Jose Feliciano is a popular singer, songwriter and guitarist from Puerto Rico who was popular in the 1970s-1990s. Thanks to international hits Light My Fire (bands The Doors) and the best-selling Christmas single Feliz Navidad, the performer gained immense popularity.
The artist's repertoire includes compositions in Spanish and English. He is also the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist of 1968 and Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance.
Early life of Jose Feliciano
José Montserrat Feliciano Garcia was born on September 10, 1945 in Lares, Puerto Rico. The performer has congenital blindness, which is a consequence of a hereditary disease - glaucoma.
In addition to him, the family had 10 more children. When Jose was 5 years old, along with his parents, brothers and sisters, he moved to the area of upstate New York - Harlem.
From an early age, Feliciano began to learn to play various musical instruments. He listened to a significant number of music records and tried to repeat the tune.
According to the artist's stories in the press, "his love for music began at the age of 3, when his uncle played a musical instrument, and José accompanied him on a cracker tin." As a result, the performer mastered the concertina, bass, banjo, mandolin, guitar, piano and other keyboard instruments.
In his early teens, Feliciano discovered his favorite instrument, the acoustic guitar. Jose understood that he was endowed with talent and began to develop it. By the age of 16, he began to earn the first money for the family, playing folk, flamenco and guitar in Greenwich Village coffee houses.
At one point, the performer's father was left without a job, so the 17-year-old Feliciano dropped out of school and began performing full-time. He played his first professional gig in 1963 at the Retort Cafe in Detroit.
The beginning of the musical career of Jose Feliciano
In 1963, the novice performer was already recognized in cafes and bars. And some visitors even waited for performances. One evening, Jose performed at Gerde's Folk City, where Jack Somer, head of RCA Records, noticed his talent. He invited the young man to sign a contract with the label, and Feliciano immediately agreed.
The first works released on the label in 1964 were English-language albums: The Voice and Guitar and the single Everybody Do the Click. They became popular, they were even played on the radio, but the compilations never made it to the US charts. Despite this, many critics and disc jockeys gave positive positive reviews and noticed the artist's talent.
Due to the singer's Puerto Rican origin, RCA Records has adapted a significant part of Jose's albums and singles for a Latin American audience. Consequently, the artist gained recognition among Hispanic listeners. Already in 1966, Feliciano was able to assemble a hall with 100 thousand listeners in Buenos Aires (Argentina).
The popularity of Jose Feliciano
In 1967, the performer released his version of the song Light My Fire from the very famous band The Doors. The new composition took 3rd position in the US pop music charts. More than 1 million records were sold, and this immediately made the singer a celebrity. Then Feliciano, together with the leadership of the RCA label, began to adapt the music to English-speaking listeners.
Thanks to an improved version of Light My Fire, the artist received the first two Grammy awards. He was awarded in the nominations "Best New Artist of 1968" and "Best Contemporary Vocal Performance". The covered song was included in the album Feliciano! (1968), which became equally successful. And thanks to the collection, the artist received his debut Golden Disc.
In 1970, Feliciano recorded the song Feliz Navidad, which became a real Christmas hit. The composition does not lose its popularity even today. On the eve of the New Year and Christmas, it can be heard in modern charts. Due to the huge popularity and recognition, the performer began to go on tours in America and the UK. In 1974 José recorded the soundtrack for the television show Chico and the Man.
Feliciano's success was sometimes accompanied by conflicts. During concerts in England, a blind performer violated UK pet quarantine laws. Feliciano's guide dog could not enter the country. This was a problem for the musician, not only because he needed a dog to navigate.
The four-legged friend became his constant assistant on stage. At the beginning of each performance, the dog led the singer to the center of the venue and returned to bow to him at the end. Because of this incident, José did not return to England for several years.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Feliciano sold music primarily to Spanish-speaking audiences. During this time, the performer received many Grammy awards in the nomination "Best Latin Pop Performance". Among other distinctions, he was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Latin Music Expo. And in his honor, they renamed the high school in Harlem, where he studied.
Criticism of Jose Feliciano for singing the national anthem
In 1968, the World Series of Baseball was held in Detroit. And Feliciano was invited to sing the national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". The artist performed the composition in a peculiar manner, different from the traditional one. The performance caused a significant amount of outrage among critics and fans. Those present at the stadium booed the artist. And the Detroit Free Press called the performance "harrowing, soul-stirring, and controversial."
Many Americans found Jose's performance offensive. According to the New York Times, the non-standard interpretation was a matter of style:
“Feliciano's performance was done in a slower rhythm. It's like a combination of soul and folk singing styles. The artist accompanied himself on the guitar.
The fact is that Feliciano was the first to change the song, and it hurt a lot of people. After the speech, there were comments from disgruntled Americans in the press: "I'm young enough to understand this, but I think it's wrong ... It was unpatriotic." Another excited citizen wrote: "It was a disgrace, an insult ... I'm going to write to my senator about this."
Feliciano regretted this incident: “I did it with good intentions, and I did it with soul and feeling. After that performance, people stopped listening to me on the radio. They thought I was contradictory too. Since then, my life hasn't been that good musically...and I'm trying to get back."
The artist has lost its former glory in the United States. He collaborated with various record companies. Together they implemented marketing strategies. But they were never able to revive popularity among the English-speaking audience.
Parody of Feliz Navidad
In 2009, radio producers Matt Fox and AJ Rice released The Illegal Alien Christmas Song on Human Events. He was a parody of Feliz Navidad. The song's lyrics were based on stereotypical ideas about immigrants from Latin America. He showed them as alcoholics, thieves and swindlers, as well as people suffering from dangerous diseases. The parody caused an uproar among users and the media. José Feliciano replied as follows:
“This song is very dear to me and has always been a bridge between two native cultures. I don't want it to be used as a vehicle for political platforms and racist and hate speech. It's terrible, I wanted me and my song to stop being associated with this as soon as possible.
Nevertheless, after a short period of time, the scandalous track was removed from the Human Events website. Jed Babbin (site editor) apologized to the singer and his team in an interview with The Associated Press.
Personal life
José Feliciano was married twice. The first time he was married to a woman named Jeanne. However, in 1978, the couple decided to divorce. Four years later, the artist married a second time to his longtime girlfriend Susan Omillian. They met in 1971 while she was studying in Detroit. The artist was friends with a girl for 11 years, after which he proposed to her in 1982.
It is noteworthy that during a scandalous performance in Detroit, Susan met sports correspondent Ernie Harvell. A little later, he introduced her to Feliciano. Now the couple has three children - daughter Melissa, as well as sons Jonathan and Michael.
