José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz, better known around the world as Jose Jose, passed away on September 28th, 2019 after a long and painful battle with pancreatic cancer. He publicly announced his diagnosis back in 2017 and stated that he was happy and would live well for the rest of his time here. After two years of fighting and treating cancer, Jose Jose died in Homestead, Florida.
For Mexican people, Jose Jose was an idol of music from the year he first debuted, back in 1971, to the present day. His amazing love songs and acting skills got him to achieve fame in little time after his debut at the OTI Festival of 1971, which stands for Organización de Televisión Iberoamericana, where he interpreted his most famous song “El Triste.” From then on, Jose Jose was recognized for his fashion, mannerisms and the way he seemed to interpret so well every single song he composed and performed.
Being a 20 year-old Mexican girl, Jose Jose’s career decline began the year I was born when, due to drug and alcohol abuse, his voice began to deteriorate until it was no longer capable of singing. He recorded his last successful album in 2001 and would later be unable to continue his singing career due to his ruined vocal chords. Even though Jose Jose was well before my time, I remember his songs being present throughout my childhood, both through my own interest and liking of his songs, as well as my parents’ stories on how they used to dance to his songs. My mom still makes fun of my dad because he used to serenade her by playing the karaoke version of Jose Jose’s songs and sing along to them, “terribly,” my mom would add.
His songs are part of one of my playlists on Spotify and listening to them takes me back in time to when songs were so full of meaning and emotion (something very hard to find in today’s songs) and I picture a younger version of my parents falling in love. I can say that many people who grew up in a Mexican household can say similar things and still actively listen to Jose Jose’s songs. His death has impacted and shocked many Mexicans, as well as others around the world, as we come to terms that we have lost our Prince of Song.