The full title of the original article by Onz Chéry (The Haitian Times) is “Haitians mourn legendary Joe Jack, blind musician who helped them see stories through song.” Joseph Jacques, better known as Joe Jack, died in Montréal on April 11, 2025. Chéry writes that Jacques—one of Haiti’s most beloved singers of the 1970s and 1980s and known for his storytelling and musical brilliance—captivated generations with the heartfelt stories, leaving behind a powerful legacy that helped shape Haitian culture.
[. . .]Bottom of Form Joseph Jacques, a blind accordionist, pianist and singer better known as Joe Jack, was also one of [singer Sheila] Degraff’s favorite singers since she was a child in the 1970s. She shared the news with her friend and the two listened to one of Jacques’ most famous hits together in the car, “Pwofesè Lekòl,” Creole for School Teacher. “A legend left, but he was someone who completed his mission,” Degraff told The Haitian Times in a phone interview on April 13.
“I reminisced on how much of an enormous talent Joe Jack was [while listening to the song],” Degraff added. “I’m listening to the way he put his verses, the way he transitioned, the way he told stories. I learned all over again how big of an artist he was.”
Jacques died in Montréal on April 11. His family and loved ones have yet to announce the cause of his death. He was 88.
The death of the Haitian Konpa singer has left many artists and fans from the older generation with heavy hearts. Jacques was a sensation in Haiti’s musical scene during the 1970s and 1980s. His music was often played on the radio, mesmerising young women and men with his soothing voice and heartfelt lyrics. He often told a touchy story that resonated with the audience. [. . .]
From escaping death to rocking Haiti
Jacques hails from Gonaïves, the capital city of the Artibonite Department. He moved to Boston in 1955 to attend Perkins School for the Blind. In Boston, depressed because he was going through many hardships simultaneously, such as suffering from racism and his mother’s breakup with his stepfather, Jacques attempted to commit suicide by drinking four razor blades rolled up in a piece of tissue, according to his autobiography, “The Blind Man with a Thousand Destinies.”
After moving back to Haiti, Jacques taught English at École Saint-Vicent, a school for children with disabilities, and in 1965, he recorded his first song, “Les Quatres Cloches,” French for “The Four Bells.” He later moved to Montréal during the 1980s. [. . .]
For full story, see https://haitiantimes.com/2025/04/16/joe-jack-joseph-jacques/
Also see https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/255195/joe-jack-bows-out
The full title of the original article by Onz Chéry (The Haitian Times) is “Haitians mourn legendary Joe Jack, blind musician who helped them see stories through song.” Joseph Jacques, better known as Joe Jack, died in Montréal on April 11, 2025. Chéry writes that Jacques—one of Haiti’s most beloved singers of the 1970s and
