MIAMI, FL. (Recording Academy) - "El Principe de la Canción" (the
Prince of Song) José José will be honored as the 2005 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, it was announced today. José José, chosen for his humanitarian contributions as well as his professional and cultural accomplishments will receive the honor at a special star-studded tribute dinner and concert on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005. The 2005 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute dinner is one of the most prestigious events during Latin GRAMMY Week and will precede the 6th Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Thursday, Nov. 3, and will be broadcast live on the Univision Network at 8 p.m./7C.
"Every year, the Board of Trustees of The Latin Recording Academy conducts an elaborate process to choose a person who meets the high standards of accomplishment set forth by our Person of the Year selection process, and this year it has been a true joy," said Latin Recording Academy President Gabriel Abaroa. "José José, known around the world as the Prince of Song, personifies integrity, tradition and graciousness. His career is admired by fans and, perhaps more so, by peers such as Frank Sinatra. He's delighted fans around the world for more than 40 years and he still works and performs as if it were the first day of his career."
Born José Romulo Sosa Ortíz, José José teamed up with Paco Ortíz and Alfredo Benítez and began singing in festivals and contests and serenading around Mexico City at a young age. "Nave Del Olvido" became his first hit in 1969, and three months later, with a song called "El Triste," he participated in the OTI festival (Festival de la Organización de la Televisión Iberoamericana), which became his second international hit. In the early '80s he released Secretos, which sold more than 4 million copies and reached gold or platinum status in various counties. With the release of 40 y 20, José José performed to a sold-out audience in New York at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden, Las Vegas, and Chicago's Pavilion as well as international venues in Japan, Israel, and Central and South America.
Throughout his musical career, José José has had countless albums including Reflexiones, Promesas, Soy Asi, Grandeza Mexican, and Mujeriego - to name a few - reach gold or platinum status throughout the world and putting him at the top of the Latin charts for years. He has sold more than 40 million albums and has been nominated for six GRAMMY Awards. In 2004 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Latin Recording Academy as well as a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's won multiple Billboard awards and Mexico's Herald has acknowledged him as Revelation of the Year, and on repeated occasions has named him Male Singer of the Year. In addition to his success as a recording artist, José José, is also a renowned actor, having held the leading role in six films in Mexico as well as appearing in two Hollywood films.
Over the years, José José has made significant humanitarian contributions to Latin America and the United States. He recorded the Spanish version of "We Are The World" ("Hermanos Del Tercer Mundo") with proceeds benefiting the African community; he participated in Navidad En El Barrio (Christmas on the Town) a fundraiser in L.A.; and he joined numerous benefit concerts for Liga contra el Cancer, Jerry Lewis's Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon, the Magic Johnson Foundation, and for a rehabilitation center in Mexico City for patients dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction.
José José is the sixth Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honoree. Previous honorees are Carlos Santana, Gilberto Gil, Vicente Fernández, Julio Iglesias, and Emilio Estefan.
The Latin Recording Academy is an international, membership-based organization comprised of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking recording artists, musicians, songwriters, producers and other creative and technical recording professionals. The organization is dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for Latin music and its makers. In addition to producing the Latin GRAMMY Awards to honor excellence in the recorded arts and sciences, The Latin Recording Academy provides educational and outreach programs for the Latin music community. For more information about The Latin Recording Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.
For information on purchasing tickets, tables or recognition in the souvenir program for The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year tribute to José José, please contact Marco Sagrera at 305.576.0036.
