José José’s legacy lives on after his tragic death

From controversies to achievements we remember José José’s career.

The Mexican singer was known for his voice and charisma.

José José left an important legacy in Latin America.

Singer and actor José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz, better known as José José, was born on February 17, 1948 in Mexico City. The son of two prominent musicians, he soon began to show interest in the music scene, exhibiting great singing talent.

After a tumultuous childhood when his father abandoned him, José José developed a greater interest in music at 15 when he received a piano from his mother. This would mark the beginning of his artistic career. Learn about his legacy and tragic death!

José José: The start of a legendary career

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A stroke of luck changed his life forever. After several years of trying to make it, without much success, one day José José accepted an invitation from a friend to sing at a party. He never imagined that was where he would come into contact with a record company executive.

In 1969 he released his first record album, titled José José. Although it got good reviews among connoisseurs, the sales were underwhelming. All that changed forever in 1970, when the singer was selected to participate in the Latin Song Festival, where he performed the song La Nave del Olvido, which will remain forever in the memory of the public.

José José’s most important achievements

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His participation in the Latin Song Festival opened many doors for the singer. Although he did not win first place, he did manage to make his talent known to a broader audience. The impact of his performance was such that, in 1973, Frank Sinatra invited him to record a duet. Sadly, this never materialized due to an exclusive contract that José José had previously signed.

Despite not being able to record with Frank Sinatra, José José did have the opportunity to collaborate with the most important artists of that time, such as Julio Iglesias, Plácido Domingo, Vicente Fernández and Roberto Carlos. With his album Reflexiones, recorded in 1984, the singer reached the top of the Billboard charts. Two years later, he was nominated for a Grammy Award.

His acting career

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José José’s career was very diverse. He not only sang different genres such as jazz, bossa nova and boleros, he also developed a talent for acting and appeared in several movies and soap operas, including Gavilán o Paloma, Un Sueño de Amor and La Fea Más Bella.

His heavy workload too toll on him and he began to drink and take drugs to such an extent that by 1990 his voice was severely affected.

José José’s death

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José José’s began using cocaine at the age of 15 after his father abandoned him. At that time, he said that he never knew how to say no, and that after becoming famous he was more prone to depression. He also suffered from alcoholism.

In 2007, he was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. However, this did not prevent him from continuing to work, despite suffering from severe depression. Ten years later, he announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he spent the last two years of his life in the United States, where he received medical treatment in Florida.

José José’s legacy

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José José died on September 28, 2019 in Homestead, Florida, at the age of 71, shocking his fans. The singer’s family received condolences from the President of Mexico and the singer received a tribute at the Palacio de las Bellas Artes in Mexico City, an honor reserved only for the most prominent figures in Mexico.

The singer and actor leaves behind a legacy of 31 studio albums, 64 compilation albums, 12 tribute albums, six Grammy Award nominations, and more than 250 million records sold. Beyond numbers, José José left an artistic and cultural universe that will remain as a benchmark of the Mexican music scene forever.