One of the most prominent Latin performers of the pop era, singer/guitarist Jose Feliciano was born in Puerto Rico blind at birth. Five years later, his family moved to New York City’s Spanish Harlem; there Feliciano began learning the accordion, later taking up the guitar and making his first public appearances at the age of nine. After bowing with the 1964 single, “Everybody Do the Click,” he issued his debut LP, The Voice and Guitar of Jose Feliciano, which was followed early the next year by The Fantastic Feliciano. With 1968’s Feliciano!, he scored a breakthrough hit with a soulful reading of The Doors’ “Light My Fire,” which launched him into the pop stratosphere; a cover of Tommy Tucker’s R&B chestnut, “Hi Heel Sneakers,” solidified his success, and soon Feliciano found himself performing the national anthem during the 1968 World Series. In 1969, Feliciano won a Grammy for Best New Artist. The theme song to the sitcom “Chico and the Man” subsequently achieved hit status, edging into the Top 100 singles chart in 1974. Throughout the 1970s, Feliciano remained an active performer. In 1980, Feliciano was the first performer signed to the new Latin division of Motown, making his label debut with an eponymous effort the following year; his recorded output tapered off although he occasionally resurfaced with LPs, including 1987’s Tu Immenso Amor and 1989’s I’m Never Gonna Change. Feliciano continued to make music. In 2012, he released The King, Jose Feliciano tribute to Elvis Presley. Feliciano continues to tour the world.
