Before Sting or Willie Nelson, one musician proved that the nylon-string classical guitar could top the pop charts: José Feliciano. A blind virtuoso from Puerto Rico, he took the warm sound of the Spanish guitar out of the recital hall and straight onto the radio — and changed what people thought a classical guitar was for.
A self-taught virtuoso
Feliciano was born in Lares, Puerto Rico, on 10 September 1945, blind from congenital glaucoma. His family moved to New York's Spanish Harlem when he was a boy, and from the age of nine he taught himself the guitar by ear, reportedly practising up to fourteen hours a day, soaking up everything from 1950s rock and roll to records of classical guitarists and jazz players. That mix — classical technique, popular feeling — became his signature.
The pop breakthrough
In 1968 Feliciano released a radically reimagined, slow-burning version of The Doors' Light My Fire, played on nylon-string guitar. It reached the US top three, sold over a million copies, and won him two Grammy Awards. His breakthrough album is widely regarded as the first pop record played entirely on a nylon-string guitar — proof that the instrument could carry a mainstream hit, not just a concert programme.
Why he matters to the classical guitar
Feliciano is the bridge figure. He showed a whole generation that the classical guitar's voice belonged everywhere — in soul, pop, rock and Latin music — and he did it with genuine virtuoso technique rather than simple strumming. Every later star who picked up a nylon-string guitar for an intimate song was, knowingly or not, following the path he opened.
FAQ
Does José Feliciano play classical guitar?
Yes — he is a virtuoso of the nylon-string classical guitar, which he brought into mainstream pop.
What is his most famous song?
His 1968 nylon-string version of "Light My Fire," a US top-three hit that won two Grammy Awards.
Why is he important for the guitar?
He is widely credited with the first pop album played entirely on a nylon-string guitar, opening the instrument to popular music.
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