José Feliciano, 60 years of success
(CNN Spanish) -
José Feliciano is one of those artists whose name not only recalls his legendary songs, but also suggests the magnitude of a musical career that spans more than six decades.
That impressive trajectory will be distinguished at the end of this month during the Billboard Latin Music Awards with the first Leyenda award, Telemundo and Billboard said this Wednesday.
The award was created to “distinguish artists with a career and personality that are larger than life.
A person whose contribution to music makes her an unmistakable name and who maintains a career that has stood the test of time," according to the organization.
Feliciano is one of the first artists to achieve "crossover" – that is, to be played on Anglo-Saxon radio stations – for a song that is partly in Spanish.
He did it with "Feliz Navidad," a bilingual Christmas song that has conquered hearts since 1970.
This is a must-have hit during the Christmas season not only in Latin America, but is also part of the music programming on radio stations and in US stores.
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Jose Feliciano, the legend
The singer-songwriter was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in New York.
A virtuoso on the guitar, he recorded his first album at age 19, in 1964.
According to his official biography, Feliciano has received 45 Gold and Platinum records throughout his career.
He has sung with music icons such as Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, James Taylor and Michael Jackson, among others.
His music was also enjoyed live by Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
He has seven Grammy awards and two Latin Grammys, including recognition for his artistic career.
In 2010, his song "Merry Christmas" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Billboard magazine gave her recognition for her artistic career in 1996.
Feliciano is also one of the Latinos to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he received in 1987.
The Billboard Latin Music Awards will be presented on September 29 in Miami.
They will be broadcast in the United States by Telemundo.
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