Jose Feliciano Biography

Jose Feliciano born in September 10, 1945, is a famous Puerto Rican singer. He is a virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single “Feliz Navidad”. Feliciano was born in Lares, Puerto Rico, one of eleven sons. When he was five, his family moved to Spanish Harlem, New York City. At the age of nine he played at the Teatro Puerto Rico in the Bronx. He started his musical life with the accordion until his father and family friend, Benjamin Borges, gave him his first guitar in a brown paper bag. He played every chance he had by himself in his room for up to 14 hours a day listening to 1950’s rock’n’roll records, classical guitarist such as Andres Segovia and jazz players as West Montgomery. Later in his life he had classical lessons with Harold Morris, who earlier had been a student of Segovia. In 1963, after some live performances in pubs and clubs around the USA and Canada, especially in Greenwich Village in New York City, and Vancouver, BC, where he played ate the same time as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, he was signed by Jack Somer, an executive at RCA Victor. In 1964, he released his first single "Everybody Do the Click" (which become a hit in Philippines, at nr2 and stayed for 14 weeks in Top Ten Hit parade). Later, in 1965 and 1966, he also 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 radio across the USA, where he was described as a "10 finger wizard". He also was invited to the Newport Jazz festival in 1964. 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 were not sure what they wanted to record, but Feliciano suggested they record bolero music. The result was two smash hits with the singles "Poquita Fe", a song written by fellow Puerto