José José

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José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known by his stage name José José, was a Mexican singer, musician and occasional actor.

Born into a family of musicians, José began his musical career in his early teens playing guitar and singing in serenades.

He later joined a jazz and bossa nova trio where he sang and played bass and double bass.

José found success as a solo artist in the early 1970s.

Demonstrating his tenor vocal ability with a stunning performance of the song "El Triste" at a Latin music festival held in Mexico City in 1970, he climbed the Latin charts during that decade.

Having achieved recognition as a balladeer, his singing garnered universal critical acclaim from musical peers and media. In the 1980s, after signing with Ariola Records, José rose to international prominence as one of the most popular and talented Latin performers.

His 1983 album Secretos has sold over four million units.

With many international hits, he received several Grammy nominations and recognition worldwide.

He sold out in venues such as Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall.

His music reached non-Spanish-speaking countries like Japan, Israel and Russia.

José has also forged a career as an actor, starring in movies such as Gavilán o Paloma (1985) and Perdóname Todo (1995). Also known in the entertainment world as El Príncipe de la Canción (The Prince of Song), his performance and vocal style have influenced many Latin pop artists in a career that spanned more than four decades.

Because of his vocals and popularity, José José was considered by Latin audience and media as an icon of Latin pop music and one of the most emblematic Mexican singers of his time.

Personal life

José said that he started drinking at the age of fifteen, when his father (an alcoholic) left home. As a result of his alcoholism, he developed a cocaine habit.

He stated that his addiction was because he "was frail, weak, innocent, ignorant, weak-willed and did not know how to say no". In the early 1970s, after the success of "El Triste" and missing a collaboration with Frank Sinatra, he fell into depression and alcoholism, but with help of his friends and family he managed to stop drinking for a while. His ongoing battle against alcoholism continued during the 1970s and 1980s. He attended AA meetings and stopped drinking for periods of time, but fell steadily back into the addiction. After his divorce from Anel in 1991 he reached his lowest point, reportedly declaring that he wanted to die drinking. With the help of his friends, family and fellow artists, he decided to go to rehab. He went to the Hazelden clinic in Minnesota for rehab and remained a sober recovering alcoholic.

In later years, José made his financial problems public. Despite being one of the most recognized Latin artists for decades, his alcoholism caused him serious monetary loss. His career declined when he lost his vocal ability, stopping income from live performances. He claimed that during his career he was constantly defrauded by people close to him, including his former wife Anel and her brother. In November 2008, his wife suffered a cerebral haemorrhage, José stated that the medical bills nearly caused him to go bankrupt. He told TV Notas magazine that he and his family lived "day to day" and in 2014, he sold his five-million-dollar house in Coral Gables, Florida, and moved to an apartment in Miami.

José José suffered from a severe case of pneumonia in 1972 and his thoracic diaphragm was paralyzed. The disease almost ended his career. He recovered after months of therapy involving breathing exercises. One of his lungs was permanently damaged. In 1987, he underwent an operation at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to remove nodes in his vocal fold as a consequence of the excessive use of cortisone before singing, alcohol use, and the lack of rest after many of his performances. José would suffer dire consequences from his problem with alcoholism, as his health faltered dearly during the 1990s. He developed diabetes.

The effects of alcoholism, the abuse of cortisone, and his hiatus hernia not only affected his ability to sing but to talk, as well. In 2007, he suffered from Bell's palsy. As a result of all these problems, he fought a serious depression. He acknowledged this during an interview on the Univision program Don Francisco Presenta..., hosted by Don Francisco. He struggled with diabetic retinopathy in one of his eyes undergoing a successful operation. In 2012, he underwent surgery due to gastritis. In November 2013, he underwent an operation to remove cataracts from one of his eyes.

In 1970 he started a relationship with TV hostess, actress, and model Ana Elena Noreña, known in show business as Anel. That year they split and he married Natalia "Kiki" Herrera Calles, a socialite 20 years older. He separated from Herrera and returned to Anel shortly after. He divorced Herrera in 1975 and married Anel in 1976. They had two children: their first-born José Francisco (known as José Joél) who was born in 1975, and their daughter Marysol Estrella, born in 1982. In 1991 he divorced Anel. Four years later, he married Sara "Sarita" Salazar, his third wife. The same year during a Latin American tour, his third child Sara was born. He lived in Miami, Florida, with his wife.

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Life and career

José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz was born in Claver, Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, on February 17th. José Sosa Esquivel, his father, was an operatic tenor comprimario, and Margarita Ortiz, his mother, was a classical pianist. They tried to discourage José from singing because it was too difficult to be profitable in show business. José's unpopular father left the family during that time, causing him to work to support his mother and younger brother.

His mother gave him his first piano at the age of 15. He learned to play guitar and performed in the church and serenades with his neighborhood friends for extra money besides being in his teen years.

Los Peg, a Mexican band of bossa nova/jazz, formed in 1967 at the age of 19. Although the band made several albums as a group, their songs were not popular. He began performing "Ma vie" and "El Mundo" without success in 1965, under the banner of "Pepe Sosa," encouraging his mother's encouragement. When he was invited to perform a song for a friend's sister on her birthday, he had a breakthrough in his artistic career. His friend's sister was the executive secretary for Orfeón Records' managing director. With his father's first name, José, who died of alcoholism, he merged his first name "José" with his father's first name - also José. José José José (also known as Cuidado) is the protagonist of RCA Victor's debut and his first album: José José José (also known as Cuidado). Rubén Fuentes and Armando Manzanero's songs were among the album's highlights. It was arranged by his former coach Mario Patrón, who was rated as Mexico's finest jazz musician, and percussionist Mayuto Correa, who was in Mexico City working with bossa nova stars Joo Gilberto, Carlos Lira, Leny Andrade, and Tamba Trio. The album's sound is a mash-up of boleros and romantic ballads with a touch of jazz and bossa nova. Critics lauded his debut album, but it didn't achieve much success.

"La nave del olvido," his first big hit in Mexico and Latin America, was released in early 1970, and he released his second album, La Nave Del Olvido. José's big break came when he appeared Mexico in the international song festival Latin Song Festival II, the precursor of the OTI Festival, on March 15, 1970, with a performance of the song "El Triste." Despite José José's third place finish, his appearance helped his music career reach a larger audience.

"De Pueblo en Pueblo," "Hasta Que Vuelvas," "Déjelvas," "Sentimientos," "Paloma," and "Gavilan o Paloma" were among José José's big hits in the 1970s, including "De Pueblo," "Hasta Que Vuelvas," "Hasta Que Vuelvas," "Paloma" and "Gavilan o El Prncipe de la Canción," ("The Prince"), was one of a few songs that was played on radio "The Prince" ("The Prince"). The artist's name was "El Prncipe de la Canción" ("The Prince") was given to him by a DJ.

Frank Sinatra listened to José's music at Reprise Records and invited him to record a duet and a full album under Sinatra's name in 1973. Due to José's exclusivity contract with his company, the collaboration was impossible.

José signed with Ariola Records in 1976, with Reencuentro being the first albums to be released under the label a year later.

José José released several hit records, including Amor Amor (1980), Romántico (1981), Gracias (1981), Mi Vida. In Latin America, the former album has sold over 1.5 million copies. He made the Spanish version of "New York, New York" as a tribute to friend Frank Sinatra.

José José launched Secretos in 1983, in which he collaborated with Manuel Alejandro on the album's compositions. "I Doubt It") and "El Amor Acaba" ("The Love is Over") were major hits on the album, and Secretos became the top-selling album in his career, with four million copies sold. In the 1985 Grammy Awards, Secretos was voted for Best Latin Pop Performance. José continued his international success after the debut of Secretos. In 1984, he published Reflexiones. Rafael Pérez-Botija's album was written, produced, and arranged worldwide and has sold over 2 million copies. Reflexiones became the first album to reach number one on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums in the United States since its inception in 1985, and the 1986 Grammy Awards were also named for Best Latin Pop Performance.

José José Lopez's 1985 work "Cantaré, cantarás" performed by Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias, Roberto Carlos, José Luis Rodrós, Pedro Vargas, and Vicente Fernández. On Feliciano's album "Por Ella" ("For Her"), he was also nominated in the same category on the 1986 Grammy Awards, and he appeared as a duet with Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano on the album "Por Ella" ("For Her"). José appeared in his autobiographical film Gavilán o Paloma with Christian Bach and comedian Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo the same year. Pérez-Botija's album Promesas was released the following: Pérez-Botija wrote, produced, and arranged Promesas. "Amantes," "Me vas a echar de menos," "Más," "Más," and "Te me estás volviendo loco" were among the main hits. At the 1987 Grammy Awards, "Pruébame," one of the album's singles, was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance. Promesas was his second top-one album on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums. He coproduced Siempre Contigo, the Spanish producer and guitarist, on his second album Siempre Contigo, in 1986. Three singles were released: "Y Quién Puede Ser?" "Corre y Ve Con Él" and "Sin Saber" are among the items on the menu. The former track debuted on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States, becoming his first number one single. It was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance in the Grammy Awards of 1988, and it became his third number one album on Billboard's Latin Pop Albums chart.

José José wrote in a newspaper that between 1985 and 1989, he had a personal crisis because "my life was going on planes, trucks, and locked in a hotel room." His daughter was born in 1982 and that more or less balanced his marriage, but after a while, he divorced his then wife. He also ended his employment with his boss, who also happened to be his brother in law, in the same year. José José José's album Soy Asm., his fourth number-one album on the Latin Pop Albums chart, during this festival and his on-going war against alcoholism. Four singles were released on the album: "Mi Hembra," "Salome Mucho," and "Vergüenza Me Da Quererte" became his second number-one song on the Hot Latin Songs chart. In the 1989 Grammy Awards, Soy As was nominated for Best Latin Pop Performance. During the same year that José José José José was named Best Male Artist of the Year at the 1st Annual Lo Nuestro Awards, it was also nominated for Pop Album of the Year.

In the film Sabor A M, José José played the Mexican singer and composer lvaro Carrillo, co-starring Angelica Aragón. Que Que Es El Amor, José José's 1989 debut, was released. "Como T," "Piel de Azucar," and "Él" were among the three singles included in the album. At the 1990 Lo Nuestro Awards, "Como T" spent ten weeks as the top spot on the Hot Latin Songs chart and received a distinction for Best Pop Song of the Year.

Ral Velasco produced a special TV show in 1990 to commemorate José's 25th anniversary of work. Armando Manzanero, Libertad Lamarque, Vicente Fernández, and Marco Antonio Muzica were among the special guests on the program, which was broadcast by Televisa. En las Buenas... y en las Malas, with lead single "Amnesia" debuting at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart later this year. Two years later, he launched 40 y 20 in which the title track explores men who are in love with women that are much younger than them and the cultural responses to those situations.

José's vocals began to deteriorate in the early 1990s by the early 1990s. It got worse over time and became apparent in his live performances. His voice would falter due to his oversueding intake and unceasing work of his career.

BMG held a tribute in Puerto Vallarta, in August 1993 to celebrate José's 30th birthday. It was the Prince's 30th Aoos de ser el Princie (30 years of being the Prince). Roca D'rcal, Camilo Sesto, Armando Manzanero, Marco Antonio Muiz, and Ral di Blasio were among the tribute's most respected Spanish musicians, such as Roco D'rcal, Camilo Sesto, Armando Manzanero, Marco Antonio Muiz and Ral di Blasio. The tribute honorary was dedicated to his latest divorce, a drastic relapse into alcoholism, and a significant decrease in vocal skills. He seemed to be in poor physical condition, too thin, and lacking energy. Camilo Sesto took a break in the middle of the presentation to speak words of encouragement. The album was not available before 1994. José was experiencing the worst form of alcoholism of his life at the time. He resigned from theatre and into rehab in 1993. Among others, he started working in Mexico City's legendary "Teatro Blanquita" and the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles after his recuperation.

José José reunited with Manuel Alejandro in 1994 and released the album Grandeza Mexicana. On the Hot Latin Tracks, the title track ranked at number 12 on the Hot Latin Tracks. In the song "La Fuerza de la Sangre," he performed a duet with his son José Joél. He appeared in the film Perpeto, a drama about an alcoholic death and how he fights himself and the music industry in 1995. His album "Mujeriego" was released the same year. It sold more than 180,000 copies in its first two weeks and ranked number 12 on the Billboard Latin charts, with a total of 12 million copies. In the Lo Nuestro Awards, the song "Llora Corazón" reached number 6 on the Hot Latin Songs and was nominated for Pop Song of the Year.

He appeared on "Déjame Conocerte (Let me Get to Know You)" from Anka's Latin album Amigos in 1996. He appeared at the Bally's Atlantic City in 1997. In September 1999, he joined Mexican singers Armando Manzanero, Marco Antonio Muiz, and Argentina pianist Ral di Blasio for a series of concerts dubbed "Noche Bohemia" (Bohemian Night) at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.

Tenampa was first recorded in 2001, but he had a fading voice. It was his first studio album with mariachi and his last one of his career. Juan Gabriel wrote and produced it entirely. It received poor feedback and only about 500,000 units were sold. He dropped out of recording full length albums after that. His vocal difficulties grew worse, affecting not only his singing but also his ability to talk. BMG released a series of three albums titled El Principe Con Trio from 1969 to 1983, separated from the original accompaniment, remastered, and accompanied by the guitar quartet "Los Tres Caballeros," transforming them into boleros.

He appeared in La Fea Más Bella, a flop Mexican interpretation of Colombian production Betty la Fea (advertently Betty) in the United States in the mid-2000s. In 2007, he received a TVyNovelas Award for best supporting actor for his role in La Fea Más Bella.

José released "Volver a creer" ("Believe Again") with Greek composer Yanni in 2008. The song appears on the album Yanni Voices. Yanni wrote that he wanted to "help a true legend to realize his dream of singing again." José José was invited by Yanni to perform their song live on Yanni's tour in Mexico. Esta es mi vida (This Is My Life) is his autobiography.

José José Ranchero, another concept album containing some of his best hits but separated from the original accompaniment, remastered, and accompanied with mariachi, giving his hits a traditional Mexican sound. José launched "José José" in the same year as José's debut. The proceeds from sales support women and children with HIV/AIDS.

José was planning a new, untitled album, adding that it would feature nine unreleased tracks and a melody he used to perform in serenades "Que viva mi tristeza," from songwriter Armando Manzanero. Due to his vocal difficulties, it was never finished. In 2011, he appeared on the Mexican tour "José José y sus amigos" (José José and company), with singers Dulce, Carlos Cuevas, Celso Pia, and Chamin Correa.

José performed at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Miami in 2012 as part of his 50th birthday.

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