José Feliciano, the 2006 Hispanic Heritage Honoree for Lifetime Achievement, is recognized as one of the very first Hispanic artists to successfully cross over into the English music market, influencing numerous performers who follow in his footsteps.  Acclaimed by critics as "the greatest living guitarist," Mr. Feliciano continues to release new music and perform to large audiences throughout the world more than 40 years since the release of his first album.    

Mr. Feliciano was born blind, to humble beginnings in Puerto Rico in 1945.  One of eleven boys, his love affair with music began at the age of three when he first accompanied his uncle on a tin cracker can. His family moved from Puerto Rico to New York City when he was five, and soon thereafter he learned to play the guitar with undaunted determination, using only records as his teacher and practicing for as many as fourteen hours per day. 

Exposed to rock & roll in the fifties, Mr. Feliciano was inspired to sing and after his first professional engagement in Detroit, a music critic wrote, “if you want to witness the birth of a star, catch Mr. Feliciano before he leaves tomorrow night.”  That critic could not have been more on target.  Since then, Mr. Feliciano has become known the world over for songs like “Light My Fire,” “Che Sera,” and “Feliz Navidad.” He has been awarded over forty-five Gold and Platinum records and has won six GRAMMY Awards from an impressive 16 nominations. In 1996, Mr. Feliciano was selected to receive Billboard Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award.  New York City has also honored the pioneering artist by re-naming Public School 155 in East Harlem as "The José Feliciano Performing Arts School."  In 2001, Mr. Feliciano received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, for his musical and humanitarian contributions to the world.