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Jose Feliciano music biography continued...

José Montserrate Feliciano García was born on September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico. Feliciano, who was blind from congenital glaucoma, soon moved with his family to Spanish Harlem in New York City. Interested in music as a youngster, Feliciano dropped out of high school to start playing guitar in the Manhattan clubs alongside the likes of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan. A gig at the Newport Jazz Festival followed as well as a deal with RCA Records, which released his first single, "Everybody Do the Click," in 1964. After the release of the 1966 album, A Bag Full of Soul, Feliciano was still trying to find his own unique sound and style. To do so, he returned to his roots, releasing three consecutive Spanish-language LPs -- Sombras...Una Voz, Una Guitarra, Mas Exitos de Jose Feliciano and El Sentimiento, La Voz y La Guitarra de Jose Feliciano, crashing the Latin pop charts with the singles "La Copa Rota" and "Amor Gitana." With 1968's Feliciano!, he scored a breakthrough hit with a soulful rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" which made him a superstar in the English-speaking world as well. Feliciano became so popular, in fact, that he was asked to perform the national anthem during the 1968 baseball world series. Though it sparked controversy, his rendition also became a chartbuster.



In 1969 Feliciano recorded three LPs -- Souled, Alive Alive-O, and Feliciano 10 to 23 -- and won a Grammy for Best New Artist; however, he never again equaled the success of "Light My Fire," and only the theme song to the sitcom Chico and the Man subsequently achieved hit status. Still, Feliciano continues to record and perform, and each year during the holiday season, his Christmas song, "Feliz Navidad" remains one of the most played singles. In perhaps the ultimate accolade, in 1995, Feliciano was honored by the City of New York, which re-named Public School 155 the Jose Feliciano Performing Arts School, solidifying Feliciano's status as one of the New York City's greatest musical gifts.