Feliciano, José (1945–)

The Puerto Rican singer, guitarist, and songwriter José Feliciano, born September 10, 1945, occupies a salient place in contemporary popular music. His early success in reaching both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences makes him a major crossover performer. Born to a working-class family, he was raised in New York City's Spanish Harlem. As a child he demonstrated his penchant for music by teaching himself to play several instruments, including the concertina, the accordion, and especially the guitar, which he plays as a virtuoso. This is indeed remarkable for a person who was born blind and received little formal musical training. Feliciano started playing as a teenager in Greenwich Village clubs and was performing professionally by 1963. RCA Records produced his first album, The Voice and the Guitar of Jose Feliciano (1964), a work that brought him international recognition. He captivated the North American market with his album Feliciano! (1968), featuring his version of the Door's famous piece "Light My Fire." This hit not only earned him two Grammy Awards, it also established his reputation as a gifted performer. In the 1970s, Feliciano scored two more hits with the theme song for the popular television show Chico and the Man and the highly popular seasonal favorite "Feliz Navidad (I Wanna Wish You a Merry Christmas)." Since then, Feliciano's growing fame throughout Latin America has made up for his dwindling popularity in North America. His international success brought him four more Grammys and more than forty gold and platinum albums. In 1996, Billboard magazine accorded José Feliciano a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Latin music. A formidable acoustic guitar sound and the skillful fusion of diverse musical styles—Latin, jazz, soul, and folk—characterize José Feliciano's distinctive music.

See alsoMusic: Popular Music and Dance .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Detroit Free Press, May 28, 1993.

Heredia, Juanita. "Feliciano, José." In Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture, edited by Cordelia Chávez Candelaria. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004.

Newsday, August 9, 1995, p. A8.

New York Times, October 8, 1968.

                                      Luis A. GonzÁlez