Richard Jose


Richard J. Jose was an American countertenor.

Life

Richard Jose immigrated to Nevada after his uncle. He sang in saloons for charity, and in 1881 with Thatcher's Minstrels. In 1884, he joined a minstrel troupe in California, and later appeared in New York City. In 1896, Jose married Therese Shreve.
In 1887, he won a gold medal from the Academy of Music. He made phonograph cylinders as early as 1892 for the New England branch of the North American Phonograph Company. Between October 27, 1903 and 1906, he recorded for the Victor Talking Machine Company, and his version of "Silver Threads Among the Gold" was a hit. In 1905 and 1906, he toured with his own minstrel show, and in 1906, was injured when a stage curtain fell on him.
In 1915, Jose sang the song "Silver Threads Among the Gold" in a silent short movie of the same name, by Pierce Kingsley and R. R. Roberts. After retiring from entertainment, Jose became the California Deputy Real Estate Commissioner.

Pronunciation

Jose, pronounced /z/ like "rose," is a Cornish name. He added an accent, eɪ as in José.

Discography