José Carreras was born in Barcelona on the 5th December 1946, into a humble family. His father worked for the City Council and his mother was the owner of a small ladies 'hairdressers'.

In 1960 he made his appearance in the Liceo of Barcelona, with great success and, in 1970, he sang with Montserrat Caballé in Lucrezia Borgia. From then on, the musical career of José Carreras became a resounding success. He travelled all over the United States and Europe in triumphal tours and began to record operas. In 1980 he sang Lucia de Lammermoor in Madrid alongside the famous Edita Gruberova.

In late July 1987, at the age of 41, he was admitted to the Clinical Hospital of Barcelona due to an acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In November of the same year, he underwent a bone marrow transplant in the United States and he left hospital on the 2nd February 1988 he left hospital. A few days later, on the 27th, Carreras was visiting the Gran Liceo Theatre in Barcelona, to see the auditorium and the public, although in the end he trod the boards and received a warm and emotional tribute.

He has receive numerous distinctions and honours which accredit him as one of the greatest international tenors of all times. Outstanding among the are the Insignia of a Knight of Arts and Letters, which he received on the 30th June 1989 at the hands of the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Roland Dumas.

In July 1990, he received the title of Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, in a ceremony presided over by HRH Princess Diana of Wales, and the Complutense University of Madrid paid homage to Carreras for his artistic, cultural and humanitarian career, honouring him with the university´s Gold Medal.

On the 20th February, 1991, he obtained, along with the tenors Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, the Grammy for best classical singer, granted each year the United States Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.