Rapper Joe C. Dies

By Stephen M. Silverman

10/15/1997 at 12:00 AM EDT

Joseph "Joe C." Calleja, 26, Kid Rock's diminutive rapping sidekick, died in his sleep Nov. 16 in Taylor, Mich., after having suffered from Celiac disease, an intestinal disorder, since childhood. Among his career highlights: dueling with fellow gunslinger Gary Coleman in the music video "Cowboy" and singing "Kyle's Mom Is a Big, Fat B----" on the "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" soundtrack. "We have lost part of our family," Kid Rock said in a statement on behalf of himself and his band, Twisted Brown Trucker. "Joey gave us and the world his love. He brought a smile to everyone who has ever known or seen him."