Josep Maria Carreras i Coll was born on December 5, 1946, in Barcelona, Spain, to a family with a small chemical plant owned by his father.
Young Carreras was drawn to music after watching Mario Lanza in the film The Great Caruso (1951) at the age of six. He made his first public performance on the Spanish National Radio at eight years old.
At this time, he began studying piano and solfeggio, with his parents having a season subscription to the Liceo Opera, where he and his brother became regular opera-goers.
His parents insisted that he study chemistry, and at the age of 17, he started taking voice lessons from Jaime Francisco Puig at the Conservatorio Superior de Música del Liceo in Barcelona.
He also excelled in sports, having tennis as a hobby.
Jose Carreras married Mercedes in Barcelona Cathedral in May 1971, and the couple had two sons.
