Mickey Kapp, a record producer who, after forging a somewhat improbable connection with several Mercury 7 astronauts, went on to provide later space explorers with customized mixtapes to listen to during their historic flights, died on June 11 at his home in Carmel, Calif. He was 88.

His wife, Joyce Garvin Kapp, said the cause was congestive heart failure.

Mr. Kapp became the unofficial music provider to the space-bound thanks to José Jiménez, a fictional comic character with a thick south-of-the-border accent who was created by the comedian Bill Dana. “My name José Jiménez,” Mr. Dana would begin his routines, which today might ring as offensive — José being something of a dim bulb — but in the late 1950s, when he created the character, were regarded by many as hilarious.

One of those routines made José a reluctant-sounding astronaut, in full spacesuit, bumbling through an interview.

“What is this called, a crash helmet?” the interviewer says, pointing to his headgear.

José replies, “Oh, I hope not.”