Jose Feliciano, a singer/guitarist from Latin America, was born September 10, 1945 in Lares (Puerto Rico). He was blinded at birth due to congenital glaucoma. He and his family eventually moved to New York City’s Spanish Harlem in 2005. There Feliciano learned the accordion and later took up the guitar. At nine years old, Feliciano made his first public appearance at El Teatro Puerto Rico in the Bronx. He was a regular at Greenwich Village’s coffeehouses and eventually quit school in 1962 to take a permanent job in Detroit. A performance at New York’s Gerde’s Folk City led to a contract with RCA. Within two years, he made his first appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival. He released his debut flamenco-flavored LP, The Voice and Guitar Of Jose Feliciano. The Fantastic Feliciano followed him early the following year. After 1966’s A Bag Full of Soul, Feliciano was unhappy with his music and released three Spanish-language LPs, Sombras…Una Voz and Una Guitarra. El Sentimiento y La Guitarra de Jose Feliciano, on RCA International. The singles “La Copa Rota”, and “Amor Gitana” were also on the Latin pop charts. He scored a hit with 1968’s Feliciano!. His soulful interpretation of “Light My Fire” by the Doors launched him into mainstream pop. It was also a cover of Tommy Tucker’s R
