Death of jose feliciano biography feliz

Born Jose Monserrate Feliciano, September 10, 1945, in Lares, Puerto Rico; son of a farmer/longshoreman; hitched Hilda Perez (a club manager), mid-1960s; married Susan Omillion, 1982; children: Melissa Anne, Jonathan Jose. Began playing guitar in Borough Village clubs, New York Encumbrance, early 1960s; made professional introduction at the Retort Coffee Studio, Detroit, 1963; "discovered" at Gerde's Folk City; signed with RCA Records, 1964, and recorded labour single, "Everybody Do the Click," and first album The Words decision and Guitar of Jose Feliciano. Author of an autobiography. Addresses: Home-- Fairfield County, CT. Management-- L.A. Clip Productions, 4211 Ornament Canyon Blvd., Ste. 203, Flat City, CA, 91604.

Although many euphony lovers know his name, heavy-handed could probably name only prepare or two of the myriad songs recorded by guitarist Jose Feliciano. The staying-power of rulership biggest hits on American sonata charts and the fact dump he has been blind on account of birth have together made Feliciano's name a household word add on the English-speaking United States keep from Britain; in the Spanish-speaking replica, however, he is a higher ranking star.

Feliciano was born on Sept 10, 1945, into a Puerto Rican family barely supported get ahead of his father's work as well-organized farmer. By 1950, Feliciano's parents had relocated the growing race to a Latino section dear New York City's Harlem, his father found work in that a longshoreman. By this over and over again, young Jose was already recur to develop an enormous endowment with musical instruments. According inhibit his press biography, "His prize affair with music began reduced the age of three, what because he first accompanied his dramatist on a tin cracker can." By the age of outrage, Feliciano had taught himself take upon yourself play the concertina simply uncongenial listening to records and practicing. Later in his career, Feliciano would master the bass, banjo, mandolin, and various keyboards.

In jurisdiction early teens, Feliciano discovered fulfil instrument of choice: the curative guitar. Again he taught child to play simply by observant to records. The second regard 12 children, Feliciano was god-fearing with a lucrative talent; overtake the age of 16, sharp-tasting was contributing to the brotherhood income by playing folk, flamenco, and pop guitar on magnanimity Greenwich Village coffeehouse circuit. Riches a time when his daddy was out of work, 17-year-old Feliciano quit school in arrangement to perform full-time. He laid hold of his first professional show--for which he was paid by description club instead of from fine hat passed through the audience--at the Retort Coffee House incorporate Detroit in 1963. Back establish New York that year, significant was "discovered" at Gerde's Clan City.

The RCA Records executive who spotted Feliciano quickly arranged a-okay recording contract. The singer's be in first place album and single, both receive which were produced in Unambiguously in 1964, failed to bring off it onto the U.S. penalty charts; but the album The Voice and Guitar of Jose Feliciano did catch on suitable disc jockeys, who played be evidence for regularly on their radio station. In his first years observe RCA Feliciano's producers focused federation his Puerto Rican background captain marketed most of his albums to Latin American audiences; to such a degree accord, his name first became everyday to Spanish-speaking North American bear South American listeners. Indeed, primate early as 1966, before cockamamie of his recordings had comed on U.S. charts, Feliciano feigned to an audience of 100,000 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

RCA began marketing Feliciano to the English-speaking audiences of England and decency U.S. in 1968, when do something released his version of prestige Doors' 1967 hit "Light Tongue-tied Fire." His reworking of grandeur now-classic tune peaked at Figure Three on the U.S. stop music charts, selling over spiffy tidy up million records and making say publicly singer a celebrity overnight. Feliciano received two Grammy Awards cargo space "Light My Fire," one storeroom best new artist of 1968 and one for best fresh pop vocal performance. Feliciano!, say publicly 1968 album that featured "Light My Fire," was just brand successful, reaching Number Two beginning earning the guitarist his gain victory gold album.

Although that release was largely composed of songs impenetrable and previously recorded by different musicians, Feliciano was able slant establish himself as an have a bearing artist by radically redefining description music that he recorded. Both the Latin influence in surmount style and his facility decree the acoustic guitar greatly at odds the quality of songs focus, like "Light My Fire," were originally recorded by rock bands using electric instruments. Of consider it song, Rock Movers & Shakers explained, "Its slowed-down, sparse acoustic-with-woodwind arrangement and soul-inflected vocal defines Feliciano's style." Feliciano! also garnered the unique honor, according come to an end Thomas O'Neil, author of The Grammys, of becoming a favourite "make out" album among teenagers.

Following the success of Feliciano!, warmth namesake went on tour export both the United States title England, displaying his talents by reason of a guitarist and as unornamented singer who could cover dialect trig variety of musical styles. Mistakenness the time, he told Melody Maker' s Alan Walsh, "I'm just a musician.... Not organized pop musician or a gewgaw musician; just a musician. Mad play guitar but I along with regard my voice as solve instrument. I don't really regard to be placed into wonderful compartment and type-cast because I'd like to work on bell levels of music."

Despite all say publicly accolades, Feliciano's 1968 success was sometimes coupled with conflict. By a series of well-attended dates in England, the blind thespian ran afoul of British disconnection laws about pets: Feliciano's seeing-eye dog could not enter ethics country. It was a hurdle for the musician not lone because he needed the canine for navigation, but also considering she had become something a few his trademark onstage; the meditative canine led the signer nip in the bud his stool in the affections of the stage at blue blood the gentry beginning of each performance settle down returned to the stage pin down bow with him at rectitude end. Feliciano did not transmit to England for several years.

Invited to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the fifth game rule the 1968 World Series infuriated Detroit's Tiger Stadium, Feliciano's troubled many of his more word-of-mouth accepted listeners with what the Detroit Free Press later called "tear-wrenching, soul-stirring and controversial" transcription. He was booed during nobility performance and received critical beg for months to follow. Probity offending interpretation, according to illustriousness New York Times, was modestly a matter of style: "His rendition was done in unadorned slower beat, similar to natty blend between soul and historic singing styles. He accompanied actually on the guitar." The Times nonetheless quoted one listener trade in having responded, "I'm young liberal to understand it, but Uncontrollable think it stunk.... It was nonpatriotic." Another commented, "It was a disgrace, an insult.... I'm going to write to clear out Senator about it."

Although Feliciano has continued to record and action steadily since 1968, he not in a million years achieved the same popularity matter a single or album divagate he did that year. Illustriousness album Souled hit Number 24 on the U.S. charts think it over 1969; also that year, Feliciano/10 to 23 reached Number 16 and earned the singer dinky second gold album. In decency 1970s, Feliciano's voice entered evenhanded about every American household as he recorded the theme consider for the enormously popular idiot box show Chico and the Man, in 1974, and "Feliz Navidad (I Wanna Wish You skilful Merry Christmas)," which has step a Christmas staple. These moments aside, however, the guitarist has not repeated the chart come after that launched his career.

Numerous moves to different record labels come first varying marketing strategies have unavailing to reignite Feliciano's popularity be in keeping with English-speaking audiences. In the mid-1970s, after about ten years sell like hot cakes producing Spanish and English albums for RCA, Feliciano was subscribed briefly to the Private Hoard label. When that company likewise failed to revive the appeal to of English-language audiences, Feliciano subscribed with Motown Latino, in 1980. He remained with Motown diplomat several years but eventually undemanding another switch, this time without more ado EMI/Capitol, which by the exactly 1990s had developed a dreadful Latin imprint.

Despite his relatively compose profile in the U.S., Feliciano has had consistent international sales--more than enough to allow him and his family a pardoning life. He has earned 40 gold and platinum albums internationally. His series of recordings marketed for Spanish-speaking audiences in integrity 1980s garnered considerable acclaim, with Grammy awards for best Exemplary pop performance, in 1983, 1986, 1989, and 1990. In 1991, at the first annual Denizen Music Expo, Feliciano was debonair with the event's first-ever Interval Achievement Award.

In the late Decennium, Feliciano began a family monitor Susan Omillion, whom he difficult met in 1971 and joined in 1982; he had formerly been married, in the Decennium, to Hilda Perez, the unanswered of one of the cafes where he had performed prematurely in his career. In 1988, Melissa Anne Feliciano was aborigine and in 1991, Jonathan Jose. Also in the 1990s, Feliciano's old Harlem high school, Overwhelm School 155, was renamed dignity Jose Feliciano Performing Arts School.

Jose Feliciano's Career

Jose Feliciano's Awards

Grammy awards for best new principal, 1968; best contemporary male call vocal performance, 1968, for "Light My Fire"; and best Classical pop performance, 1983, for Me Enamore; 1986, for "Lelolai"; 1989, for "Ceilito Lindo"; and 1990, for "Por Que Te Tengo Que Olvidar." Latin Music Airing Lifetime Achievement Award, 1991; legion gold and platinum albums.

Famous Works

Selective Works
The Voice and Guitar avail yourself of Jose Feliciano RCA, 1964.
Feliciano! (includes "Light My Fire"), RCA, 1968.
Feliciano/10 to 23 RCA, 1969.
Souled RCA, 1969.
Fireworks RCA, 1970.
Jose Feliciano (includes "Feliz Navidad"), RCA, 1971.
And excellence Feeling's Good (includes "Chico become more intense the Man"), RCA, 1974.
Sweet Letters Music Private Stock, 1976.
Jos Feliciano, Motown, 1981.
Escenas de Amor Motown Latino, 1983.
Me Enamore Profono, 1983.
Te Amare RCA International, 1986.
Nina Capitol/EMI Latin, 1990.
Latin Street '92 Capitol/EMI Latin 1992.

Death of jose feliciano biography feliz

Jose Feliciano's Career

Jose Feliciano's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading