Ibiza DJ, producer and balearic/chill-out innovator José Padilla passed away on Sunday at the age of 64. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer earlier in the summer.
Padilla’s death was confirmed on Twitter by Ibiza blogger Danny Kay. Shortly thereafter, a statement was shared via Padilla’s Facebook page.
“Hola amigos. It is with great sadness that we bring you the news that José passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday night here on his beloved island of Ibiza,” it read. “His family and friends would like to say thank you to everybody who sent donations and messages of support to help make his last few months easier, and to all the staff of Can Misses Hospital for taking care of him until the end.”
Remembering José Padilla
Born and raised in Barcelona, José Padilla first moved to Ibiza in 1975. Throughout the ’80s he added a number of iconic White Isle clubs to his résumé as a DJ before settling into his residency at Café del Mar in 1991.
In 1994 Padilla recorded a mix album of the club’s namesake for U.K. record label React that would kick off a 25-year-running series. In 1998, he released his debut album, Souvenir, via Mercury Records. In addition to solo originals, the tracklist included collaborations with notable chill-out artists like Lenny Ibizarre and Paco Fernández.
No details of a memorial service for José Padilla have been made public at the time of writing.
