes in his vocal fold
Vocal fold nodule
A vocal cord nodule is a mass of tissue that grows on the vocal folds . Typically, this mass will appear on the junction of the anterior and middle two-thirds of the vocal fold, where contact is most forceful....
as a consequence of the excessive use of cortisol
Cortisol
Cortisol is a steroid hormone, more specifically a glucocorticoid, produced by the adrenal gland. It is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat,...
, alcohol 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.
In 2001, he suffered from a case of emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
. The effect of alcoholism, the abuse of cortisol and his hiatus hernia
Hiatus hernia
A hiatus hernia or hiatal hernia is the protrusion of the upper part of the stomach into the thorax through a tear or weakness in the diaphragm.- Classification :There are two major kinds of hiatus hernia:...
, have not only affected his ability to sing, but also to talk. In 2007, he suffered from Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy
Bell's palsy is a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the cranial nerve VII that results in the inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease. However, if no specific cause...
. As a result of all these problems he has fought a very serious depression over the recent years. He acknowledged this during an interview on the Univision program "Don Francisco Presenta..." hosted by popular TV host Don Francisco
Don Francisco (television host)
Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld , better known by his stage name, Don Francisco, is a Chilean television personality, and a popular television personality on the Univision network reaching Spanish-speaking viewers in the United States...
.
He has recently struggled with a diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is retinopathy caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness....
in one of his eyes, he underwent a successful operation.
Artistry and image
José grew up listening traditional pop musicTraditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, swing, big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
, the music of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
and popular Mexican composers like Consuelo Velázquez
Consuelo Velázquez
Consuelo Velázquez was a Mexican concert pianist, songwriter and recording artist.According to her obituary, she was 88 years old when she died...
, Álvaro Carrillo
Álvaro Carrillo
Álvaro Carrillo Alarcón was a Mexican popular music composer born in San Juan Cacahuatepec, Oaxaca, on 2 December 1921, who died in a car accident on 3 April 1969...
, María Grever
María Grever
María Grever was the first Mexican female musician to become a successful composer.Maria Joaquina de la Portilla Torres was born to a Spanish father and Mexican mother in Mexico. After spending much of her childhood in Spain, she returned with her parents to Mexico at the age of 12. She studied...
and Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero
Armando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
. He also was inspired by vocalist Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, whom he considers an influence. Son of an operatic tenor and a pianist, José grew up also listening to artists such as Chopin and Mozart, but never got the chance to play their genre of music. His music has been influenced by numerous genres, including Latin pop, bolero, romantic ballads, bossa nova, jazz and classical. He is also acclaimed for playing such instruments as the piano, bass, guitar and double bass. His predilect music is the classical (Ravel, Debussy, Musorgsky), jazz and bossa nova.
Vocals
According to his autobiographic bookAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
"Esta es mi vida" (This is my life), his vocal coach identifies José José in his prime as a Leggiero tenor
Tenore di grazia
Leggiero Tenor, also called tenor leggiero or tenore di grazia, is a lightweight, flexible tenor type of voice. The tenor roles written in the early 19th century Italian operas are invariably leggiero tenor roles, especially those by Rossini such as Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri, Don Ramiro in La...
or light lyric tenor. His lowest note is a Ab2, registered on the song "No valio la pena". He gives his highest note, a Ab4, in the song "El Triste
El Triste
El Triste is a song written by Mexican composer Roberto Cantoral. It was performed for the first time on March 25, 1970, at the "Latin Song Festival II" by the Mexican singer José José...
". The vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
of José José covers from an Ab2–Ab4 in chest voice
Chest voice
Chest voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regards to this term...
. His highest note with falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
, a C5, is recorded on the song "Amor para los dos ", having then, a vocal range of Ab2–C5. With the mentioned falsetto, his range covers 2 octaves and a quarter. His vocal range was generally located between F3 and F4, it can be heard in songs such as "Gavilan o paloma", "Lo pasado, pasado", "Volcán", "Te extraño", "Buscando una sonrisa", "Amor Amor" and "Polvo enamorado" among others.
His voice is often considered one of the most influential in Latin pop music. Over time, because of his alcoholism and excesses, his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. By inherit the qualities of his father for singing, in his prime, he achieved high and low notes and his intonation was practically perfect. Upon his performance of "El Triste", many critics had welcomed his vocal inflections, and he was praised for his technical virtuosity and intensity. One of the most peculiar qualities of his voice, is his handling of the breathing and lung capacity, that to sustain long notes in tune, without losing power, or show any signs of suffocation.
Legacy
The music of José José is widely known in the Hispanic communityHispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
of the world. He is an influence to pop artists like: Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro is a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer. He is referred to as "Christian Castro" or "Cristian."- Biography :...
, Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández Gómez is a Mexican singer, producer and actor. Known as Chente or El rey de la canción ranchera throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernández, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to...
, Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
, Nelson Ned
Nelson Ned
Nelson Ned is a famous Brazilian singer from Ubá, Minas Gerais. Nelson built a solid career as a singer and composer of sentimental, suffering songs, rising to popularity in Brazil and Latin America in 1969 and becoming known internationally, especially in Portugal, France and Spain...
, Pepe Aguilar
Pepe Aguilar
José "Pepe" Aguilar Jiménez is a popular singer-songwriter of ranchera, mariachi and pop music. Pepe is the son of Mexican icon Antonio Aguilar and folkloric actress Flor Silvestre.-Career:...
, Kalimba, Erik Rubin
Erik Rubin
Erik Rubín Milansen was born on January 30, 1971 in the city of Puebla, Mexico. He was a member of the Mexican teen pop group Timbiriche.-Early career:...
, Manuel Mijares
Manuel Mijares
Manuel Mijares , is a popular Spanish-language singer who is billed simply as "Mijares." He launched his career at age 23. He is currently separated from singer/actress Lucero, with whom he has two children.-Biography:He was born in Hospital Español in Mexico City...
, Lupita D'Alessio
Lupita D'Alessio
Lupita D'Alessio is a Mexican singer and actress. She is nicknamed La Leona Dormida ....
, Diego Verdaguer
Diego Verdaguer
Diego Verdaguer is a singer-songwriter from Argentina who has resided in Mexico for almost 30 years. He plays the trumpet and the bandoneón. He is married to fellow Argentine singer Amanda Miguel. His most famous songs are "Corazón de Papel" and "La Ladrona"...
, Reyli
Reyli
Reyli Barba , most commonly known as Reyli, is a well-known Mexican singer-songwriter who has reached staggering success in the past few years all over Latin America and the Latin U.S....
and Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
among many others.
In 1996, he was awarded a special concession by the Mexican government. The Mexican government deemed him deserving of this award based on the cultural impact José José has had on the country. In 2002 he achieved "El Premio a la Excelencia" (Prize to Excellence) in the Premios Lo Nuestro ( Lo Nuestro Awards). The Billboard Magazine awarded him for "Mejor Artista Latino" (Best Latin Artist) and "Mejor Disco Latino" (Best Latin Album) several times. In 2005
Latin Grammy Awards of 2005
The 6th Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles at the Shrine Auditorium on Thursday, November 3, 2005. It was the first ceremony to be broadcast by Univision in the United States. Ivan Lins was the big winner winning two awards including Album of the Year. He is the first and only...
he received the "Personalidad del Año" (Person of the Year
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year
The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians for their artistic achievement in the Latin music industry and dedication to...
) by the Latin Grammy Award Recording Association; he has been nominated nine times to the Grammy.
In 2006, the TV network Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
, made a special television show in Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
to pay homage to José José's career. Singers like Manoella Torres
Manoella Torres
Manoella Torres, "the woman who was born to sing", is an American singer and actress of Puerto Rican background based in Mexico who has had a extensive career that continues to this day...
, Francisco Céspedes
Francisco Céspedes
Francisco Fabián Céspedes Rodríguez, also known as Pancho Céspedes, is a Latin American singer, musician, and songwriter born in Santa Clara, Cuba. Céspedes is currently a naturalized Mexican...
, Dulce and Gualberto Castro
Gualberto Castro
Gualberto Antonio Castro is of Mexican and Lebanese ancestry from his father side of the family and French and Mexican descent from his mother's side, Gualberto is a Mexican singer-entertainer best known for singing with Los Hermanos Castro aka and for hosting the...
performed several of José Jose's greatest hits.
In July 2008, Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
and the Latin Grammy, recorded in Miami at the BankUnited Center
BankUnited Center
The BankUnited Center is a 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The venue hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, university events and sporting events, including all University of Miami men's and women's basketball...
a special TV tribute to José José, called Latin Grammy Celebra: José José (Latin Grammy Celebrates: José José). Stars such as Marco Antonio Solís
Marco Antonio Solís
Marco Antonio Solís is a Mexican musician, composer, and record producer. Throughout his career, he has sold over 80 million records and written over 300 songs, arguably making him one of the most successful singer-songwriters in Latin America.-Early life and career:Marco Antonio Solís started his...
, Ana Bárbara
Ana Bárbara
Ana Bárbara is a Mexican Latin Grammy Award winner, songwriter, producer, and Grammy-nominated recording artist.-Early life and early career:...
, Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro is a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer. He is referred to as "Christian Castro" or "Cristian."- Biography :...
, Alicia Villarreal
Alicia Villarreal
Alicia Villarreal is a Mexican Latin Grammy award-winning singer.-Biography:...
, Reyli
Reyli
Reyli Barba , most commonly known as Reyli, is a well-known Mexican singer-songwriter who has reached staggering success in the past few years all over Latin America and the Latin U.S....
, Olga Tañon
Olga Tañón
Olga Tañón is a two-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy-winning Merengue and Latin Pop artist. Tañón has earned 5 Latin Grammy Awards and 19 Premios Lo Nuestro awards during her career.-Early years:...
, Luis Fonsi
Luis Fonsi
Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero, more commonly known by his stage name Luis Fonsi, is a Latin Grammy winning Puerto Rican singer and composer.- Early life :...
, David Bisbal
David Bisbal
David Bisbal Ferré is a Grammy-winning Spanish pop singer. He gained his initial fame as a runner up on the interactive reality television show Operación Triunfo produced by TJ Hall....
and Aventura performed his greatest hits live; stars such as Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
, Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
, Pepe Aguilar
Pepe Aguilar
José "Pepe" Aguilar Jiménez is a popular singer-songwriter of ranchera, mariachi and pop music. Pepe is the son of Mexican icon Antonio Aguilar and folkloric actress Flor Silvestre.-Career:...
, Pedro Fernández
Pedro Fernández
José Martín Cuevas Cobos , known professionally as Pedro Fernández, is a Mexican recording artist and actor.-Discography:*1979: La De La Mochila Azul*1989: Vicio*1990: Por Un Amigo Más*1991: Muñecos De Papel...
, and RBD
RBD
RBD was a two-time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 17 million digital downloads and over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
, sent him special messages congratulating him and showing their admiration. In the show, Univision described José José as: "One of the most beloved singers in Latin music".
In 2007, a bronze statue was unveiled on his honor at the Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco
Azcapotzalco is one of the 16 delegaciones into which Mexico's Federal District is divided. Azcapotzalco is in the northwestern part of Mexico City...
area in Mexico City, where he grew up. He was honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars with a celebrity star and booksigning at The Rio
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip in the unincorporated area of Paradise, Nevada, USA. It is better known as The Rio and is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Inc. The Rio was the first all suite resort in the Las Vegas area...
in Las Vegas on November 20, 2008.
For his contribution to the recording industry, José José has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 7036 Hollywood Blvd.
Tribute albums
In 1998, Latin bands of rock and hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
like Molotov
Molotov (band)
Molotov is a four-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Mexican rock band formed in Mexico City on September 23, 1995. Their lyrics feature a mixture of Spanish and English, rapped and sung by all members of the group. Musically, Molotov blends heavy basslines with heavy guitar riffs...
, Jumbo
Jumbo
Jumbo was a large African Bush Elephant, born 1861 in the French Sudan – present-day Mali – imported to a Paris zoo, transferred to the London Zoo in 1865, and sold in 1882 to P. T...
, Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
, Beto Cuevas
Beto Cuevas
Luis Alberto "Beto" Cuevas Olmedo is the former lead singer of the now-defunct Chilean rock band, La Ley. He grew up in Montréal, Quebec, and is fluent in French, English, and Spanish. He was born in Santiago, Chile, and now resides in Los Angeles and is pursuing a solo career.-Biography:His...
, and Aleks Syntek
Aleks Syntek
Raúl Alejandro Escajadillo Peña , better known as Aleks Syntek, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and producer. He is married to Karen Coronado, sister of talkshow host Ingrid Coronado.-Biography:...
, recorded a tribute album called "Volcán: Tributo a José José
Volcán: Tributo a José José
Volcán: Tributo a José José is a 1998 tribute album to Mexican singer José José.Paying homage to José José for his influence on Latin pop music, the album was recorded by several popular Latin artists such as Molotov, Cafe Tacuba, Julieta Venegas, Moenia, Beto Cuevas, and Aleks Syntek.The main...
" (Volcano: Tribute to José José), singing José's classic songs like "Lo Dudo", "El Triste
El Triste
El Triste is a song written by Mexican composer Roberto Cantoral. It was performed for the first time on March 25, 1970, at the "Latin Song Festival II" by the Mexican singer José José...
", "Volcán", and many others, each song with a special personal style of the band. The album sold over 500,000 units. In 2005, Manuel Mijares
Manuel Mijares
Manuel Mijares , is a popular Spanish-language singer who is billed simply as "Mijares." He launched his career at age 23. He is currently separated from singer/actress Lucero, with whom he has two children.-Biography:He was born in Hospital Español in Mexico City...
released the album Honor a Quien Honor Merece
Honor a Quien Honor Merece
Honor a Quien Honor Merece is the 17th studio album by Mexican pop singer Mijares. This album is a tribute to José José and it was released 2005...
, singing some of José's most popular songs. Pop singer Kalimba recorded in 2009 the album Amar y Querer: Homenaje A Las Grandes Canciones (Love and Desire: A tribute to the great songs) that features some of the most iconic Latin ballads, among them "Amar y querer", "Desesperado", "Volcán" and "El Triste
El Triste
El Triste is a song written by Mexican composer Roberto Cantoral. It was performed for the first time on March 25, 1970, at the "Latin Song Festival II" by the Mexican singer José José...
".
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
released the album Iconos
Iconos
Iconos is the eleventh studio album by Marc Anthony which covers Latin ballads from the past and the second Latin pop album by Marc Anthony after Amar sin mentiras. The album was first released on May 14, 2010, in Europe through Ariola Records, and May 25 in the US and UK with Sony Latin.-Album...
(Icons), which covers Latin ballads from the past, among them "El Triste
El Triste
El Triste is a song written by Mexican composer Roberto Cantoral. It was performed for the first time on March 25, 1970, at the "Latin Song Festival II" by the Mexican singer José José...
" and "Almohada". About the difficulty of singing "El Triste", Anthony stated that "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 November 30, 2010, Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro is a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer. He is referred to as "Christian Castro" or "Cristian."- Biography :...
released the album Viva el Principe
Viva el príncipe
Viva el principe is the thirteenth studio album by Mexican pop singer Cristian Castro by Universal Music Latino. The album is a tribute to José José whom Castro considers his musical idol. The album consists of ten tracks in addition to a poem recited by José José...
(Long Live the Prince), his tribute to José José. The album includes a duet with José José on "Lo Pasado, Pasado" and a poem recited by him. Rafael Pérez-Botija is involved with the production of the album. Due to its high sales, Viva el Principe has achieved Gold Certification in Mexico. On November 1, 2011, a follow-up to Viva el Principe
Viva el príncipe
Viva el principe is the thirteenth studio album by Mexican pop singer Cristian Castro by Universal Music Latino. The album is a tribute to José José whom Castro considers his musical idol. The album consists of ten tracks in addition to a poem recited by José José...
was released under the title Mi Amigo el Príncipe
Mi Amigo El Príncipe
Mi amigo el príncipe is the fourteenthstudio album by Mexican pop singer Cristian Castro by Universal Music Latino. The album is follow-up to Viva el príncipe in which he pays a tribute to José José whom Castro considers his musical idol. The album consists of ten tracks in addition to a poem...
(My friend the Prince). The album debuted at numer one on Billboard Top Latin Albums and peaked 57 on Billboard 200.
Discography
- Tenampa (2001)
- Distancia (1998)
- Y Algo Mas (1998)
- Tesoros (1997)
- Mujeriego (1995)
- Grandeza Mexicana (1994)
- 30 Años De Ser El Principe (1993)
- 40 y 20 (1992)
- En las Buenas... y en las MalasEn las Buenas... y en las Malas-Chart performance:...
(1990) - ¿Qué Es El Amor? (1989)
- Sabor A Mi (B.S.O./Soundtrack) (1988)
- Soy AsíSoy AsíSoy Así is the title of a studio album released by Mexican performer José José on 1987. It was written and produced by Spanish producer Rafael Pérez-Botija...
(1987) - Siempre Contigo (1986)
- PromesasPromesas-Personnel:*Rafael Pérez-Botija — Arranger, director, realization*Tito Saavedra — Engineer*Joel Soiffer — Engineer -Chart performance:...
(1985) - Gavilan o Paloma (B.S.O./Soundtrack) (1985)
- ReflexionesReflexiones (album)- Personnel :* Rafael Perez Botija – Arranger, Director, Producer, Direction, Realization* José José – Interpretation-Chart performance:...
(1984) - SecretosSecretos-Secretos tracks sampled by other artists:"Lo Dudo"In 1998 - U.S. rapper DMX sampled the intro of romantic ballad "Lo Dudo" in his song "Let Me Fly" of which was included in his debut release It's Dark and Hell Is Hot....
(1983) - Mi VidaMi Vida (album)Mi Vida is the title of the studio album released by Mexican pop singer José José in 1982. The main hits of the album were: Mi vida, Contigo no, Siempre te vas, Nunca sabrán and Desesperado. José José continued positioned as one of the top sellers of records in Latin America...
(1982) - GraciasGracias (album)Gracias is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1981. The main hits of the album were: Gracias, Una noche de amor, Sólo tú y yo , Preso, Vamos a darnos tiempo and Me basta.-Track listing:...
(1981) - RománticoRománticoRomántico is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1981. In this album José José performs classic boleros like La gloria eres tú, El Reloj and Regálame esta noche...
(1981) - Amor AmorAmor AmorAmor Amor is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1980. It was recorded at the Salty Dog Studios in Los Angeles, California....
(1980) - Si Me Dejas AhoraSi Me Dejas AhoraSi Me Dejas Ahora is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1979.José José produces an album for the first time in collaboration with Spanish singer, composer and producer Camilo Sesto....
(1979) - Lo Pasado, PasadoLo Pasado, PasadoLo Pasado, Pasado is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1979. The album has the participation of the popular singers/composers Juan Gabriel and José María Napoleón. The first single of the album was the song Lo Pasado, Pasado, that instantly became a huge hit...
(1979) - VolcánVolcán (album)Volcán is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1978. The arranger and director of all the songs was the Spanish composer Rafael Pérez Botija. The main hits of the album were: O Tu O Yo, Volcán, Farolero, and Preguntaselo A Ella...
(1978) - ReencuentroReencuentroReencuentro is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1977 and the first for the Ariola label.With this album, made in the Music Center Studios, in London, England, José José returned to the pinnacle of success, with the participation of great composers such as Juan...
(1977) - El PríncipeEl Príncipe (album)El Príncipe is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1976 and the last one he recorded for RCA. The album is highlighted by a trendy sound, with more tendencies towards jazz, funk, pop music and several fusions....
(1976) - Tan Cerca...Tan LejosTan Cerca...Tan LejosTan Cerca...Tan Lejos is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1975. The main hits of the album were: Candilejas , Sentimientos , Nuestros Recuerdos , Paloma 'Cada Mañana Que Te Vas and Divina...
(1975) - Vive (1974)
- Hasta que Vuelvas (1973)
- Cuando Tu Me Quieras (1972)
- De Pueblo en Pueblo (1972)
- Buscando Una SonrisaBuscando Una SonrisaBuscando Una Sonrisa is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1971.At the same time of its release, José José debuts in cinema as an actor, in a film of the same name, some of the songs of the album were used as the soundtrack: Buscando una sonrisa, Hoy cuando tú no...
(1971) - El TristeEl Triste (album)El Triste is the title of the second studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1970.Like its predecessor, this album projected him to internationalization, due to his performance in the "II Festival de la Canción Latina" held on March 25 1970, representing Mexico with the songs "El...
(1970) - La Nave Del OlvidoLa Nave Del OlvidoLa Nave Del Olvido is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1970.With this album, José José became known nationally...
(1970) - CuidadoCuidadoCuidado is the title of the debut studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1969.With this, his first LP album recorded at RCA Victor in Mexico City and produced under the supervision of composers Rubén Fuentes and Armando Manzanero, José José begins a long and successful career...
(1969)
Gold and Platinum albums
- "La Nave Del OlvidoLa Nave Del OlvidoLa Nave Del Olvido is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1970.With this album, José José became known nationally...
" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "El TristeEl Triste (album)El Triste is the title of the second studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1970.Like its predecessor, this album projected him to internationalization, due to his performance in the "II Festival de la Canción Latina" held on March 25 1970, representing Mexico with the songs "El...
" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "ReencuentroReencuentroReencuentro is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1977 and the first for the Ariola label.With this album, made in the Music Center Studios, in London, England, José José returned to the pinnacle of success, with the participation of great composers such as Juan...
" -Double GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "VolcánVolcán (album)Volcán is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1978. The arranger and director of all the songs was the Spanish composer Rafael Pérez Botija. The main hits of the album were: O Tu O Yo, Volcán, Farolero, and Preguntaselo A Ella...
" -Double GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Lo Pasado, PasadoLo Pasado, PasadoLo Pasado, Pasado is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1979. The album has the participation of the popular singers/composers Juan Gabriel and José María Napoleón. The first single of the album was the song Lo Pasado, Pasado, that instantly became a huge hit...
" -Double GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Si Me Dejas AhoraSi Me Dejas AhoraSi Me Dejas Ahora is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1979.José José produces an album for the first time in collaboration with Spanish singer, composer and producer Camilo Sesto....
" -Double GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Super Exitos Vol. 1" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
- "Amor AmorAmor AmorAmor Amor is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1980. It was recorded at the Salty Dog Studios in Los Angeles, California....
" -5 GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and double PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "RománticoRománticoRomántico is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1981. In this album José José performs classic boleros like La gloria eres tú, El Reloj and Regálame esta noche...
" -6 GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and Double PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Mi VidaMi Vida (album)Mi Vida is the title of the studio album released by Mexican pop singer José José in 1982. The main hits of the album were: Mi vida, Contigo no, Siempre te vas, Nunca sabrán and Desesperado. José José continued positioned as one of the top sellers of records in Latin America...
" -6 GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and Double PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "SecretosSecretos-Secretos tracks sampled by other artists:"Lo Dudo"In 1998 - U.S. rapper DMX sampled the intro of romantic ballad "Lo Dudo" in his song "Let Me Fly" of which was included in his debut release It's Dark and Hell Is Hot....
" -Double PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Secretos" -PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(Central America) - "Secretos" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
) - "Secretos" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) - "Secretos" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
) - "Secretos" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
) - "Secretos" -PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
)
TOTAL OF 22 GOLD AND PLATINUM RECORDS FOR "Secretos"
- "PromesasPromesas-Personnel:*Rafael Pérez-Botija — Arranger, director, realization*Tito Saavedra — Engineer*Joel Soiffer — Engineer -Chart performance:...
" -PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "ReflexionesReflexiones (album)- Personnel :* Rafael Perez Botija – Arranger, Director, Producer, Direction, Realization* José José – Interpretation-Chart performance:...
" -PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Siempre Contigo" -PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
- "Soy AsíSoy AsíSoy Así is the title of a studio album released by Mexican performer José José on 1987. It was written and produced by Spanish producer Rafael Pérez-Botija...
" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Qué es el Amor?" -Triple GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
- "En las Buenas... y en las MalasEn las Buenas... y en las Malas-Chart performance:...
" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Qué Es El Amor?" -PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
(5 in VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
) - "40 Y 20" -PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Grandeza Mexicana" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
- "Mujeriego" -Double GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
and PlatinumMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... - "Tesoros" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
- "Distancia" -GoldMusic recording sales certificationMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
Compilations & boxed sets
- 2010 José José Ranchero
- 2009 José José Para Ti
- 2009 José José y Sus Amigos con Amor
- 2009 Secretos Intimos Del Amor
- 2009 Lo Esencial De José José (Televisa 3CD/DVD)
- 2008 Brillantes- José José
- 2008 Tres Voces (Yusmani Garcia)
- 2008 El Principe y El Bolero
- 2007 Mis Duetos [5 Track DVD]
- 2007 Mis Duetos [Norte CD/DVD]
- 2007 Mis Duetos [Televisa CD/DVD]
- 2007 Mis Duetos [DVD]
- 2007 Serie Herencia Vol. 2
- 2007 Serie Herencia Vol. 1
- 2007 Mi Historia, Vol. 2
- 2007 Mi Historia, Vol. 1
- 2005 Las Número 1: José José (Televisa CD/DVD)
- 2005 Lo Mejor en Trios
- 2005 20 Éxitos Originales
- 2005 José José y 8 Grandes Idolos de la Balada Romántica: 100 Años de Musica
- 2005 Lo Esencial José José
- 2005 20 Inolvidables
- 2004 The Best of José José
- 2004 José José
- 2003 Los Grandes De La Balada
- 2003 Definiendo Jose
- 2003 40 Aniversario, Vol. 4
- 2003 40 Aniversario, Vol. 3
- 2003 40 Aniversario, Vol. 2
- 2003 40 Aniversario, Vol. 1
- 2003 El Principe Con Trio, Vol. 2
- 2003 El Principe Con Trio, Vol. 1
- 2002 Coleccion RCA: 100 Anos de Musica
- 2002 Lo Inolvidable de José José
- 2002 Todo Exitos de José José
- 2000 Lo Mejor de los Grandes, Vol. 2
- 2000 Serie 2000
- 1999 Coleccion Original
- 1999 Lo Mejor de Lo Mejor
- 1998 Serie Retratos
- 1998 35 Anos de Amor
- 1998 35 Aniversario, Vol. 7
- 1998 35 Aniversario, Vol. 6
- 1998 35 Aniversario, Vol. 5
- 1998 35 Aniversario, Vol. 4 (1981–85)
- 1998 35 Aniversario, Vol. 3 (1977–80)
- 1998 35 Aniversario, Vol. 2 (1972–1976)
- 1998 35 Aniversario, Vol. 1 (1969–1972)
- 1997 Romanticos del Siglo
- 1997 Serie Platino, Vol. 2: 20 Exitos
- 1996 Lo Mejor de Los 3 Grandes
- 1996 Serie Platino
- 1995 Serie Retrato
- 1994 30 Años de Ser El Principe
- 1992 Serie 20 Exitos
- 1992 15 Exitos de Oro
- 1990 15 Romanticas En La Voz De José José
- 1990 25 Aniversario, Vol. 2
- 1990 15 Exitos
- 1989 Exitos Vol. 2
- 1988 Romantico Vol. 2
- 1988 Exitos Vol. 1
- 1987 Ayer, Hoy, y Siempre
- 1986 25 Aniversario, Vol. 1
- 1982 20 Triunfadoras De José José
- 1981 Romantico Vol. 1
- 1977 Grandes Exitos de José José
- 10 Super Exitos de José José
- Lo Mejor de José José
- Los Grandes Exitos, Vol. 2
Films
- Buscando Una Sonrisa (1971)
- Sueño De Amor (1972)
- La Carrera Del Millon (1973)
- Gavilán o PalomaGavilán o Paloma (film)Gavilán o Paloma is a 1985 Mexican drama film. The movie is titled after one of Jose Jose´s greatest songs. It chronicles the rise of Mexican music icon José José from his humble beginnings in Mexico City to his international superstardom. Gavilán o Paloma is starred by José José, playing himself,...
(1985) - Sabor A Mi (1988)
- Perdóname TodoPerdóname TodoPerdóname Todo is a 1995 Mexican drama film starring José José, Alejandra Ávalos and Sergio Jiménez.-Plot :Ricardo Alfaro is a popular composer and singer who has failed in life because of alcohol...
(1995) - SueñoSueñoSueño is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed by Renée Chabria that stars John Leguizamo, Ana Claudia Talancón, and Elizabeth Peña.-Cast:* John Leguizamo - Antonio* Ana Claudia Talancón - Nina* Elizabeth Peña - Mirabela* Nestor Serrano - El Zorro...
(2005) - Double Tap (2006)
- Melate El Corazon (2009)
Duets
- "Volver a Creer" – YanniYanniYanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
- "Por Ella" – José FelicianoJosé FelicianoJosé Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
- "Tiempo" – Marco Antonio MuñizMarco Antonio MuñizMarco Antonio Muñiz is a singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, Muñiz actually has declared publicly and in most countries he has visited, that Puerto Rico is his second country, and many Puerto Ricans consider him to be an "honorary Puerto Rican"...
- "Entre La Espada Y La Pared" – PimpinelaPimpinelaJoaquín and Lucía Galán, better known as Pimpinela are an Argentine duet famous for singing romantic relationship musical pieces and for their original style of singing...
- "El Triste" (Piano Version) – Raúl di BlasioRaúl di BlasioRaúl di Blasio is an Argentine latin jazz and easy listening pianist.- Life :Born in Zapala, Argentina, Raúl Di Blasio showed a great interest in piano at the age of six. After his parents' recommendations that he should study music, he began to pursue piano as a career.Di Blasio practiced piano...
- "Let Me Get To Know You" (and the Spanish version, "Dejame Conocerte") – Paul AnkaPaul AnkaPaul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
- "Hay Un Mañana" – Valeria LynchValeria Lynch-Biography:Valeria Lynch was born on January 7, 1952 in the neighborhood of Villa Urquiza, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Is the first child of the marriage of Maria Antonia Spano and José Julio Lancellotti....
- "Te Quiero Así" – Lani HallLani HallLani Hall is an American singer and the wife of Herb Alpert.-Music career:Her first public appearances occurred in Old Town Chicago in early 1966. At one of those performances, she was heard by Brazilian Bossa Nova pianist/bandleader Sérgio Mendes, who happened to be on tour in Chicago...
and Alejandra Ávalos - "Dos Corazones Amigos" – José Guadalupe EsparzaJosé Guadalupe EsparzaJosé Guadalupe Esparza is a Mexican musician. He was born in Hermenegildo Galeana in the state of Durango but grew up in the city of Apodaca, Nuevo León, where he attended elementary and high school....
- "La Fuerza De La Sangre" – José Joel
- "José y Manuel" – Manuel AlejandroManuel AlejandroManuel Alejandro is one of the most popular and sought after composers of Latin love songs, which are better known as ballads. He has written, composed, and arranged songs for the likes of Luis Miguel, Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias...
- "Aunque Vivas Con El" – ReyliReyliReyli Barba , most commonly known as Reyli, is a well-known Mexican singer-songwriter who has reached staggering success in the past few years all over Latin America and the Latin U.S....
- "E Mail Me" – Sarita Sosa
- "Como Hacer Para Olvidar" – Juan GabrielJuan GabrielAlberto Aguilera Valadez , better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel , is a Mexican singer and songwriter who is one of the most famous living representatives of the Mexican ranchera, ballad, mariachi, and pop music....
- "Amor Mio" – Carlos Lico
- "Si Me Comprendieras" – Pepe Jara
- "Se Me Hizo Facil" – Pedro VargasPedro VargasPedro Vargas Mata was a Mexican singer and actor, from the golden age of Mexican cinema. He was known as the "Nightingale of the Americas".-Biography:...
- "Te Extrano" – Armando ManzaneroArmando ManzaneroArmando Manzanero Canché is a Mexican musician and composer of Maya descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America....
- "Pa' Todo El Año" – Vicente FernándezVicente FernándezVicente Fernández Gómez is a Mexican singer, producer and actor. Known as Chente or El rey de la canción ranchera throughout the Latin world, Vicente Fernández, who started his career singing for tips on the street, has become a cultural icon, recording more than 50 albums and contributing to...
- "La Nave Del Olvido" – Vikki CarrVikki CarrVikki Carr is an American singer and humanitarian from El Paso, Texas. She has performed in a variety of music genres, including jazz, pop and country, but has enjoyed her greatest success singing in Spanish.-Career:After taking the stage name 'Vikki Carr', she signed with Liberty Records in 1962...
and Pedro VargasPedro VargasPedro Vargas Mata was a Mexican singer and actor, from the golden age of Mexican cinema. He was known as the "Nightingale of the Americas".-Biography:... - "El Amor Acaba" – Libertad LamarqueLibertad LamarqueLibertad Lamarque was an Argentine-Mexican actress and singer. Originally from Argentina, she reached fame throughout Latin America while living in Mexico and working in Mexican cinema.-Career:...
- "100 Kilos De Barro" – Enrique GuzmánEnrique GuzmánEnrique Guzmán is a Mexican singer. He is the father of Mexican singer Alejandra Guzmán by his former wife, actress and politician Silvia Pinal....