José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico) is a legendary singer and guitarist. He was born permanently blind due to a disease called congenital glaucoma. Feliciano overcame this impairment to score many international hits.
Jose was one of eleven children, first exposed to music at age three. At five, his family moved to Spanish Harlem, New York City and, at age nine, he played on the Teatro Puerto Rico. He played various instruments (such as the accordion) by then, but he wanted to learn to play the guitar. To do this, he locked himself in his room for up to 14 hours a day to listen to 1950s rock albums, classical guitarists like Andrés Segovia, and jazz players like Wes Montgomery. At 17, because his family was going through a precarious economic situation, he quit school to play in clubs, having his first professional, contracted performance in Detroit.
In 1966, he went to Mar Del Plata, Argentina, to perform at the Festival de Mar Del Plata. There, he impressed RCA Victor officials who told him to stay there to record an album in Spanish. They weren't sure what they wanted to record, but Feliciano suggested they record bolero music. The result was two smash hits with the singles Poquita Fe (Little Faith, a.k.a. Sin Fe, or Without Faith), a song written by fellow Puerto Rican Bobby Capó, and Usted (the formal way to say "you" in Spanish).
A year later Feliciano was to perform in Great Britain, but authorities would not allow his guide dog into the country. The stringent quarantine measures of those days were intended to prevent the spread of rabies. Feliciano expressed his anger in the song No Dogs Allowed, which made the charts in 1969.
After two more successful albums, Feliciano, now a household name all over Latin America, moved to Los Angeles, to pursue his dream of becoming a household name in the United States too. Feliciano then composed Feliz Navidad which has become a Christmas classic in the United States as well as in Latin America, his own versions of The Doors' song Light My Fire (reaching #3 on the U.S. pop charts in late summer, 1968), and Tommy Tucker's Hi-Heel Sneakers. He immediately became a sensation all across North America, selling millions of albums on the strength of those three songs and winning two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist of the Year and for Best Pop Song of the Year in 1969.
Feliciano holds the distinction of being one of the few singers to have enjoyed success both in Spanish music and in English rock and roll. In the 1970s he was an appreciated musician and considered one of the most incredible guitarists of our time: He won five consecutive awards for best pop guitarist from Guitar Player magazine and was voted in jazz, classic and rock fields.
He received a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987, and continued a very popular singer during the 1980s. He had his hands cast on the famous Madame Tussaud's Museum's 'Wall of Fame,' and has a star in the Walk of Fame of his native Puerto Rico. In 1995, Feliciano was honored by the City of New York, which re-named Public School 155 the Jose Feliciano Performing Arts School. In 1996, he played himself in the film Fargo, singing in a hotel ballroom, though in the distance and not very recognizable.
Each year during the Christmas season, Feliciano's 1970 Christmas song Feliz Navidad returns to U.S. airwaves, one of the most-played and most-downloaded radio songs and downloaded songs of the season. Feliz Navidad is also recognized by ASCAP as one of the 25 all-time most-played Christmas songs in the world. Find out more about this living icon at: http://www.josefeliciano.com/
Research info provided by: www.wikipedia.org
Visit my ezine: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and personal blog: http://www.copyat5.blogspot.com/
Jose was one of eleven children, first exposed to music at age three. At five, his family moved to Spanish Harlem, New York City and, at age nine, he played on the Teatro Puerto Rico. He played various instruments (such as the accordion) by then, but he wanted to learn to play the guitar. To do this, he locked himself in his room for up to 14 hours a day to listen to 1950s rock albums, classical guitarists like Andrés Segovia, and jazz players like Wes Montgomery. At 17, because his family was going through a precarious economic situation, he quit school to play in clubs, having his first professional, contracted performance in Detroit.
In 1966, he went to Mar Del Plata, Argentina, to perform at the Festival de Mar Del Plata. There, he impressed RCA Victor officials who told him to stay there to record an album in Spanish. They weren't sure what they wanted to record, but Feliciano suggested they record bolero music. The result was two smash hits with the singles Poquita Fe (Little Faith, a.k.a. Sin Fe, or Without Faith), a song written by fellow Puerto Rican Bobby Capó, and Usted (the formal way to say "you" in Spanish).
A year later Feliciano was to perform in Great Britain, but authorities would not allow his guide dog into the country. The stringent quarantine measures of those days were intended to prevent the spread of rabies. Feliciano expressed his anger in the song No Dogs Allowed, which made the charts in 1969.
After two more successful albums, Feliciano, now a household name all over Latin America, moved to Los Angeles, to pursue his dream of becoming a household name in the United States too. Feliciano then composed Feliz Navidad which has become a Christmas classic in the United States as well as in Latin America, his own versions of The Doors' song Light My Fire (reaching #3 on the U.S. pop charts in late summer, 1968), and Tommy Tucker's Hi-Heel Sneakers. He immediately became a sensation all across North America, selling millions of albums on the strength of those three songs and winning two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist of the Year and for Best Pop Song of the Year in 1969.
Feliciano holds the distinction of being one of the few singers to have enjoyed success both in Spanish music and in English rock and roll. In the 1970s he was an appreciated musician and considered one of the most incredible guitarists of our time: He won five consecutive awards for best pop guitarist from Guitar Player magazine and was voted in jazz, classic and rock fields.
He received a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987, and continued a very popular singer during the 1980s. He had his hands cast on the famous Madame Tussaud's Museum's 'Wall of Fame,' and has a star in the Walk of Fame of his native Puerto Rico. In 1995, Feliciano was honored by the City of New York, which re-named Public School 155 the Jose Feliciano Performing Arts School. In 1996, he played himself in the film Fargo, singing in a hotel ballroom, though in the distance and not very recognizable.
Each year during the Christmas season, Feliciano's 1970 Christmas song Feliz Navidad returns to U.S. airwaves, one of the most-played and most-downloaded radio songs and downloaded songs of the season. Feliz Navidad is also recognized by ASCAP as one of the 25 all-time most-played Christmas songs in the world. Find out more about this living icon at: http://www.josefeliciano.com/
Research info provided by: www.wikipedia.org
Visit my ezine: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and personal blog: http://www.copyat5.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment