songs". On 4 October, a funeral for José was held in Miami which was exclusively for family and friends and José was finally cremated on 8 October. Also on 8 October, his death certificate was revealed and his ashes were divided; with a portion of his ashes staying in Miami, while the remainder of his ashes were flown back to Mexico. On 9 October, half of his ashes were flown back to Mexico City aboard a Mexican Air Force military plane early in the day. A black hearse picked up the gold plated casket bearing his ashes at the airport and drove to the city's downtown where admirers tossed flowers and waved to the passing vehicle as it made its way to the Palace of Fine Arts. A three-hour long tribute was held at the Fine Arts Palace planned by the Mexican Culture Ministry with members of the National Symphony Orchestra played renditions of some of the icon's ballad songs including "El Triste". Artists from Mexico's the Opera Studio of Fine Arts and the Saloma Quartet also honored the singer's musical legacy during the ceremony. One of the surprises of the day was the visit of Emmanuel. Dulce and Lucia Mendez arrived together at the tribute, where they also stood guard for the coffin. Jorge Ortiz de Pinedo, was another of the people invited to say goodbye to the prince of the song. The ashes were then taken to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for a mass, after the family led a funeral procession through the singer's former neighborhood. The ashes were interred at the Panteón Francés de San Joaquín located in Mexico City. Artistry and image José grew up listening to traditional pop music, rock and roll, jazz, swing, and big band. He listened to performers such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis and such popular Mexican composers as Consuelo Velázquez and María Grever. He was later inspired by vocalist Barbra Streisand, whom he considered an influence. The son of an operatic tenor and a pianist, he grew up listening to composers such as Chopin and Mozart, but never got the chance to play classical music. In his teens, José learned to play music from top Mexican jazz players and is recognized for playing several instruments, such as the piano, bass, guitar and double bass. Because of his phrasing ability, he was once described as "a