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Joe C.
Joe C. in 1999
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Michael Calleja
Born	(1974-11-09)November 9, 1974 Trenton, Michigan, U.S.
Died	November 16, 2000(2000-11-16) (aged 26) Taylor, Michigan, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop rap rock rap metal nu metal
Occupations	Rapper hype man
Years active	1994–2000
Labels	Top Dog

Joseph Michael Calleja (November 9, 1974 – November 16, 2000), known by his stage name Joe C., was an American rapper, best known for being a hype man for fellow rapper Kid Rock.

Early life

Calleja was born in the Detroit suburb of Trenton, Michigan, and grew up in nearby Taylor. Since childhood, he had been treated for celiac disease, a chronic autoimmune disorder that limited his height to 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m), and required him to take dozens of pills and undergo dialysis daily.

Career

Calleja first met Detroit-area musician Kid Rock at a concert by the latter in Roseville, Michigan, in 1994. Rock initially mistook Calleja for a child. "He used to come to all my shows. He'd be standing on tables in the front row singing the lyrics." Rock subsequently brought Calleja into his act as a rapper and hype man: "He's talking and I'm like, would you like a job? He's like, I can't do anything. I'm like, it's not important right now. I was like, you got attitude flying all over this room. I was like, I'll teach you everything you need to know," Rock said.

In 1997, Calleja posed with two naked strippers for an album cover for rapper Shortcut. A photo lab reported the image as possible child pornography, but the investigation was closed less than a day later when Calleja verified his age to be 23.

Calleja also appeared on television, including a guest role with Kid Rock on the animated series The Simpsons, on the season 11 episode "Kill the Alligator and Run". Calleja was a World Wrestling Federation fan and made various references to the WWF stable D-Generation X during concerts. He appeared on the May 18, 2000, edition of WWF Smackdown during a taping in Detroit to drink beer with The Acolytes, and on the May 29 edition of Raw Is War, helping Too Cool win their only WWF Tag Team Championship in 2000 from Edge and Christian. He was also featured posthumously in the animated film Osmosis Jones as a part of Kidney Rock.

Death

On November 16, 2000, Calleja died in his sleep at his parents' home in Taylor, Michigan, from complications from celiac disease. His death was determined to be from natural causes and no autopsy was performed. Kid Rock released a statement on Calleja's death: "Family and friends are everything; without them, all of the fame and fortune means nothing. We have lost part of our family. Joey gave us, and the world, his love. He brought a smile to everyone who has ever known or seen him. In a world full of confusion, Joey made all of us laugh. No matter what color, religion, race, or beliefs we have, he made us all smile. He gave us the gift of joy. Joey, thank you. We will never forget you. We love you." Rock dedicated his 2001 album Cocky to Calleja.

Discography

With Kid Rock

• Devil Without a Cause (1998)
• The History of Rock (2000)
• Live Trucker (2006)

Soundtracks

• South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
• Osmosis Jones (2001)

See also

• List of people diagnosed with coeliac disease

References

1. Parker, Trey (1999). South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (booklet). Trey Parker; Matt Stone. New York: Hilarity Music. p. 5. 83199-2.
2. ^ "Joe C. Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". Allmusic. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
3. ^ Graff, Gary (November 17, 2000). "Kid Rock's Joe C. Dies". ABC News. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
4. ^ "Kid Rock cohort Joe C. dies". CNN. November 20, 2000. Archived from the original on February 29, 2008. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
5. "Musician Joseph Calleja Dies at 26". The Washington Post. November 19, 2000. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
6. ^ "MTV News Online - Kid Rock Sidekick Joe C. Dies". www.mtv.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2002. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
7. ^ "Joseph Calleja; Rapper 'Joe C.' Toured with Kid Rock". The Los Angeles Times. November 18, 2000. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
8. ^ Kid Rock on MV (September 16, 2014). "Kid Rock - Interview - 7/24/1999 - Woodstock 99 East Stage (Official)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
9. "LEWD BUT LEGAL Another Untold Story with JOE C and Champtown". YouTube. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
10. "World Tag Team Championships - Too Cool". WWE Official Website. May 29, 2000. Archived from the original on March 19, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
11. Dansby, Andrew (November 17, 2000). "Joe C. Dead at Twenty-Six". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 3, 2019.

External links

• Joe C. at IMDb

• 1974 births
• 2000 deaths
• People from Taylor, Michigan
• Deaths from digestive disease
• Entertainers with dwarfism
• American musicians with disabilities
• Rappers from Detroit
• 20th-century American musicians
• Hype men