They were unsure what they wanted to record so Feliciano suggested the bolero music of his parents. There, he impressed RCA Victor officials, who asked him to stay and record an album in Spanish. In 1966, he went to Mar del Plata, Argentina, to perform at the Festival de Mar del Plata. In 19, he released his first albums: The Voice and Guitar of Jose Feliciano and A Bag Full of Soul, two folk-pop-soul albums that showcased his talent on radios across the USA, where he was described as a '10-finger wizard'. 2, staying 14 weeks in the TopTen Hit parade) and he was invited to the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. In 1964, he released his first single, 'Everybody Do the Click' (which became a hit in the Philippines, at No. In 1963, after some live performances in pubs and clubs around the USA and Canada, especially in Greenwich Village, New York, and Vancouver, BC, where he played at the same time as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, he was signed by Jack Somer, an executive at RCA Victor. He had his first professional, contracted performance in Detroit. In a 1969 interview, he also mentioned soul music in general, and Ray Charles in particular, as influences on his singing. Feliciano later had classical lessons with Harold Morris, who had been a student of Segovia. Andrés Segovia and Wes Montgomery were among his favorites. He would play his guitar by himself in his room for up to 14 hours a day, and would listen to 1950s rock and roll, records of classical guitarists and jazz players. įeliciano started his musical life playing the accordion until his father gave him, in a brown paper bag, his first guitar. When Feliciano was five, his family moved to Spanish Harlem, New York City, and at nine he played the Teatro Puerto Rico in The Bronx. Left permanently blind at birth as a result of congenital glaucoma, he was first exposed to music at the age of three he would play on a tin cracker can while accompanying his uncle, who played the cuatro. He has released many albums over the years in both English and Spanish.įeliciano was born in Lares, Puerto Rico, on September 10, 1945. In the US, he received widespread popularity in the 1960s, particularly after his 1968 album, Feliciano!, came out and was a number two hit. His music is known for having a mix of styles, for example including both flamenco music and mellow easy listening influences in many songs. José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945), better known simply as José Feliciano, is a Puerto Rican guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known for many international hits, including his rendition of The Doors' 'Light My Fire' and the best-selling Christmas single, 'Feliz Navidad'.

Jose feliciano albums list