Music
Joe C.
1974–2000 · rapper, hype man
Downriver rapper, 3 feet 9 inches tall because of celiac disease, who became Kid Rock's beloved on-stage partner at the height of his fame.
- Born
Trenton, Michigan- Died
Taylor, Michigan
aged 26- Birth name
- Joseph Michael Calleja
- Detroit years
- 1974–2000
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Joseph Calleja was born in Trenton, a Downriver suburb south of Detroit, and grew up in nearby Taylor. Treated since childhood for celiac disease, which limited his height to 3 feet 9 inches and required daily dialysis and dozens of pills, he was a devoted fan who stood on tables in the front row at Kid Rock's shows. After they met at a concert in Roseville in 1994, Kid Rock, who first mistook him for a child, hired him as a rapper and hype man. Joe C. toured with Kid Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker band through the multi-platinum success of Devil Without a Cause (1998), and his quick wit made him a celebrity in his own right. He guest-starred with Kid Rock on The Simpsons, appeared on WWF broadcasts, including a SmackDown taping in Detroit in May 2000, and was later featured in the animated film Osmosis Jones. He died in his sleep at his parents' home in Taylor on November 16, 2000, aged 26.
Highlights
- Joined Kid Rock's act as rapper and hype man after they met in 1994.
- Toured during the success of Devil Without a Cause (1998).
- Guest role with Kid Rock on The Simpsons (season 11).
- Died in 2000, aged 26, of complications from celiac disease.