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[traffic noises]
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[**]
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Jose: A successful artist
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who came out
of there with nothing.
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I said, "Boy, Jose,
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man, you've come a long way.
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[crowd booing]
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- It was the time of McCarthy,
wasn't it?
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If you did something
against the grain
of American "culture,"
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you were an outcast.
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I had to fight
to get him signed
because they said,
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"We don't want
this Puerto Rican kid
who can't see.
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What are we
going to do with him?"
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- So it was
a different time in America.
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There was a lot of ignorance.
This Puerto Rican Latino
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has messed
with our national anthem.
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He's thinking,
"250 million people hate me."
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- So he played it more negro,
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more Black.
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Back then, people who were
not ready, they're probably
still not ready now.
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[hectic crowd]
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- In the sixties,
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being commercial,
particularly on something
as traditional
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as "The Star-Spangled Banner,"
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was really
kind of a kiss of death.
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- Had Jose come out
and just done your
typical anthem,
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he wouldn't have created
something and opened
the door for artists
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that then did
the anthem in their way.
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- He did something
that was very Jose Feliciano.
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He was honest.
It was never lack of respect.
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I don't think anyone loves this
country more than him.
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[**]
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Jose: I never thought I would
cause that much of a ruckus.
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AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE
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I wasn't out to defame
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the country that has given me
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the opportunity
to be successful.
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[**]
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[**]
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- When he took
that song, "Light My Fire,"
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as big as it was by The Doors,
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he was able to introduce it
to 500 million people
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that didn't know The Doors.
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- I think that's what sets
an artist apart from a singer.
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So many people that can sing
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and in the stratosphere
and do all these amazing
technical things,
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but you won't remember
their voice the next day.
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There's very few people that do
that, and he's one of them.
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[**]
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[**]
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[crowd cheering]
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[**]
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- The main reason
why Jose has gone global
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is because of one thing
and one thing alone.
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His heart.
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He has the gift
of being multidimensional.
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- But Jose sang
in both languages
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and equally as genuinely.
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Every interview that I've done,
when they ask me
about influences,
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Jose is at the top there
because he was
one of the first to do it.
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- He brought a sound
that was totally different
because he brought the blues
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and the jazz and the Latino.
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- I thought of him as a unique,
brilliantly talented,
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I have to say, freak.
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[**]
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- His music
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is beyond borders.
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I've seen Jose
move a crowd in Portugal,
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AWARD FOR MUSICAL EXCELLENCE
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and I've seen him
move a crowd in Australia
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and London,
Canada and Buenos Aires.
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I have a great musician
friend of mine who always says,
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"They're all legends
until you work with them."
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Well, guess what?
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I've worked with Jose Feliciano,
and he's a true legend.
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- The real true legacy that Jose
is leaving to the world
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is that you can accomplish
anything you want,
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no matter how adverse
the situations and conditions
that you are in,
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if you have a desire
and the discipline
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and just do it.
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- I wish there were a word
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that was more appropriate
than a legend,
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but he is a legend
and so much more
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around the world.
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JOSE FELICIANO SQUARE
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[crowd cheering]
[**]
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[helicopter whirring]
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[**]
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* He's five foot-two,
and he's six feet-four *
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* He fights with missiles
and with spears *
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* He's all of thirty-one,
and he's only seventeen *
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* He's been a soldier
for a thousand years *
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* He's a Catholic, a Hindu,
an atheist, a Jain *
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* A Buddhist and a Baptist
and a Jew *
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[fanfare]
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Broadcaster: New York,
the sightseers' paradise.
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Manhattan alone
has a little bit of everything.
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New York has every nationality
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because millions of immigrants
who came to this country
stayed right here.
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00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,260
In Washington Square,
at the lower end
of Fifth Avenue,
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00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:04,720
in Greenwich Village,
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folk dancers and folk singers
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express their freedom...
...freedom and joy in living.
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Man: You may call me a rebel.
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But I'm an American rebel,
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and you'll have to listen.
To hear me out.
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- There was conflict
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on both sides of the line.
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[**]
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You never trusted
anyone over 30.
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The hippies didn't know
what they were doing.
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The Vietnam War was raging on.
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People were burning
their draft cards.
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Burning the flag.
That was, "Oh!" You know.
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- And people at the time,
you know, you've got to realize
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the ambiance
that was happening at the time.
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It was a lot more restricted
in people expressing themselves.
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You're coming out of the 1950s
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where even kids
didn't have their own music.
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That's why rock 'n roll exploded
because up until that time,
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00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:04,280
they listened
to the music of their parents.
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They didn't have anything
that was their own.
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[**]
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Jose: Every kid wanted
to be like Frank Sinatra
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until an Elvis came along,
and we all thought
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we were little Elvises.
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We all tried to move our hips.
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Only my hips said to me,
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"You've got to learn
to do something better."
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I like Bob Dylan.
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And one of my favorite albums
changed my life
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and that was
Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
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And I started
to listen to rock and roll
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as it was being born.
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To the blues, the doo-wop sound.
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But my favorite vocal group
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of all time
has been The Four Seasons.
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Those Four Seasons
taught me about music.
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You know, get the dream
started. Get it going.
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If you want
to sound like somebody, do it.
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I wanted to be a Latin musician
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with American stylings.
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It's funny, all of that music
ever said to me was,
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"I am poor, just like you."
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And I could relate.
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[**]
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- Lares is a town
founded in 1827.
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It's a small town.
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Nowadays, we have developed
and it's bigger.
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LARES ICE-CREAM PARLOR
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[chattering]
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- At the time, it was my mother
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and her relatives,
my grandmother,
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who I remember with fondness.
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I enjoyed
memories in Puerto Rico
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like eating fresh bread,
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having freshly made cheese.
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I remember things
from Puerto Rico
that were of the farm.
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And instead
of making septic tanks
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like they do now in homes,
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we had what we called a latrine.
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We had to even
make our own latrine.
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It was really surviving.
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Puerto Rico was so, so poor.
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When you're a little kid
like that, in a sense,
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you don't know what end is up.
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But the memories
I have are happy
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because they were
always filled with music.
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[**]
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REVOLUTION SQUARE
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JOSE FELICIANO SQUARE
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- My name is Jimmy Feliciano,
age 54.
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I'm Jose's youngest brother.
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He likes to make tricks to me.
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He puts his eyeglasses
in my glass of water.
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And tell me: "Here, Jimmy,
here's a glass of water".
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00:10:37,370 --> 00:10:40,420
And when I see the eyes,
I just scream, I get crazy.
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He's always doing
things like that.
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He used to come a lot more
when my mother was alive.
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But we still get in touch.
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And when he comes around
to a concert,
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or he comes to something else
in Puerto Rico,
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we get in contact
and we get together.
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[**]
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00:11:04,310 --> 00:11:11,860
[**]
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[**]
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- My parents wouldn't let me go
in the street,
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and I thought, there must be
189
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a real danger here,
so I'm not going in the street.
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I wasn't just blind.
I was a blind kid
that had sense.
191
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And my feet
were the eyes that guided me.
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That's why now, as a grown up,
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00:11:37,430 --> 00:11:39,520
I don't trip
on cables on stage.
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I find it... how stupid
that these people
195
00:11:43,310 --> 00:11:45,560
don't pay attention
to their body.
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Their body is going
to tell you to be careful.
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So I grew up as a blind person
who didn't bump into walls.
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And if I did,
I yelled at myself. I said,
199
00:11:55,900 --> 00:11:58,700
"You should have been
paying attention."
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00:11:58,740 --> 00:12:01,540
I was trying to really adapt
201
00:12:01,580 --> 00:12:05,040
into the sighted world because
as a blind person, you have to.
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00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:12,420
]
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[**]
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00:12:16,510 --> 00:12:18,550
- My name is Hector Feliciano,
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00:12:18,590 --> 00:12:22,390
Jose Feliciano's brother.
My age is... going on 60.
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00:12:22,430 --> 00:12:24,390
They're very proud of Jose.
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00:12:24,430 --> 00:12:27,020
As Jose grew
and became more famous,
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00:12:27,060 --> 00:12:29,150
he also let them know
209
00:12:29,190 --> 00:12:31,740
he was Puerto Rican,
he's from Lares,
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00:12:31,770 --> 00:12:34,480
he's a teacher,
he's an inspirer.
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00:12:34,530 --> 00:12:37,410
He has given
an education to the world
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00:12:37,450 --> 00:12:39,450
in the line of music
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00:12:39,490 --> 00:12:43,620
because he has a love
and passion for what he does.
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00:12:43,660 --> 00:12:48,620
IN HONOR OF JOSE FELICIANO
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00:12:51,630 --> 00:12:54,760
THE BLIND MAN OF LARES
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00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,600
-Welcome to your hometown.
-Thanks. Are you the mayor now?
217
00:12:57,630 --> 00:13:02,300
-Yes, sir. How are you?
-I'm fine, thank God.
218
00:13:02,340 --> 00:13:06,760
I was born with many illnesses
and He never abandoned me.
219
00:13:06,810 --> 00:13:08,940
- He gave you more blessings
than illnesses.
220
00:13:08,980 --> 00:13:10,230
- Exactly.
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00:13:10,270 --> 00:13:14,070
That's why I never blamed God
for being blind.
222
00:13:14,110 --> 00:13:18,530
On the contrary,
I get up in the morning
and the first thing I do
223
00:13:18,570 --> 00:13:22,910
is thank God for giving me
one more day.
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00:13:22,950 --> 00:13:26,700
I can't believe
all of this heroes-type welcome.
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00:13:26,740 --> 00:13:30,490
This little town
thinks I'm a hero to them.
226
00:13:30,540 --> 00:13:33,710
Frankly,
I'm a little embarrassed by it,
227
00:13:33,750 --> 00:13:37,420
but that's just me
and my idiosyncrasies.
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00:13:37,460 --> 00:13:40,090
To think that when I came
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00:13:40,130 --> 00:13:42,550
out of here at five years old,
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00:13:42,590 --> 00:13:45,470
later in my life, I would create
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00:13:45,510 --> 00:13:48,010
such havoc, you know.
And I'm thrilled.
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00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,110
[**]
233
00:13:57,820 --> 00:14:01,660
Well, I remember
flying from Puerto Rico
234
00:14:01,700 --> 00:14:04,830
into New York in 1950,
235
00:14:04,870 --> 00:14:08,500
which was a time
when the Puerto Rican migration
236
00:14:08,540 --> 00:14:10,710
into the States was happening.
237
00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:19,670
America had opportunities
238
00:14:19,710 --> 00:14:22,340
that Puerto Rico didn't have.
239
00:14:22,380 --> 00:14:25,220
[traffic noises]
240
00:14:25,260 --> 00:14:27,720
My father got us into a cab
241
00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,350
that we were taking
into the East side.
242
00:14:31,390 --> 00:14:33,930
We smelled something rotten.
243
00:14:33,980 --> 00:14:36,360
Nature was rotten.
244
00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:38,110
We lived high up
245
00:14:38,150 --> 00:14:39,690
and we had no elevators.
246
00:14:39,730 --> 00:14:42,940
So we had to use
our legs to get up those stairs.
247
00:14:45,740 --> 00:14:48,660
The steam
wouldn't give you enough heat
248
00:14:48,700 --> 00:14:49,990
in the winter.
249
00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:51,250
It was awful.
250
00:14:51,290 --> 00:14:52,920
But I thought of that
when I was a young kid.
251
00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:55,710
I thought, "Oh, my goodness,
what am I doing here?
252
00:14:55,750 --> 00:14:57,420
I got to find a way out."
253
00:14:57,460 --> 00:14:59,630
[**]
254
00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,600
My aunt Blanca
was very instrumental
255
00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,560
in me being able
to go to places
256
00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:12,730
like The Lighthouse
for the Blind
257
00:15:12,770 --> 00:15:14,690
when I was
about five and a half.
258
00:15:14,730 --> 00:15:16,900
They had a music curriculum.
259
00:15:16,940 --> 00:15:20,780
I started on the accordion
when I was seven.
260
00:15:20,820 --> 00:15:23,950
I learned
about string instruments
through my uncle,
261
00:15:23,990 --> 00:15:26,950
Esteban, who played the cuatro.
262
00:15:26,990 --> 00:15:28,870
[ cuatroguitar playing]
263
00:15:30,870 --> 00:15:33,080
The first guitar I ever had
264
00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,250
was a friend
of Blanca's and my father's.
265
00:15:36,290 --> 00:15:38,080
He came in one day
266
00:15:38,130 --> 00:15:41,760
and I heard a brown paper bag
and it was a guitar.
267
00:15:42,590 --> 00:15:45,130
[**]
268
00:15:47,130 --> 00:15:50,220
I started learning guitar
at the age of nine.
269
00:15:50,260 --> 00:15:51,890
It was like...
270
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,100
It was like meeting
the woman of your dreams.
271
00:15:58,150 --> 00:16:02,610
I divorced one wife,
but I've never divorced
any guitar.
272
00:16:02,650 --> 00:16:05,650
So with logic like that...
273
00:16:07,490 --> 00:16:14,120
[**]
274
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:19,870
[**]
275
00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,840
Then I started
listening to music
276
00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,260
outside the Puerto Rican realm.
277
00:16:26,300 --> 00:16:29,970
I started listening
to not just Tito Rodriguez
278
00:16:30,010 --> 00:16:33,140
and Tito Puente and Celia Cruz.
279
00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:35,890
And, you know,
I love these people,
280
00:16:35,930 --> 00:16:40,810
but I knew there was
another musical world out there.
281
00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:45,650
Dad did not support me playing
282
00:16:45,690 --> 00:16:48,650
music outside the Latin music.
283
00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:53,160
My father bounced
around from job to job,
284
00:16:53,200 --> 00:16:58,000
and it's sad because Dad was
an intelligent man.
285
00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,750
My aunt, his sister,
wanted to make sure
286
00:17:01,790 --> 00:17:04,540
he got into college somehow.
287
00:17:04,590 --> 00:17:07,130
Dad, I think in some ways
288
00:17:07,170 --> 00:17:09,260
denied himself
289
00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:11,840
of becoming a brilliant man.
290
00:17:11,890 --> 00:17:15,690
- Coming from
extraordinary poverty,
291
00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,010
Pop was a piece of work.
292
00:17:18,060 --> 00:17:21,690
Difficult. He was
probably the greater thorn
293
00:17:21,730 --> 00:17:23,520
in Jose's side
294
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,230
than anybody
295
00:17:25,270 --> 00:17:26,900
ever trying to live up
296
00:17:26,940 --> 00:17:30,940
to some unspoken expectation.
297
00:17:30,990 --> 00:17:35,040
You just feel as a child
what your father,
298
00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,040
especially as a young man,
expects.
299
00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,000
- My mom, yes, was a doting mom,
300
00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,960
but she knew that the only thing
301
00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,750
that would make me independent
302
00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:48,760
was her teachings.
303
00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,550
And so I listened
and I learned a lot.
304
00:17:51,590 --> 00:17:53,130
My mother was...
305
00:17:54,390 --> 00:17:55,890
...no different than, I guess,
306
00:17:55,930 --> 00:17:59,560
any mother
who doesn't love a child.
307
00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,020
- His mom...
308
00:18:01,770 --> 00:18:03,690
had 11 boys.
309
00:18:03,730 --> 00:18:07,320
She had to be tough
to keep them all in line.
310
00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:09,070
Granted, three passed away,
311
00:18:09,110 --> 00:18:11,900
two in Puerto Rico,
even before Jose was born,
312
00:18:11,950 --> 00:18:14,120
and then one
when they were in the city.
313
00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,460
Mom tried
to keep it all together.
314
00:18:17,490 --> 00:18:20,740
She had
great difficulty sometimes
315
00:18:20,790 --> 00:18:22,830
accepting in the very beginning
316
00:18:22,870 --> 00:18:27,000
that Jose
was born with such problems.
317
00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,420
His mom was beside herself.
318
00:18:29,460 --> 00:18:32,210
"What am I going to do?
What am I going to do?
What am I going to do?"
319
00:18:32,260 --> 00:18:35,890
You know,
came to the point of just
letting him go in the river,
320
00:18:35,930 --> 00:18:38,220
you know,
and just, just, just...
321
00:18:38,260 --> 00:18:41,010
You know. I'm putting it
in the kindest terms.
322
00:18:41,060 --> 00:18:43,100
We all do numbers on our...
323
00:18:43,140 --> 00:18:44,930
On each other.
324
00:18:44,980 --> 00:18:47,770
He says he was unwanted
and that's a terrible thing
325
00:18:47,820 --> 00:18:50,280
for somebody to live through.
326
00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:55,790
Jose: He left one time
for a while
327
00:18:55,820 --> 00:18:57,530
and then he came back.
328
00:18:57,580 --> 00:19:01,000
Dad didn't abandon us in total.
329
00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:04,080
I leaned on Esteban,
I think, a little bit.
330
00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:07,620
I would ask him
when he came around
331
00:19:07,670 --> 00:19:10,010
to please take me
332
00:19:10,050 --> 00:19:11,930
to stay at his house.
333
00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,210
It was a time period,
but you know what?
334
00:19:14,260 --> 00:19:18,260
Even today,
you see it in many ways.
335
00:19:18,300 --> 00:19:20,220
It's not easy.
336
00:19:22,220 --> 00:19:24,140
- Jose has told me many times
337
00:19:24,190 --> 00:19:27,070
that he could have spent
his life selling pencils,
338
00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:31,310
but instead he's worked
eight, ten, 12 hours a day
339
00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:33,240
practicing his guitar.
340
00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:35,700
His father mentioned
that he'd never amount
to anything.
341
00:19:35,740 --> 00:19:38,080
And I think, knowing Jose,
342
00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:40,830
that his spirit is so strong
343
00:19:40,870 --> 00:19:43,160
that he put that as a challenge
344
00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,790
and he worked
and worked at his craft
345
00:19:45,830 --> 00:19:48,290
and became better and better.
346
00:19:48,330 --> 00:19:51,790
- And so then
the question then becomes,
from a clinical perspective:
347
00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:56,010
how do such individuals overcome
348
00:19:56,050 --> 00:20:00,220
and from where does
their ability to achieve
come from?
349
00:20:00,260 --> 00:20:04,640
It's that whole discourse
of the clinical word
we use as resilience,
350
00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,520
the innate strength
that people have
351
00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:08,940
from individual to individual.
352
00:20:08,980 --> 00:20:10,270
Some people have a little
bit more of it,
353
00:20:10,310 --> 00:20:11,690
some people
have a little bit less.
354
00:20:11,730 --> 00:20:14,650
It's not the it factor.
It's not just about charisma.
355
00:20:14,690 --> 00:20:17,530
It's part of our ability
to just have inner core strength
356
00:20:17,570 --> 00:20:19,280
to know who we are
357
00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:21,950
and to rise above
whatever adversity it is,
358
00:20:21,990 --> 00:20:24,120
not because of who we are,
359
00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,120
but in spite of who we are.
360
00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:37,970
It appears
that he more than likely had
that innate resiliency factor
361
00:20:38,010 --> 00:20:40,300
when he had so many cards
stacked against who he was.
362
00:20:40,340 --> 00:20:42,930
The reality is,
yeah, there are challenges,
363
00:20:42,970 --> 00:20:46,310
but if we don't
have challenges in life,
there's nothing to overcome.
364
00:20:49,980 --> 00:20:52,860
[**]
365
00:20:52,900 --> 00:20:54,940
about this contest
366
00:20:54,980 --> 00:20:58,530
that was being sponsored
by Cafe Bustelo.
367
00:20:58,570 --> 00:21:00,410
You send in
a letter talking
368
00:21:00,450 --> 00:21:03,910
about the person you want
to appear on that show.
369
00:21:03,950 --> 00:21:06,240
At the age of nine,
370
00:21:06,290 --> 00:21:08,420
I was playing the accordion.
371
00:21:08,460 --> 00:21:11,880
I said, "Ma, they're not going
to answer to you."
372
00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:13,260
And my mother was,
373
00:21:13,290 --> 00:21:16,000
"You wait and see.
You wait and see."
374
00:21:16,050 --> 00:21:19,010
My mother
gets a letter and she goes,
375
00:21:19,050 --> 00:21:21,220
"You going to be on the radio.
376
00:21:21,260 --> 00:21:23,970
You going to be on the radio!"
377
00:21:24,010 --> 00:21:26,510
I said, "Mom, really?
I'm going to be on the radio?
378
00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:28,310
Wow, that's great!"
379
00:21:30,390 --> 00:21:36,980
[**]
380
00:21:37,490 --> 00:21:41,790
[**]
381
00:21:41,820 --> 00:21:44,450
It was WWRL.
382
00:21:44,490 --> 00:21:46,330
It was a Black station.
383
00:21:46,370 --> 00:21:48,660
The people there
liked what I did,
384
00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:51,500
and the prize in the contest
385
00:21:51,540 --> 00:21:54,540
was to play for three days
386
00:21:54,590 --> 00:21:56,260
in a famous theater.
387
00:21:56,300 --> 00:21:59,300
The Latin people
used it for their productions.
388
00:21:59,340 --> 00:22:04,140
It was known
as El Teatro Puerto Rico,
389
00:22:04,180 --> 00:22:06,350
on Brook Avenue in the Bronx.
390
00:22:07,140 --> 00:22:09,390
[crowd cheering]
391
00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,990
I mean, the applause was amazing
392
00:22:24,030 --> 00:22:26,830
for... for a little kid like me.
393
00:22:26,870 --> 00:22:29,040
I mean, I...
394
00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,540
I don't know why
part of me was joyous,
395
00:22:32,580 --> 00:22:35,330
and another part
was a little embarrassed.
396
00:22:35,380 --> 00:22:36,380
[**]
397
00:22:36,420 --> 00:22:38,670
But it did tell me, you know,
398
00:22:38,710 --> 00:22:40,750
"Kid, if you work at this,
399
00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,300
something...
something can happen."
400
00:22:43,340 --> 00:22:46,140
And I was already
learning the guitar,
401
00:22:46,180 --> 00:22:50,020
practicing every day, listening
to people like Ray Charles
402
00:22:50,060 --> 00:22:51,190
for singing.
403
00:22:51,230 --> 00:22:53,980
And I thought,
"Ray Charles was blind.
404
00:22:54,020 --> 00:22:56,020
If he can make it,
405
00:22:56,060 --> 00:22:59,110
why couldn't
Jose Feliciano make it?"
406
00:22:59,150 --> 00:23:00,860
I said to myself, you know,
407
00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:02,860
"If you could follow
408
00:23:02,900 --> 00:23:06,360
what is being played
on the radio,
you're a professional."
409
00:23:06,410 --> 00:23:08,200
[**]
410
00:23:10,700 --> 00:23:15,040
My high school years
were loaded with fears
411
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:16,750
because I didn't have anyone
412
00:23:16,790 --> 00:23:19,170
qualified in my home
413
00:23:19,210 --> 00:23:21,550
to read the textbooks to me.
414
00:23:21,590 --> 00:23:24,550
And the schools
didn't have them in Braille.
415
00:23:24,590 --> 00:23:29,180
I mean, education for the blind
was really limited.
416
00:23:29,220 --> 00:23:31,390
Try and read Charles Dickens
417
00:23:31,430 --> 00:23:35,060
when you're only
12 years old, it's difficult!
418
00:23:35,100 --> 00:23:37,270
For example, David Copperfield
419
00:23:37,310 --> 00:23:39,600
is a very depressing book.
420
00:23:39,650 --> 00:23:42,280
I don't want to read
about a family that was sick.
421
00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,030
I saw that
as a child within my family.
422
00:23:46,070 --> 00:23:47,570
They always had headaches.
423
00:23:47,620 --> 00:23:51,330
They always smelled to Vicks.
[laughs]
424
00:23:53,290 --> 00:23:55,040
In those days, you know,
425
00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,210
you couldn't share your language
426
00:23:58,250 --> 00:24:00,130
with your classmates.
427
00:24:00,170 --> 00:24:03,760
They would go,
"English, English!"
428
00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,640
I understand
that from their viewpoint,
they didn't speak our language.
429
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:12,190
But what can you do
when that's the only language
you've learned in your life?
430
00:24:12,220 --> 00:24:15,100
And of course,
when I started learning
the guitar,
431
00:24:15,140 --> 00:24:17,310
it got more complicated
432
00:24:17,350 --> 00:24:20,770
because I would say,
"Ah, Jose, the hell
with the homework,
433
00:24:20,820 --> 00:24:21,900
practice the guitar.
434
00:24:21,940 --> 00:24:23,530
That's what's going
to get you far."
435
00:24:23,570 --> 00:24:26,570
Teachers would say,
"Mr. Feliciano,
436
00:24:26,610 --> 00:24:30,360
if you don't study, you're not
going to be very good in life.
437
00:24:30,410 --> 00:24:32,500
You're not
going to be educated."
438
00:24:32,540 --> 00:24:35,290
I didn't back talk
to my teachers,
439
00:24:35,330 --> 00:24:37,710
but inside I would say,
440
00:24:37,750 --> 00:24:41,460
"Well, that's what you think,
that I'm not going
to amount to much.
441
00:24:41,500 --> 00:24:45,630
I'll show you." And I practiced
the guitar even harder.
442
00:24:45,670 --> 00:24:48,380
In high school,
I'd play in the assemblies
443
00:24:48,430 --> 00:24:51,430
and the kids loved it
when I played the assemblies.
444
00:24:51,470 --> 00:24:54,770
[**]
445
00:24:54,810 --> 00:24:56,770
Girls threw themselves at me.
446
00:24:56,810 --> 00:24:59,690
But as I couldn't see them,
they fell.
I couldn't catch them.
447
00:24:59,730 --> 00:25:03,320
And they threatened
to sue me because they fell. No!
448
00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,450
If kids in my school
thought I was good,
449
00:25:08,490 --> 00:25:11,240
then I must be
some good, you know?
450
00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,490
- Three high school students,
the staff tells me
451
00:25:13,530 --> 00:25:16,070
they really have
a sound that's all their own.
452
00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:19,670
See, they're going to play
a real old favorite,
"Back Home In Indiana."
453
00:25:19,710 --> 00:25:21,550
The Modern Sound Trio.
454
00:25:21,580 --> 00:25:29,250
[**]
455
00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:38,400
[**]
456
00:25:38,430 --> 00:25:41,180
- The first time I saw him,
I was with my mom
457
00:25:41,230 --> 00:25:44,530
and we were watching
the Ted Mack Hour...
Amateur Hour.
458
00:25:44,570 --> 00:25:46,030
And then with Ed Sullivan.
459
00:25:46,070 --> 00:25:48,280
He went from Ted Mack
to Ed Sullivan.
460
00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:52,700
- The first true thing
that I ever saw Jose do
461
00:25:52,740 --> 00:25:54,780
was "Malagueña."
462
00:25:54,830 --> 00:25:57,880
And I was a little kid, man,
463
00:25:57,910 --> 00:25:59,620
but it just blew me away.
464
00:25:59,660 --> 00:26:02,410
Especially there's a part
where he just, like...
465
00:26:02,460 --> 00:26:05,250
completely drops his hand
466
00:26:05,290 --> 00:26:07,330
and starts
just playing with one hand.
467
00:26:07,380 --> 00:26:09,380
All these incredible parts.
468
00:26:10,420 --> 00:26:18,760
]
469
00:26:19,140 --> 00:26:27,230
[**]
470
00:26:27,270 --> 00:26:29,360
- I learned watching
Jose Feliciano
471
00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:31,820
that he's not only
an impeccable singer,
472
00:26:31,860 --> 00:26:33,860
but a supreme guitar player.
473
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:38,540
[**]
474
00:26:38,580 --> 00:26:40,750
Jose: When I left home at 18,
475
00:26:40,790 --> 00:26:43,960
nobody in my family
thought that I would be
476
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,170
the first one to leave home.
477
00:26:46,210 --> 00:26:49,420
And so I left home
at a young age,
478
00:26:49,460 --> 00:26:54,970
never dreaming
about what I would be doing.
479
00:26:55,010 --> 00:26:56,850
- He is an extraordinary
young man.
480
00:26:56,890 --> 00:26:58,890
He is a fine singer,
481
00:26:58,930 --> 00:27:01,520
an exceptional guitar player...
482
00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,730
He's been blind since birth.
483
00:27:03,770 --> 00:27:06,440
And he's going
to play and sing for you.
484
00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,690
"Walk Right In", Jose Feliciano.
"Walk Right In."
485
00:27:09,730 --> 00:27:18,320
[**]
486
00:27:18,950 --> 00:27:27,710
[**]
487
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:37,630
[**]
488
00:27:37,890 --> 00:27:39,140
[**]
489
00:27:39,180 --> 00:27:40,600
- Everybody!
490
00:27:40,970 --> 00:27:48,850
[**]
491
00:27:50,860 --> 00:27:58,950
[**]
492
00:27:58,990 --> 00:28:01,830
I decided to quit high school.
493
00:28:01,870 --> 00:28:04,540
I wanted to go
where the action was.
494
00:28:04,580 --> 00:28:06,790
And then I moved up
495
00:28:06,830 --> 00:28:08,500
to a bigger echelon.
496
00:28:08,540 --> 00:28:12,670
I went and started playing
Gerde's Folk City.
497
00:28:12,710 --> 00:28:14,630
[**]
498
00:28:14,670 --> 00:28:16,590
- Gerde's Folk City was a magnet
499
00:28:16,630 --> 00:28:18,550
for musicians of every kind,
500
00:28:18,590 --> 00:28:21,680
particularly in the early
rock days and in folk.
501
00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,270
And a lot of great people
like Bob Dylan
and Peter, Paul and Mary.
502
00:28:25,310 --> 00:28:29,730
It was like the center
of the Village
for important upcoming artists.
503
00:28:30,690 --> 00:28:39,660
[**]
504
00:28:44,370 --> 00:28:53,550
[**]
505
00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,390
- I did very well.
They wouldn't let me
off the stage.
506
00:29:01,430 --> 00:29:03,930
And so the proprietor saw that.
507
00:29:03,970 --> 00:29:06,970
He was a nice
Italian gentleman and said,
508
00:29:07,020 --> 00:29:10,980
"Hey, Jose. Come in here.
I want to talk to you.
509
00:29:11,020 --> 00:29:13,520
Hey, my name is Mike Porco.
510
00:29:13,570 --> 00:29:15,950
You want to play for me or not?"
511
00:29:15,990 --> 00:29:17,700
I said, "Well, Mr. Porco,
512
00:29:17,740 --> 00:29:20,370
how much are you willing
to pay me?"
513
00:29:20,410 --> 00:29:21,790
He said,
"I don't have to pay you.
514
00:29:21,820 --> 00:29:26,580
If you become popular at
Gerde's, maybe then we talk."
515
00:29:26,620 --> 00:29:29,500
And from then on, that man and I
516
00:29:29,540 --> 00:29:31,960
became the greatest of friends.
517
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,670
[**]
518
00:29:35,710 --> 00:29:38,800
- I walked in because I had
been sent to hear another group
519
00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:42,640
and there was this young guy
wearing dark glasses,
520
00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,020
but not in any way
did I think he was blind
521
00:29:45,060 --> 00:29:47,310
because everybody in the Village
wore dark glasses,
522
00:29:47,350 --> 00:29:50,940
either they were on drugs
or they were hung over
or whatever.
523
00:29:50,980 --> 00:29:53,110
I felt this was a raw,
524
00:29:53,150 --> 00:29:54,780
amazing talent.
525
00:29:54,820 --> 00:29:56,820
Seventeen years old,
I think, at the time.
526
00:29:56,860 --> 00:29:59,990
At the end of his act,
his then companion
527
00:30:00,030 --> 00:30:02,120
came over to the stage,
528
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,790
took his guitar
and led him off, and
I suddenly realized he's blind.
529
00:30:05,830 --> 00:30:07,710
Discovering
that night that he was blind,
530
00:30:07,750 --> 00:30:11,630
put me into a complete
new state of possibilities.
531
00:30:11,670 --> 00:30:14,510
Not to exploit it,
which I never did
and never wanted to,
532
00:30:14,540 --> 00:30:18,000
but it became a reality
of our relationship, you know.
533
00:30:18,050 --> 00:30:19,970
And I had to fight
to get him signed
because they said,
534
00:30:20,010 --> 00:30:23,260
"We don't want
this Puerto Rican kid
who can't see.
535
00:30:23,300 --> 00:30:26,050
What are we
going to do with him?"
They were really resistant.
536
00:30:26,100 --> 00:30:28,730
And I remember being called in
to by my boss and said,
537
00:30:28,770 --> 00:30:30,730
"Look, you can sign him
on one condition.
538
00:30:30,770 --> 00:30:32,900
You get the cheapest deal
you can."
539
00:30:32,940 --> 00:30:35,690
So I did. I went
to the legal department
540
00:30:35,730 --> 00:30:38,860
and I had them write up
the lowest rate contract
we could get.
541
00:30:38,900 --> 00:30:41,900
And they signed it because it
was Jose's opportunity.
542
00:30:41,950 --> 00:30:45,080
And in fact, there's a story
in the book
that Susan has written,
543
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,790
which I was not witness to.
544
00:30:47,830 --> 00:30:50,580
I never even heard it
until I read it in the book.
545
00:30:50,620 --> 00:30:52,830
That he was called in
by the executives
546
00:30:52,870 --> 00:30:55,920
and told they wanted
to change his name
547
00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:57,880
from a Spanish name,
Jose Feliciano,
548
00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,760
to Joe Phillips
or something like that.
549
00:31:00,800 --> 00:31:04,100
And he refused
because he is Puerto Rican
550
00:31:04,140 --> 00:31:06,020
and proud of it,
551
00:31:06,050 --> 00:31:09,510
and his heritage is there
and his life has started there.
552
00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:11,940
And I know I never I never had
553
00:31:11,980 --> 00:31:14,860
any inclination
to change him in any way at all,
554
00:31:14,900 --> 00:31:17,700
except to make him grow
or help him grow.
555
00:31:17,730 --> 00:31:21,030
- And, boy, I...
I jumped out of my skin.
556
00:31:21,070 --> 00:31:22,700
I was so excited. What?
557
00:31:22,740 --> 00:31:26,950
Me being on the same label
as Elvis Presley?
558
00:31:26,990 --> 00:31:28,830
RCA?
559
00:31:28,870 --> 00:31:31,620
And still, when I think of RCA
560
00:31:31,660 --> 00:31:32,950
and I mention it,
561
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,750
I get chills
up and down my spine.
562
00:31:36,580 --> 00:31:38,040
[**]
563
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:45,600
He had no sophistication
except in his music.
564
00:31:45,630 --> 00:31:47,800
So he was kind
of rough around the edges.
565
00:31:47,850 --> 00:31:49,980
And I'm just the opposite.
I'm a square, you know.
566
00:31:50,010 --> 00:31:53,010
I went to school
and studied engineering
567
00:31:53,060 --> 00:31:57,730
so we made it
a very nice partnership,
you could say.
568
00:31:57,770 --> 00:32:00,230
I was prepared not to be
successful at the beginning
569
00:32:00,270 --> 00:32:02,900
because I had this wild animal
570
00:32:02,940 --> 00:32:06,110
and I had to figure out
what the direction
to take him in
571
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,080
to make him acceptable
to a wider audience.
572
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:11,080
But I always had in mind
573
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:13,250
that night
at Gerde's when
the audience went wild over him
574
00:32:13,290 --> 00:32:17,420
because he was so charismatic
in his music
and so good as a musician.
575
00:32:17,460 --> 00:32:19,880
Then I spent time with him,
and we talked
about the kind of things
576
00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:21,880
he wanted to do, and of course,
577
00:32:23,260 --> 00:32:25,640
this is the first album we did.
578
00:32:26,590 --> 00:32:28,930
[crowd cheering]
579
00:32:28,970 --> 00:32:37,770
[**]
580
00:32:38,310 --> 00:32:47,650
[**]
581
00:32:53,990 --> 00:32:57,120
The promotion department
didn't understand Jose at all.
582
00:32:57,160 --> 00:33:01,040
They didn't put any muscle
into it, they didn't get
people to play it.
583
00:33:01,090 --> 00:33:03,840
All I knew is that I wanted
to do another album right away.
584
00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,930
And at that point
we did the second album.
585
00:33:06,970 --> 00:33:09,890
It was a little
more focused on "rock,"
I guess you could call it.
586
00:33:09,930 --> 00:33:13,140
In fact, the name of the album
is A Bag Full of Soul.
587
00:33:13,180 --> 00:33:14,680
This is the album.
588
00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:18,190
[**]
589
00:33:19,690 --> 00:33:21,820
He felt like a son to me
all those years
590
00:33:21,860 --> 00:33:23,900
and still a smartass kid
591
00:33:23,940 --> 00:33:26,190
with a ghastly sense of humor.
592
00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:29,370
A brutally ghastly
sense of humor
593
00:33:29,410 --> 00:33:32,000
that I love so much.
594
00:33:32,030 --> 00:33:34,700
You can see
what's going on in my face.
595
00:33:34,740 --> 00:33:37,080
I'm reliving all of it,
and it was wonderful.
596
00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:43,090
[**]
597
00:33:43,130 --> 00:33:44,590
Jose: I was young,
598
00:33:44,630 --> 00:33:46,050
slim and handsome.
599
00:33:46,090 --> 00:33:49,550
At least that's how
I thought of myself.
600
00:33:49,590 --> 00:33:54,260
I knew that since I couldn't
see myself,
I wouldn't be wrong.
601
00:33:54,310 --> 00:33:58,980
I was managed
by my first wife at the time.
602
00:33:59,020 --> 00:34:03,320
I have to say she didn't do
such a bad job in the beginning.
603
00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:05,860
She did well, she meant well.
604
00:34:05,900 --> 00:34:09,700
I met her playing at one of
the cafes in Greenwich Village.
605
00:34:09,740 --> 00:34:13,080
Her sister conned her
into going there to see me.
606
00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,290
Her sister goes,
"He's a blind guy,
607
00:34:16,330 --> 00:34:18,000
but what a guitarist he is."
608
00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,330
And so she came in to see me.
609
00:34:20,370 --> 00:34:22,290
She introduced herself.
610
00:34:22,330 --> 00:34:24,120
We got along.
611
00:34:33,180 --> 00:34:34,890
[**]
612
00:34:34,930 --> 00:34:37,060
And it's sad.
Nobody liked Hilda.
613
00:34:37,100 --> 00:34:41,980
I don't understand why she had
that kind of vibe with people.
614
00:34:54,370 --> 00:34:58,710
At that time,
I was with the agency ITA
615
00:34:58,740 --> 00:35:00,370
and through Hilda
616
00:35:00,410 --> 00:35:02,830
they got a little tour
617
00:35:02,870 --> 00:35:04,410
going of Argentina
618
00:35:04,460 --> 00:35:07,210
and RCA also sent me down
619
00:35:07,250 --> 00:35:11,630
to do the festival
in Mar del Plata.
620
00:35:11,670 --> 00:35:13,760
I told the executives,
621
00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:16,090
"Let me record
622
00:35:16,140 --> 00:35:19,890
some boleros
that I've known all my life."
623
00:35:19,930 --> 00:35:22,060
We recorded it,
624
00:35:22,100 --> 00:35:27,400
which was called
Una voz, una sombra
y una guitarra.
625
00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,480
I got back to the apartment
and then I hear the news.
626
00:35:30,530 --> 00:35:33,030
"Jose, you got
to come back here.
627
00:35:33,070 --> 00:35:34,820
You're hotter than a pistol!"
628
00:35:34,860 --> 00:35:37,280
[**]
629
00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:42,120
I made the girls cry.
They made me cry.
630
00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:46,120
And it was crazy.
It was like the screaming girls
631
00:35:46,170 --> 00:35:48,960
they didn't care
whether they could hear
me or not.
632
00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:51,540
They just were happy
that they saw me.
633
00:35:51,590 --> 00:35:53,510
I'll never get over it, I guess.
634
00:35:53,550 --> 00:35:56,300
I expect the same thing at home.
635
00:35:56,340 --> 00:35:58,130
No.
636
00:35:58,180 --> 00:36:01,060
That concert and that album
637
00:36:01,100 --> 00:36:03,440
were really the springboard
638
00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,730
to my career.
639
00:36:06,770 --> 00:36:10,070
- People don't realize he was
the first ever Latin
crossover artist.
640
00:36:10,110 --> 00:36:12,860
He was raised in Manhattan,
641
00:36:12,900 --> 00:36:15,690
in Spanish Harlem,
and went back to Latin America
642
00:36:15,740 --> 00:36:17,830
and made a huge hit in Argentina
643
00:36:17,870 --> 00:36:19,960
with his bolero album.
644
00:36:19,990 --> 00:36:21,410
So he was actually the first
ever Latin crossover artist
645
00:36:21,450 --> 00:36:24,830
that paved the way
for everybody from Gloria
646
00:36:24,870 --> 00:36:26,370
to Santana.
647
00:36:26,420 --> 00:36:29,220
[**]
648
00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:45,060
[**]
649
00:36:53,530 --> 00:36:56,030
[**]
650
00:37:09,330 --> 00:37:12,040
[crowd cheering]
651
00:37:21,260 --> 00:37:24,220
- I think I should tell you
the first time I met Jose,
652
00:37:24,270 --> 00:37:26,230
Jose was 23.
653
00:37:26,270 --> 00:37:29,940
The producers did not want
to really hear
his acoustic guitar.
654
00:37:29,980 --> 00:37:33,480
A meeting was set up
and we were having
a little bit of a conversation
655
00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:38,070
and all of a sudden
I thought I saw something
out of the corner of my eye fall
656
00:37:38,110 --> 00:37:41,860
and I looked down
and started to reach down.
657
00:37:41,910 --> 00:37:44,040
And I saw an eye looking at me.
658
00:37:44,830 --> 00:37:46,790
And I drew back.
659
00:37:46,830 --> 00:37:50,080
And Jose said,
"Did you see my eye?"
660
00:37:50,790 --> 00:37:52,540
And I said,
661
00:37:52,590 --> 00:37:54,180
"Yes, I think it's down here."
662
00:37:54,210 --> 00:37:56,170
And kind of guided
his hand to pick it up
663
00:37:56,210 --> 00:38:00,420
because I'd never picked up
an eye before off the floor.
664
00:38:00,470 --> 00:38:03,560
And that was the beginning
of our relationship,
665
00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:05,190
that he planned that.
666
00:38:05,220 --> 00:38:08,220
And he was putting me
right on the spot.
667
00:38:08,270 --> 00:38:10,560
And that's his sense of humor.
668
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,350
And it's never left him
669
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:14,110
in all the time
that I've known him.
670
00:38:14,150 --> 00:38:16,320
- Rick came to see me
671
00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,320
at the Golden Bear,
where I was playing
in Huntington Beach.
672
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:22,200
And Rick put an album together
673
00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:25,540
from a lot of the stage material
674
00:38:25,580 --> 00:38:27,120
that I was playing.
675
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:29,450
That's what really
got that album together.
676
00:38:29,500 --> 00:38:33,460
And Jose and I discussed it
and picked "Light My Fire"
677
00:38:33,500 --> 00:38:35,460
as one of the songs.
678
00:38:35,500 --> 00:38:37,960
I said, "Rick, I don't want
to record 'Light My Fire.'
679
00:38:38,010 --> 00:38:40,100
It was a hit
last year, you know?"
680
00:38:40,130 --> 00:38:42,220
And Rick said, "Well,
681
00:38:42,260 --> 00:38:45,140
I think you should record it.
Your performance is different."
682
00:38:45,180 --> 00:38:49,060
And so when the album
was completely finished,
683
00:38:49,100 --> 00:38:52,900
I would take the album,
put headphones on
684
00:38:52,940 --> 00:38:55,900
and listen to it,
and listen to it,
685
00:38:55,940 --> 00:38:57,320
and listen to it...
686
00:38:57,360 --> 00:39:06,370
[**]
687
00:39:21,340 --> 00:39:23,840
[**]
688
00:39:23,880 --> 00:39:25,340
- But...
689
00:39:25,390 --> 00:39:29,270
when the execs
from RCA heard that album,
690
00:39:29,310 --> 00:39:32,900
the president, vice president
and on down the line
691
00:39:32,940 --> 00:39:34,440
and also Jose's managers,
692
00:39:36,060 --> 00:39:38,270
they hated the album.
693
00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:40,530
They hated
everything they heard,
694
00:39:40,570 --> 00:39:43,610
and they were even
threatening to erase the album.
695
00:39:43,650 --> 00:39:46,070
It was that bad.
696
00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:49,540
And they said, "we wanted you
to do a rock album
with Jose Feliciano."
697
00:39:49,580 --> 00:39:54,130
And my answer
to them was, "I did what I felt
was honest with this artist."
698
00:39:54,170 --> 00:39:56,630
And it came out,
through the grace of God,
699
00:39:56,670 --> 00:39:58,260
it slipped out somehow
700
00:39:58,290 --> 00:40:00,420
with all the RCA bureaucracy,
701
00:40:00,460 --> 00:40:03,340
and suddenly radio stations
started picking up the album
702
00:40:03,380 --> 00:40:07,260
and the single,
and it became a monster hit.
703
00:40:07,300 --> 00:40:11,180
And Jose
was finally recognized
for the true great artist he is.
704
00:40:11,220 --> 00:40:13,470
[crowd cheering]
705
00:40:20,360 --> 00:40:22,360
Jose: When I was nominated
for the Grammysear of 68,
706
00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:25,070
I didn't know if I would win.
707
00:40:25,110 --> 00:40:27,240
But when I was sitting there
708
00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:29,910
and they were opening
the envelope and they said,
709
00:40:29,950 --> 00:40:35,080
"And now,
the winner of the Grammy
for Best New Artist
710
00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:37,620
is... Jose Feliciano!
711
00:40:37,670 --> 00:40:39,760
I almost shit in my pants.
712
00:40:39,790 --> 00:40:42,250
[**]
713
00:40:54,140 --> 00:40:56,140
¡Anda!
714
00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:05,270
- I was 14 years old when I
first heard "Light My Fire"
715
00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:08,740
painting the fence
in the front yard for my folks.
716
00:41:08,780 --> 00:41:11,450
I had the radio on,
you know, middle of summer
717
00:41:11,490 --> 00:41:14,330
and listening,
rocking to the radio
718
00:41:14,370 --> 00:41:18,330
and "Light My Fire,"
I thought it was intriguing.
I thought Jose was Black though,
719
00:41:18,370 --> 00:41:21,120
I had no idea
who he was or what he was.
720
00:41:21,170 --> 00:41:24,130
It wasn't until he did
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
721
00:41:24,170 --> 00:41:26,460
did I see his image,
722
00:41:26,510 --> 00:41:28,970
learned his name,
put the two together and went,
723
00:41:29,010 --> 00:41:30,430
"Oh!
724
00:41:31,510 --> 00:41:33,220
He's very cute.
725
00:41:33,260 --> 00:41:34,550
He's very cute."
726
00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:37,310
- The first time I heard
of Jose,
727
00:41:37,350 --> 00:41:38,770
I believe it was "Light My Fire"
728
00:41:38,810 --> 00:41:40,980
because I was a huge music fan.
729
00:41:41,020 --> 00:41:44,570
He incorporated all this groove,
this Latin groove into it.
730
00:41:44,610 --> 00:41:47,660
Here was a guy
with a name similar to mine,
731
00:41:47,700 --> 00:41:49,450
a Hispanic name,
732
00:41:49,490 --> 00:41:51,280
and huge.
733
00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:53,320
I remember I still had
734
00:41:53,370 --> 00:41:56,460
the first headphones
that ever came out
that were stereo
735
00:41:56,500 --> 00:41:58,210
that I would listen to radio on,
736
00:41:58,250 --> 00:42:01,250
and I was
so excited for the sound.
737
00:42:01,290 --> 00:42:04,040
- When he took that song,
"Light My Fire,"
738
00:42:04,090 --> 00:42:06,340
as big as it was by The Doors,
739
00:42:06,380 --> 00:42:09,300
he was able to introduce it
to 500 million people
740
00:42:09,340 --> 00:42:11,430
that didn't know The Doors.
741
00:42:11,470 --> 00:42:14,770
Jose: And to think that a kid
from the hills of Puerto Rico
742
00:42:14,810 --> 00:42:19,520
would be nominated
on this American stage.
743
00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:23,310
The only thing that took
a little bit out of the joy
744
00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:25,320
was that I couldn't share it
with my mom
745
00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:27,030
or my brothers.
746
00:42:27,070 --> 00:42:29,200
I shared it with them on TV,
747
00:42:29,240 --> 00:42:32,700
but none of them could be
there to really enjoy it
748
00:42:32,740 --> 00:42:35,370
and relish it with me.
749
00:42:35,410 --> 00:42:37,870
- He loves being home
and in the family dimension,
750
00:42:37,910 --> 00:42:39,540
PUERTO RICAN LEAGUE
BROOKLYN
751
00:42:39,580 --> 00:42:40,830
the food, the music,
the laughter, the people.
752
00:42:40,870 --> 00:42:42,580
Jose has said a thousand times,
753
00:42:42,630 --> 00:42:45,590
friends at school
treated him differently.
754
00:42:45,630 --> 00:42:48,510
He's still the same guy.
"I'm still the same Jose."
755
00:42:48,550 --> 00:42:50,220
And oh, well, now look at you.
756
00:42:50,260 --> 00:42:52,300
People look at you differently.
757
00:42:56,850 --> 00:42:59,440
Commentator: Ladies and
gentlemen, please rise and join
758
00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:01,570
in the singing
of our national anthem,
759
00:43:01,600 --> 00:43:03,730
which will be played
by Merle Albee's band
760
00:43:03,770 --> 00:43:06,730
and will be sung
by Jose Feliciano.
761
00:43:06,770 --> 00:43:09,400
Jose: In my mind,
I thought, "Jose,
762
00:43:09,440 --> 00:43:13,110
how are you going
to sing the national anthem?"
763
00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:16,580
I decided to put a little soul
764
00:43:16,620 --> 00:43:17,790
into the anthem.
765
00:43:19,540 --> 00:43:22,540
[Jose sings
"The Star-Spangled Banner"]
766
00:43:27,420 --> 00:43:29,380
- There's this one guy
in particular,
767
00:43:29,420 --> 00:43:33,130
and he's kind of like looking
and straightening his tie.
768
00:43:33,180 --> 00:43:35,270
He could not contain himself.
769
00:43:35,300 --> 00:43:36,760
And then they cut away
770
00:43:36,800 --> 00:43:39,590
and we watch
the flag for the next moments.
771
00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:41,770
And I think
that was the first inclination
772
00:43:41,810 --> 00:43:44,480
that there was
like something amiss.
773
00:43:44,520 --> 00:43:47,270
- I was in school already
at the time
774
00:43:47,310 --> 00:43:49,730
and we would sing
the national anthem the way...
775
00:43:49,780 --> 00:43:52,280
[singing] Oh, say, can you...
776
00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:53,820
Some people were very offended.
777
00:43:53,860 --> 00:43:56,280
Half of the stadium
were throwing cans at him.
778
00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:57,860
There was a lot
of hatred at the time.
779
00:43:57,910 --> 00:44:00,460
It was horrible
the things that he had to hear
780
00:44:00,490 --> 00:44:03,580
when all he was doing
was being creative.
781
00:44:04,000 --> 00:44:05,840
[**]
782
00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:07,510
- Radio play disappeared.
783
00:44:07,540 --> 00:44:09,580
Veterans, they say,
were throwing their shoes
784
00:44:09,630 --> 00:44:12,470
at the TV set
and he's ostracized.
785
00:44:12,510 --> 00:44:14,470
They want to deport him.
786
00:44:14,510 --> 00:44:16,470
- Hello!
Puerto Ricans are Americans,
787
00:44:16,510 --> 00:44:18,930
but a lot of people
don't even realize that.
788
00:44:18,970 --> 00:44:20,680
Whenever you try something new
789
00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:23,470
and try to be yourself,
you'll always get criticized.
790
00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:33,360
If you're an immigrant,
if you come from somewhere else,
791
00:44:33,400 --> 00:44:35,320
that's going to add
792
00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:37,860
to whatever controversy,
whenever you do anything.
793
00:44:38,030 --> 00:44:47,370
[**]
794
00:44:54,010 --> 00:44:55,600
- He loved this country.
795
00:44:55,630 --> 00:44:57,670
It was never lack of respect.
796
00:44:57,720 --> 00:45:00,720
It was something
that I don't think anyone loves
this country more than him.
797
00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:04,720
[**]
798
00:45:09,900 --> 00:45:11,280
- Right then and there
799
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:13,820
is when people went,
800
00:45:13,860 --> 00:45:16,820
"Oh, improvising
on top of something
like this it's pretty cool.
801
00:45:16,860 --> 00:45:19,780
It changed the course
of pop culture forever.
802
00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:24,540
[**]
803
00:45:24,580 --> 00:45:26,540
- This man
was in the 101st Airborne.
804
00:45:26,580 --> 00:45:29,000
So when you write
your nasty letters and...
805
00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:30,580
- Nasty letters?
806
00:45:30,630 --> 00:45:32,510
- When you mention
the national anthem
807
00:45:32,550 --> 00:45:35,510
and talk about playing it
in an unorthodox way,
808
00:45:35,550 --> 00:45:38,590
you immediately get a guaranteed
percentage of hate mail...
809
00:45:38,630 --> 00:45:41,510
- What did you say?
I don't think it's unorthodox.
810
00:45:41,550 --> 00:45:43,510
-It isn't unorthodox?
- No, no, no.
811
00:45:43,560 --> 00:45:44,850
I thought it was beautiful.
812
00:45:44,890 --> 00:45:46,600
Well, there you go.
[crowd cheers]
813
00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,390
- So when I play it,
we don't play lyrics.
814
00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:53,280
We play... We play sex.
Watch this.
815
00:45:53,320 --> 00:45:55,070
[rhythmically snaps his fingers]
816
00:45:55,110 --> 00:45:57,570
Like Marvin Gaye.
817
00:45:57,610 --> 00:45:59,450
[rhythmically snaps
his fingers and hums]
818
00:46:09,790 --> 00:46:11,750
That's why
I don't get in trouble.
819
00:46:11,790 --> 00:46:13,830
This is sex and it's spiritual.
820
00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,970
And how can you get in trouble
with sexuality or spirituality?
821
00:46:17,010 --> 00:46:19,760
It's always about
all-inclusiveness.
822
00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:22,600
I don't get in trouble
because I don't sing the words.
823
00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:25,560
I play the melody,
and the melody transcends
824
00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:28,980
what's written on paper
about the national anthem.
825
00:46:29,020 --> 00:46:31,810
[**]
826
00:46:37,820 --> 00:46:40,910
- It wasn't until later in the
evening when I saw it
on the news
827
00:46:40,950 --> 00:46:43,200
and it was like...
just different.
828
00:46:43,240 --> 00:46:46,620
I mean,
it was stunningly different
829
00:46:46,660 --> 00:46:48,830
for that time, for that moment.
830
00:46:48,870 --> 00:46:50,660
And I think they almost likened
831
00:46:50,710 --> 00:46:53,050
Jose's rendition of the anthem
832
00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:54,750
as the burning of the flag.
833
00:46:54,790 --> 00:46:57,960
- It was a hard pill to swallow.
Truthfully.
834
00:46:58,010 --> 00:47:01,100
I'd put the radio on
and all I would hear is
835
00:47:01,130 --> 00:47:05,260
everybody on these programs,
they had criticized me.
836
00:47:05,300 --> 00:47:09,050
I never thought I would cause
that much of a ruckus.
837
00:47:09,100 --> 00:47:10,730
I wasn't out
838
00:47:10,770 --> 00:47:14,730
to defame the country
that has given me
839
00:47:14,770 --> 00:47:17,020
the opportunity
to be successful.
840
00:47:18,900 --> 00:47:21,110
- He lived in it
and it was horrible
841
00:47:21,150 --> 00:47:23,610
and it made it so that he had
842
00:47:23,660 --> 00:47:27,790
to find work outside
of the US somewhat.
843
00:47:29,540 --> 00:47:32,540
[airplane engines roaring]
844
00:47:35,130 --> 00:47:38,930
Jose: When you have a lot of
pounds, people come around all
the time, but when you're broke,
845
00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:41,750
there's nobody
to even pay your bills.
846
00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:44,850
This is entitled "Down and Out."
847
00:47:44,890 --> 00:47:46,770
In 1969,
848
00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:50,010
I played the London Palladium.
849
00:47:50,060 --> 00:47:52,900
Rick and I had a hit
850
00:47:52,940 --> 00:47:54,980
live album.
851
00:47:55,020 --> 00:47:57,560
And there was so much material,
there was enough
852
00:47:57,610 --> 00:48:01,610
for a double album and RCA was
very much against that.
853
00:48:01,650 --> 00:48:03,490
But it's so funny
854
00:48:03,530 --> 00:48:07,530
because the minute
that album was recorded,
855
00:48:07,580 --> 00:48:10,000
the next day, RCA called me
856
00:48:10,040 --> 00:48:12,670
and said,
"Get those tapes back here
857
00:48:12,710 --> 00:48:14,840
because it's already gone gold."
858
00:48:14,870 --> 00:48:17,910
On a double album,
which was unheard of
at that time.
859
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:21,090
[**]
860
00:49:25,150 --> 00:49:27,570
- Ladies and gentlemen,
Jose Feliciano.
861
00:49:27,610 --> 00:49:29,150
[crowd cheers]
862
00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:32,790
[**]
863
00:49:59,900 --> 00:50:01,990
And after 17 shows,
if I learn a new chord
864
00:50:02,020 --> 00:50:04,650
on every show,
I'll know a total of 21 chords.
865
00:50:04,690 --> 00:50:07,070
Would you teach me...?
866
00:50:07,110 --> 00:50:09,780
And Johnny,
It would be my pleasure,
man, to teach you a few chords.
867
00:50:09,820 --> 00:50:11,280
How about
something like this, son?
868
00:50:11,320 --> 00:50:13,660
[tricky guitar chord]
869
00:50:13,700 --> 00:50:15,330
Yeah, I could learn that.
870
00:50:15,370 --> 00:50:17,080
Jose Feliciano!
871
00:50:18,250 --> 00:50:20,750
[crown cheering]
872
00:50:23,340 --> 00:50:26,010
Jose: I wrot
873
00:50:26,050 --> 00:50:28,340
from my family in Puerto Rico,
874
00:50:28,380 --> 00:50:30,050
but I also wrote it
875
00:50:30,090 --> 00:50:33,220
with the happiness
that Puerto Rico can generate.
876
00:50:33,260 --> 00:50:36,850
Unbeknownst to me,
I was creating a monster.
877
00:50:36,890 --> 00:50:38,850
But the one thing I did do
878
00:50:38,890 --> 00:50:40,640
is that I made it
879
00:50:40,690 --> 00:50:42,690
so that no station
880
00:50:42,730 --> 00:50:44,980
could turn me off on Christmas.
881
00:50:47,070 --> 00:50:50,370
I want to thank
all of you for making
882
00:50:50,400 --> 00:50:53,650
"Feliz Navidad"
883
00:50:53,700 --> 00:50:56,700
the most famous song
884
00:50:56,740 --> 00:50:58,280
all over the world.
885
00:50:58,330 --> 00:51:01,580
Yeah, one more time!
886
00:51:01,620 --> 00:51:04,080
[**]
887
00:51:19,430 --> 00:51:21,220
I love you. Thank you.
888
00:51:26,770 --> 00:51:28,810
And I see it now
889
00:51:28,860 --> 00:51:30,900
and I laugh, you know,
890
00:51:30,950 --> 00:51:33,410
because I'm thinking to myself,
"Listen, you sons of bitches,
891
00:51:33,450 --> 00:51:34,950
you got to play me now."
892
00:51:34,990 --> 00:51:37,240
And I was proud and I am proud.
893
00:51:37,280 --> 00:51:38,570
And it's like
894
00:51:38,620 --> 00:51:40,250
having a pie
895
00:51:40,290 --> 00:51:44,380
that every American artist
or every European artist
896
00:51:44,420 --> 00:51:46,210
wants to have a bite from it.
897
00:51:46,250 --> 00:51:47,920
[**]
[cheers]
898
00:52:05,810 --> 00:52:07,310
- That was beautiful.
899
00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:12,110
Here he is.
900
00:52:12,150 --> 00:52:15,900
Here is
the great Jose Feliciano.
901
00:52:15,950 --> 00:52:18,660
The winner of Sanremo.
How are you doing?
902
00:52:18,700 --> 00:52:21,330
- I'm so happy
with Sanremo success.
903
00:52:21,370 --> 00:52:22,370
- You are?
- Sure.
904
00:52:22,410 --> 00:52:24,160
- What are you going
to play for us?
905
00:52:24,210 --> 00:52:29,300
- They chose this song
to be number two,
but I say it's number one.
906
00:52:29,340 --> 00:52:31,010
- Okay, then.
907
00:52:31,050 --> 00:52:34,800
- There is a song
that has been successful
908
00:52:34,840 --> 00:52:37,300
throughout the world
and it's "Che sarà."
909
00:52:37,340 --> 00:52:42,760
- In 1969, I performed
in Buenos Aires carnival...
910
00:52:42,810 --> 00:52:44,900
[**]
911
00:52:44,940 --> 00:52:47,690
And there, I had
the great opportunity
912
00:52:47,730 --> 00:52:49,440
of meeting Jose Feliciano,
913
00:52:49,480 --> 00:52:50,980
who two or three months later
914
00:52:51,030 --> 00:52:53,280
would become a big world star.
915
00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:55,990
At that moment,
916
00:52:56,030 --> 00:52:58,070
my producer, who had helped me
917
00:52:58,120 --> 00:53:02,290
write the song, told me:
918
00:53:02,330 --> 00:53:05,000
"Imagine if we could get
Feliciano to record this song?"
919
00:53:05,040 --> 00:53:09,340
So we called him.
He was very kind and said:
920
00:53:09,380 --> 00:53:12,720
"Come to the US
and we'll talk about it."
921
00:53:12,760 --> 00:53:15,140
[crowd cheering]
922
00:53:16,930 --> 00:53:25,190
[**]
923
00:53:25,230 --> 00:53:27,860
[**]
924
00:53:27,900 --> 00:53:29,690
Jose: It was a thrill for me
925
00:53:29,730 --> 00:53:32,940
because this was the first time
that a Puerto Rican had come
926
00:53:32,980 --> 00:53:35,020
to that particular festival.
927
00:53:36,530 --> 00:53:39,280
And I translated it into Spanish
928
00:53:39,320 --> 00:53:41,410
and it became
a hit in South America.
929
00:53:43,910 --> 00:53:47,960
[crowd singing]
930
00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:50,210
- "Qué será" was quite
a phenomenon.
931
00:53:50,250 --> 00:53:53,210
It charted
in three different languages,
932
00:53:53,250 --> 00:53:55,710
in three different continents.
933
00:53:55,760 --> 00:54:00,270
It was amazing and it became
a huge worldwide hit.
934
00:54:00,890 --> 00:54:08,570
[**]
935
00:54:08,600 --> 00:54:11,020
- I saw him in concert
936
00:54:11,060 --> 00:54:12,600
and I met Hilda.
937
00:54:12,650 --> 00:54:15,280
She said, "Oh, yes, you're
the president of the fan club."
938
00:54:18,240 --> 00:54:20,200
We were invited back
to the dressing room.
939
00:54:20,240 --> 00:54:23,410
Afterwards, my mom
and my girlfriend, Mary and I,
940
00:54:23,450 --> 00:54:26,080
and we spent
a little time together.
941
00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:28,080
And then my mommy said,
942
00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:31,870
"Well, I guess it's time
for me to take my girls home."
943
00:54:31,920 --> 00:54:34,300
And I remember Jose said,
944
00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:37,090
"Both of them?"
945
00:54:37,130 --> 00:54:41,470
He invited me
to be his girlfriend that week.
946
00:54:41,510 --> 00:54:46,430
There was never a feeling
of "am I doing something
wrong here?" Because it never...
947
00:54:46,470 --> 00:54:49,100
It never felt wrong.
948
00:54:49,140 --> 00:54:51,980
It was a purity of heart
949
00:54:52,020 --> 00:54:55,110
and an innocence
that started with my...
950
00:54:55,150 --> 00:54:58,490
...clueless!
And Jose's, I think, need
951
00:54:58,530 --> 00:55:03,830
to break away from some
of that big mess
that was happening.
952
00:55:03,870 --> 00:55:05,870
You know, the explosion
953
00:55:05,910 --> 00:55:09,870
of his music and the controversy
with "The Star-Spangled Banner."
954
00:55:09,910 --> 00:55:17,330
[**]
955
00:55:17,380 --> 00:55:20,380
- Pop music, soul music,
whatever you call it,
at the time
956
00:55:20,420 --> 00:55:24,090
was very segregated
and the TV themes
and film themes at the time
957
00:55:24,140 --> 00:55:26,310
were kind of reserved
for the composers.
958
00:55:26,350 --> 00:55:29,980
It was really rare
for a pop artist to do
a TV theme.
959
00:55:30,020 --> 00:55:32,820
And so Quincy Jones asks Jose
960
00:55:32,850 --> 00:55:35,560
to do the theme song
to the film McKenna's Gold,
961
00:55:35,610 --> 00:55:38,910
and they end up having
a hit with that song overseas.
962
00:55:38,940 --> 00:55:42,440
And I think Quincy was nominated
for a Grammy for the album.
963
00:55:42,490 --> 00:55:45,120
Then he goes on to do
Chico And The ManTV theme.
964
00:55:45,160 --> 00:55:47,580
Then he goes
on to do appearances,
965
00:55:47,620 --> 00:55:50,330
TV show appearances.
966
00:55:50,370 --> 00:55:52,120
Jose makes it big
as a pop artist
967
00:55:52,160 --> 00:55:54,660
and then ends up doing TV themes
for the remainder
of the seventies.
968
00:55:54,710 --> 00:56:02,340
[**]
969
00:56:02,380 --> 00:56:04,920
- I loved that show
and I can still sing
the theme.
970
00:56:04,970 --> 00:56:11,020
[singing]
971
00:56:11,060 --> 00:56:12,190
I liked it!
972
00:56:12,690 --> 00:56:21,660
[**]
973
00:56:26,490 --> 00:56:33,160
[**]
974
00:56:33,210 --> 00:56:36,920
- That series, right there.
I was very into the series.
975
00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:39,130
Everybody was.
I mean, it was a hit.
976
00:56:39,170 --> 00:56:43,420
Freddie Prince was that guy
that we all wanted to be.
977
00:56:43,470 --> 00:56:46,970
He had the American friend
that owned the garage
978
00:56:47,010 --> 00:56:49,930
and mentored him
and helped him.
979
00:56:49,970 --> 00:56:54,060
There was so many Latinos
trying to make it
in this country,
980
00:56:54,100 --> 00:56:56,980
trying to achieve
their American dream.
981
00:56:57,020 --> 00:56:59,480
[**]
982
00:57:16,750 --> 00:57:19,130
[crowd cheering]
983
00:57:21,420 --> 00:57:23,300
[**]
984
00:57:23,340 --> 00:57:27,220
- I got the call to write
the theme for Chico and the Man
985
00:57:27,260 --> 00:57:31,310
in 73, and I had
to make it so that Chico
986
00:57:31,350 --> 00:57:34,020
had patience with the man.
987
00:57:34,060 --> 00:57:37,270
I wrote
the lyrics all by myself.
988
00:57:37,310 --> 00:57:39,600
And I say that proudly.
989
00:57:39,650 --> 00:57:41,740
Janna, my wife, Hilda,
990
00:57:41,770 --> 00:57:44,360
forced me to give her
991
00:57:44,400 --> 00:57:47,530
credit for the lyric, and she
wrote nothing of that lyric.
992
00:57:48,490 --> 00:57:50,280
- He was just...
993
00:57:50,320 --> 00:57:52,780
a very, very unhappy guy.
994
00:57:52,830 --> 00:57:55,120
Jose was tormented at that time
995
00:57:55,160 --> 00:57:57,710
with what was going on at home.
996
00:57:57,750 --> 00:58:03,010
His relationship
was disintegrating.
It was sad.
997
00:58:03,050 --> 00:58:04,680
I felt really sad for him.
998
00:58:04,710 --> 00:58:10,170
She changed her name
during that time period.
999
00:58:10,220 --> 00:58:12,310
Everything
was happening so fast.
1000
00:58:12,350 --> 00:58:15,190
It's not even Hilda anymore.
Now it's Janna.
1001
00:58:17,850 --> 00:58:21,730
- A lot of people were confused
by that, but the truth is,
Janna Feliciano
1002
00:58:21,770 --> 00:58:24,440
has the same initials
as Jose Feliciano.
1003
00:58:24,480 --> 00:58:26,320
And what that allowed her to do
1004
00:58:26,360 --> 00:58:28,450
was to sign contracts
1005
00:58:28,490 --> 00:58:31,660
and booking engagements,
all those things,
in Jose's name
1006
00:58:31,700 --> 00:58:34,330
without Jose
ever having to see them.
1007
00:58:34,370 --> 00:58:36,410
Jose's had
that sort of bad luck
1008
00:58:36,450 --> 00:58:39,410
with not only his first wife
also being his manager,
1009
00:58:39,460 --> 00:58:41,550
but many managers to follow.
1010
00:58:41,580 --> 00:58:44,120
The one thing that I would've
wished for Jose's career
1011
00:58:44,170 --> 00:58:45,710
was that it could've had
better management
1012
00:58:45,760 --> 00:58:48,350
because that would have changed
things throughout his career.
1013
00:58:48,380 --> 00:58:50,340
Jose: In some ways, it was sad.
1014
00:58:50,380 --> 00:58:53,130
You just can't leave everything
all of a sudden
1015
00:58:53,180 --> 00:58:55,270
and not feel bad.
1016
00:58:55,310 --> 00:58:59,190
I divorced her and I went
to live with Susan.
1017
00:58:59,230 --> 00:59:00,480
Even though I felt sad
1018
00:59:00,520 --> 00:59:03,520
about the Janna situation,
1019
00:59:03,560 --> 00:59:05,560
I think it was
the right move for me.
1020
00:59:05,610 --> 00:59:07,610
Susan treated me differently,
1021
00:59:07,650 --> 00:59:09,860
and that's all
I can say about that.
1022
00:59:09,900 --> 00:59:13,200
[**]
1023
00:59:13,240 --> 00:59:17,330
- And so we married
on our 11th anniversary
of having met.
1024
00:59:17,370 --> 00:59:20,790
August 2nd, 1971.
We met.
1025
00:59:20,830 --> 00:59:24,170
It was a Monday,
and we married on a Monday,
1026
00:59:24,210 --> 00:59:26,800
August 2nd, 1982.
1027
00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:28,930
Date 8/2/82.
1028
00:59:28,960 --> 00:59:31,170
And we married in our home.
1029
00:59:31,220 --> 00:59:34,600
It was lovely.
It was very, very, very nice.
1030
00:59:43,850 --> 00:59:47,230
Jose: In 1982,
1031
00:59:47,270 --> 00:59:49,270
I hadn't done a Latin album
1032
00:59:49,320 --> 00:59:51,610
in 13 years.
1033
00:59:51,650 --> 00:59:56,490
I recorded an album
entitled Escenas de Amor,
1034
00:59:56,530 --> 00:59:59,620
and that album became a hit.
1035
00:59:59,660 --> 01:00:01,410
It had songs
1036
01:00:01,460 --> 01:00:04,260
like "Para decir adiós,"
"Volveré alguna vez,"
1037
01:00:04,290 --> 01:00:07,790
and it became a big seller.
1038
01:00:07,840 --> 01:00:11,470
- He goes on to win
Latin Grammys, so in 82,
1039
01:00:11,510 --> 01:00:15,640
he comes out with this album
and there's a song he wins with
called "Me enamoré."
1040
01:00:15,680 --> 01:00:24,650
[**]
1041
01:00:40,370 --> 01:00:42,330
Thank you.
How are you feeling?
1042
01:00:42,370 --> 01:00:45,290
- I saw your show on the Motown
25th anniversary thing.
1043
01:00:45,330 --> 01:00:46,870
That was quite a gathering!
1044
01:00:46,920 --> 01:00:49,720
- Yes, it was.
I was very fortunate
to get on that show
1045
01:00:49,750 --> 01:00:53,300
because there's so many people
that they had
at that gathering,
1046
01:00:53,340 --> 01:00:55,340
so many great artists.
1047
01:00:55,380 --> 01:00:57,630
- I read once you always
wanted to be on Motown.
1048
01:00:57,680 --> 01:01:00,930
Now why would that be?
That's primarily a Black label.
1049
01:01:00,970 --> 01:01:03,470
- Well, because I felt that...
1050
01:01:03,520 --> 01:01:06,400
I don't know.
I felt that I could do
1051
01:01:06,440 --> 01:01:08,940
Black music, and I felt that
1052
01:01:08,980 --> 01:01:10,900
since I had that feeling
1053
01:01:10,940 --> 01:01:13,320
and that way
1054
01:01:13,360 --> 01:01:16,490
of expressing at least
my music, I felt that
that was the label for me.
1055
01:01:16,530 --> 01:01:18,530
I couldn't be
on a label where I had to sing,
1056
01:01:18,570 --> 01:01:21,570
[sings]
"I know you love me."
1057
01:01:21,620 --> 01:01:24,620
[laughs]
- You can do anything!
1058
01:01:24,660 --> 01:01:26,500
- When we finally got together
1059
01:01:26,540 --> 01:01:29,130
in preparing
for the Motown album,
1060
01:01:29,170 --> 01:01:31,510
it was like Christmas
all over again.
1061
01:01:31,550 --> 01:01:34,850
Let's Find Each Other Tonight
ended up on the Billboard
Country charts.
1062
01:01:34,880 --> 01:01:36,920
It was on a Black label,
1063
01:01:36,970 --> 01:01:38,930
by a Puerto Rican singer
1064
01:01:38,970 --> 01:01:40,680
and a white producer.
1065
01:01:40,720 --> 01:01:43,680
A very interesting combination,
to say the least.
1066
01:01:43,720 --> 01:01:46,310
We finished
Romance In The Night.
1067
01:01:46,350 --> 01:01:49,730
As a matter of fact,
I just happen to have a copy.
1068
01:01:49,770 --> 01:01:52,270
We were very proud
of this album.
1069
01:01:52,320 --> 01:01:53,700
And as you can see,
1070
01:01:53,730 --> 01:01:57,730
it's that iconic Motown label.
1071
01:01:58,910 --> 01:02:00,660
[**]
1072
01:02:03,120 --> 01:02:04,540
Jose: It goes like this.
1073
01:02:05,370 --> 01:02:07,750
[**]
1074
01:02:11,920 --> 01:02:15,800
- You've been to the celebrity
room before with other clients?
1075
01:02:15,840 --> 01:02:18,880
- I don't think so.
It's nice.
1076
01:02:18,930 --> 01:02:21,730
- Yeah, well.
It depends on the artist.
1077
01:02:21,760 --> 01:02:24,470
You know, Jose Feliciano.
You got no complaints.
1078
01:02:24,520 --> 01:02:27,860
- The Motown 25 Celebration
1079
01:02:27,890 --> 01:02:29,850
when Michael Jackson
premiered
1080
01:02:29,900 --> 01:02:32,570
what you would call,
his moonwalk dance.
1081
01:02:32,610 --> 01:02:35,410
And if you see
the footage today,
1082
01:02:35,440 --> 01:02:38,610
the riser behind him
with the big M,
1083
01:02:38,650 --> 01:02:41,030
Jose is sitting
on the other side of that.
1084
01:02:41,070 --> 01:02:43,030
And it rotated
1085
01:02:43,080 --> 01:02:45,500
as Michael finished his thing.
1086
01:02:45,540 --> 01:02:48,290
Jose then appeared
1087
01:02:48,330 --> 01:02:50,540
and he did "Lonely Teardrops."
1088
01:02:50,580 --> 01:02:53,120
But it wasn't in the special.
1089
01:02:53,170 --> 01:02:55,300
He was cut out of the special.
1090
01:02:55,340 --> 01:02:58,340
And Jose was devastated.
1091
01:02:58,380 --> 01:03:00,420
[**]
1092
01:03:00,470 --> 01:03:02,430
- I'd never met Berry Gordy,
1093
01:03:02,470 --> 01:03:05,510
but the opportunity arose
and we met.
1094
01:03:05,560 --> 01:03:08,270
We shook hands and Berry Gordy
said to me,
1095
01:03:08,310 --> 01:03:12,650
"That album that you produced is
better than the one
that I produced,
1096
01:03:12,690 --> 01:03:14,940
and I could not let it happen."
1097
01:03:14,980 --> 01:03:19,610
And I think I was just stunned
to the point of disbelief
1098
01:03:19,650 --> 01:03:22,900
that somebody
would want to kill it
1099
01:03:22,950 --> 01:03:24,740
because of ego.
1100
01:03:24,780 --> 01:03:27,120
But it hasn't been
the first time it's happened
in the music industry.
1101
01:03:27,160 --> 01:03:28,910
I've seen it many times.
1102
01:03:28,950 --> 01:03:30,620
- And it saddened me
1103
01:03:30,660 --> 01:03:32,790
that if Berry
had really pushed the album,
1104
01:03:32,830 --> 01:03:36,330
I could have done as well
as Stevie Wonder on Motown.
1105
01:03:36,380 --> 01:03:39,840
And this is not taking anything
away from Stevie's genius.
1106
01:03:39,880 --> 01:03:43,050
Stevie is Stevie, and I'm Jose.
1107
01:03:43,090 --> 01:03:45,720
But if I would have gotten
the same promotion
1108
01:03:45,760 --> 01:03:47,970
that Stevie Wonder
got on Motown,
1109
01:03:48,020 --> 01:03:50,980
I think that album
would have made it very well.
1110
01:03:51,020 --> 01:03:54,820
[**]
1111
01:03:54,860 --> 01:03:59,490
- Then he gets nominated again
in 85, 86, 89 and 90.
1112
01:03:59,530 --> 01:04:01,990
He gets nominated four times
and wins three of those.
1113
01:04:02,030 --> 01:04:05,030
He wins for "Lelolai,"
for "Cielito lindo,"
1114
01:04:05,070 --> 01:04:08,120
and he wins for "¿Por qué
te tengo que olvidar?".
1115
01:04:11,000 --> 01:04:15,170
So people kind of forget
that he had this huge
career in the eighties.
1116
01:04:15,210 --> 01:04:19,800
[**]
1117
01:04:20,210 --> 01:04:29,550
[**]
1118
01:04:33,690 --> 01:04:36,030
- I remember a number
of conversations that we had,
1119
01:04:36,060 --> 01:04:39,020
and one was about his children
that were not born yet.
1120
01:04:39,070 --> 01:04:43,370
Jose's concern was, "what if
my children are born blind?"
1121
01:04:43,400 --> 01:04:46,650
"I can just speak for myself",
I said, "but the greatest gift
1122
01:04:46,700 --> 01:04:49,580
that you could ever receive
would be to have children."
1123
01:04:50,750 --> 01:04:53,000
- I remember
when we were preparing
1124
01:04:53,040 --> 01:04:56,040
for the arrival
of our first child
1125
01:04:56,080 --> 01:04:59,580
and he was there most
of the appointments
and the sonogram.
1126
01:04:59,630 --> 01:05:01,970
The first one...
[imitates sonogram]
1127
01:05:02,010 --> 01:05:05,100
He said,
"Sounds like a girl to me."
1128
01:05:05,130 --> 01:05:06,970
And he was right.
1129
01:05:07,010 --> 01:05:09,550
- When I was little,
he used to read to me.
1130
01:05:09,600 --> 01:05:11,890
We had a bunch
of children's books in Braille,
1131
01:05:11,930 --> 01:05:14,810
and I remember he'd read
The Little Engine That Could
1132
01:05:14,850 --> 01:05:17,730
over and over and over
and over and over.
1133
01:05:17,770 --> 01:05:20,060
And he never was like,
"No, I'm done."
1134
01:05:20,110 --> 01:05:21,990
He'd always be like, "Okay."
And I'd be like, "Again!"
1135
01:05:23,530 --> 01:05:25,910
- When they were little,
they would dance
1136
01:05:25,950 --> 01:05:29,250
and Melissa
would help him find his chair
by tapping on the seat.
1137
01:05:29,280 --> 01:05:33,830
Mikey and Johnny would hide
from him, but Daddy
would always catch them.
1138
01:05:33,870 --> 01:05:36,580
- I never decided to play
the guitar and be like,
1139
01:05:36,620 --> 01:05:40,750
"Oh, I want to be just like Dad"
because there's no way in hell
that's going to happen.
1140
01:05:44,170 --> 01:05:46,130
[**]
1141
01:05:51,970 --> 01:05:54,430
- Okay, Johnny. Go ahead,
Johnny. Play it.
1142
01:05:54,480 --> 01:05:56,820
[**]
1143
01:06:08,660 --> 01:06:11,580
What a show off!
1144
01:06:11,620 --> 01:06:13,210
- He's ridiculous.
1145
01:06:13,240 --> 01:06:15,870
I'll look up videos
from when he was younger
and like...
1146
01:06:15,910 --> 01:06:19,120
Some of it is like pretty heavy.
It's still like when I watch it
1147
01:06:19,170 --> 01:06:22,920
I'll get goose bumps and stuff.
I'm like, "That's my dad."
1148
01:06:24,090 --> 01:06:25,630
[**]
1149
01:06:25,670 --> 01:06:28,590
- When I first met Jose,
1150
01:06:28,630 --> 01:06:31,630
Melissa was three.
1151
01:06:31,680 --> 01:06:33,970
It's cool
to watch the kids grow up.
1152
01:06:34,010 --> 01:06:36,890
The only thing
he didn't like about being blind
1153
01:06:36,930 --> 01:06:39,770
because he was born blind,
he doesn't know what side it is,
1154
01:06:39,810 --> 01:06:41,600
but the only thing
he didn't really like about it
1155
01:06:41,650 --> 01:06:44,650
was that he always had
to depend on people.
1156
01:06:44,690 --> 01:06:47,150
I would set up his room
1157
01:06:47,190 --> 01:06:49,610
for him so he could...
1158
01:06:49,660 --> 01:06:52,040
...maneuver.
1159
01:06:52,070 --> 01:06:55,030
I would set him up.
I would explain to him
the parameters of the room,
1160
01:06:55,080 --> 01:06:57,290
put the towel down on the floor
so he wouldn't slip,
1161
01:06:57,330 --> 01:06:59,000
get him all set.
1162
01:06:59,040 --> 01:07:02,540
- "There is no email
in this form", it says.
1163
01:07:02,590 --> 01:07:04,720
- And Jose was fine. On his own.
1164
01:07:04,750 --> 01:07:07,340
Independent. He would
call me like the next day.
1165
01:07:07,380 --> 01:07:09,550
"Jimmy, I'm all set.
Let's go."
1166
01:07:09,590 --> 01:07:12,180
And he would always feel better
1167
01:07:12,220 --> 01:07:16,140
because I was empowering him
to be independent.
1168
01:07:16,180 --> 01:07:19,220
Who wouldn't want to be?
And why shouldn't he be?
1169
01:07:19,270 --> 01:07:22,690
This is a guy who
travels the world blowing
people away with his music.
1170
01:07:22,730 --> 01:07:23,900
He should feel good
about himself.
1171
01:07:23,940 --> 01:07:25,650
He's is a good dude.
1172
01:07:25,690 --> 01:07:32,990
[**]
1173
01:07:34,830 --> 01:07:38,040
- Oh!
They didn't leave
the controls here.
1174
01:07:38,080 --> 01:07:41,960
I guess I'll have to go
to the other side.
No problem.
1175
01:07:44,790 --> 01:07:49,250
I wasn't blind yesterday
Okay.
1176
01:07:49,300 --> 01:07:53,260
[grunts]
1177
01:07:53,300 --> 01:07:58,260
[voices on the TV]
1178
01:08:07,110 --> 01:08:08,610
[**]
1179
01:08:08,650 --> 01:08:10,740
- I think,
1180
01:08:10,780 --> 01:08:12,910
for my brother and sister and I,
1181
01:08:12,950 --> 01:08:15,620
it's always been something
normal having a blind dad.
1182
01:08:15,660 --> 01:08:19,290
He's always been able to do
everything a normal dad has.
1183
01:08:19,330 --> 01:08:21,920
[**]
1184
01:08:27,000 --> 01:08:29,130
We loved watching movies,
1185
01:08:29,170 --> 01:08:30,880
The Three Stoogesall the time,
1186
01:08:30,920 --> 01:08:33,300
baseball games,
playing music together
1187
01:08:33,340 --> 01:08:36,140
that a lot of my friends,
they didn't get to do that
with their family
1188
01:08:36,180 --> 01:08:37,430
and have
that kind of connection.
1189
01:08:37,470 --> 01:08:39,310
[**]
1190
01:08:39,350 --> 01:08:41,940
- Play a solo there, Mike!
1191
01:08:42,310 --> 01:08:50,860
[**]
1192
01:08:50,900 --> 01:08:52,320
He's got the funk!
1193
01:08:53,320 --> 01:08:54,950
He's got the funk!
1194
01:08:55,700 --> 01:08:57,290
Got the funk!
1195
01:08:57,320 --> 01:09:00,240
- I remember playing
basketball, playing catch.
1196
01:09:00,290 --> 01:09:03,080
He would pitch to me
and my brother would be behind
and get the ball
1197
01:09:03,120 --> 01:09:05,370
running back to him,
or we would pitch to him
1198
01:09:05,420 --> 01:09:09,670
and tell him to swing,
so we all had that very normal
1199
01:09:09,710 --> 01:09:12,710
kind of playing outside,
father-son, childhood
kind of thing.
1200
01:09:12,760 --> 01:09:14,800
So it's never been
1201
01:09:14,840 --> 01:09:16,840
a real notice.
1202
01:09:16,890 --> 01:09:19,230
[**]
1203
01:09:26,850 --> 01:09:29,850
- There are times
when my wife will probably say,
1204
01:09:29,900 --> 01:09:34,030
"Oh, don't put that on."
But I must call it like it is.
1205
01:09:34,070 --> 01:09:37,070
I hate being blind itself
1206
01:09:37,110 --> 01:09:41,780
because it limits me
physically to what I can do.
1207
01:09:41,830 --> 01:09:45,000
I was angry at one time. I was.
1208
01:09:45,040 --> 01:09:47,790
And maybe, to a point,
1209
01:09:47,830 --> 01:09:49,960
I am today still.
1210
01:09:50,000 --> 01:09:53,750
But I just can't go around
all my life being angry.
1211
01:09:53,800 --> 01:09:56,890
[**]
1212
01:09:56,930 --> 01:09:59,680
- My dad is one of the hardest
working men that I know.
1213
01:09:59,720 --> 01:10:01,010
He's never missed his work.
1214
01:10:01,060 --> 01:10:04,230
He always
makes time for his fans
1215
01:10:04,270 --> 01:10:07,400
and always says hello
and always takes a photo.
1216
01:10:07,440 --> 01:10:11,860
It'll be 30 seconds
for us, but a lifetime
memory for somebody else.
1217
01:10:11,900 --> 01:10:13,360
- You're ready, right?
1218
01:10:13,400 --> 01:10:14,480
- I'm ready.
1219
01:10:16,030 --> 01:10:17,490
I have my pants on.
1220
01:10:17,530 --> 01:10:20,030
[laughs]
1221
01:10:20,070 --> 01:10:22,490
They tell me you play
a whole bunch of instruments.
1222
01:10:22,540 --> 01:10:24,750
- Yes, I'm 15 years old
1223
01:10:24,790 --> 01:10:28,040
and I play the cuatro,
guitar, accordion, piano.
1224
01:10:28,080 --> 01:10:30,250
- I used to be like that
when I was a child.
1225
01:10:30,290 --> 01:10:33,500
I used to play the guitar
at that time.
1226
01:10:33,550 --> 01:10:37,800
- Very different, but very the
same from any other kind
of family.
1227
01:10:37,840 --> 01:10:41,300
Just... my dad
has a whole other life
1228
01:10:41,350 --> 01:10:43,060
that he kind
of leaves at the door,
1229
01:10:43,100 --> 01:10:45,020
but every time
that we leave our house,
1230
01:10:45,060 --> 01:10:47,060
it'll come back.
1231
01:10:47,810 --> 01:10:50,150
[**]
1232
01:11:03,240 --> 01:11:05,200
[**]
1233
01:11:09,670 --> 01:11:11,880
I never felt
like we were backing
1234
01:11:11,920 --> 01:11:13,920
a superstar, which we were.
1235
01:11:13,960 --> 01:11:16,800
We felt like we were...
1236
01:11:16,840 --> 01:11:18,970
all locked in together.
1237
01:11:19,010 --> 01:11:21,550
And that was on the road
and off the road.
1238
01:11:23,760 --> 01:11:27,720
- Jose's drive to outdo
everybody and anybody was huge.
1239
01:11:27,770 --> 01:11:31,020
It might have been where he came
from and what he had to do
1240
01:11:31,060 --> 01:11:32,900
to be noticed.
1241
01:11:32,940 --> 01:11:35,280
I remember night after night
he would say,
1242
01:11:35,320 --> 01:11:37,160
"We're going to go out there
and kick some ass."
1243
01:11:37,190 --> 01:11:39,780
He would say that all the time!
I was like, "Wow! Okay."
1244
01:11:39,820 --> 01:11:43,370
He was always ready to like,
"Yeah, oh, yeah? Watch this."
1245
01:11:43,410 --> 01:11:47,250
- It was always camaraderie.
It was always that brotherhood.
1246
01:11:47,290 --> 01:11:49,580
There's no facade of stardom.
1247
01:11:49,620 --> 01:11:51,410
He's just a regular cat
1248
01:11:51,460 --> 01:11:55,010
who does
what he does and does it well.
1249
01:11:55,040 --> 01:11:56,960
- Yeah, you're going to Korea,
you're going to Greece,
1250
01:11:57,000 --> 01:12:00,170
you're going to India.
We're in India!
1251
01:12:00,220 --> 01:12:04,310
People like, "Jose!"
You know, like we're in India!
1252
01:12:04,350 --> 01:12:06,520
I think he just wants
everybody to have a good time.
1253
01:12:06,560 --> 01:12:09,480
I think that means a lot to him.
We just wanted
1254
01:12:09,520 --> 01:12:11,980
to play some tunes,
eat some food and have a drink,
1255
01:12:12,020 --> 01:12:14,060
and that's universal.
1256
01:12:14,110 --> 01:12:16,490
And he was very good
at presenting that to people.
1257
01:12:16,520 --> 01:12:19,110
Very, very.
He's just one of the best.
1258
01:12:19,150 --> 01:12:22,530
He just makes you feel like
you've gone on a journey
somewhere, and it was.
1259
01:12:22,570 --> 01:12:24,320
It was a journey!
1260
01:12:24,370 --> 01:12:26,160
- It's all these songs
and all these places.
1261
01:12:26,200 --> 01:12:27,910
It's funny because Jose knows.
1262
01:12:27,950 --> 01:12:30,240
He told me many times
that his guitar
1263
01:12:30,290 --> 01:12:32,290
is his passport to the world.
1264
01:12:32,330 --> 01:12:34,290
[**]
1265
01:12:40,510 --> 01:12:44,010
- Into the 90s, he's nominated
for three more Grammys
1266
01:12:44,050 --> 01:12:46,550
and he wins
another Grammy in 2008.
1267
01:12:46,600 --> 01:12:50,020
And then you've got
his Lifetime Achievement Award.
1268
01:12:50,060 --> 01:12:53,020
Every decade of Jose's life,
1269
01:12:53,060 --> 01:12:55,400
you can carve out either
1270
01:12:55,440 --> 01:12:57,690
a Grammy nomination
or a Grammy win
1271
01:12:57,730 --> 01:13:01,320
over the course of 50, 55 years.
1272
01:13:02,400 --> 01:13:04,570
ONE NIGHT ONLY
JOSE FELICIANO
1273
01:13:11,080 --> 01:13:13,290
- Bellas Artes is waiting
for you.
1274
01:13:13,330 --> 01:13:16,210
What can we expect
on that night?
1275
01:13:16,250 --> 01:13:19,590
- You can expect me, singing.
1276
01:13:19,630 --> 01:13:24,340
This year I'm turning 73.
1277
01:13:24,380 --> 01:13:26,260
- You look good!
- Yes.
1278
01:13:26,300 --> 01:13:29,220
- You have an audience
that knows all your songs.
1279
01:13:29,260 --> 01:13:31,720
- They will help me, then.
1280
01:13:31,770 --> 01:13:34,360
[**]
1281
01:13:36,350 --> 01:13:40,480
PUERTO RICO
MAY 12, 2018
1282
01:13:40,860 --> 01:13:50,200
[**]
1283
01:14:12,010 --> 01:14:14,350
[crowd cheering]
1284
01:14:17,810 --> 01:14:27,150
[**]
1285
01:14:50,590 --> 01:14:53,390
[**]
1286
01:14:54,600 --> 01:14:57,310
[**]
1287
01:14:59,400 --> 01:15:02,070
- We wanted to search for a way
in which the Smithsonian
1288
01:15:02,110 --> 01:15:06,240
could acknowledge and recognize
his contributions to
American history.
1289
01:15:06,280 --> 01:15:08,320
When he first publicly performed
1290
01:15:08,360 --> 01:15:11,110
his beautiful version
of "The Star-Spangled Banner,"
1291
01:15:11,160 --> 01:15:13,410
it was an incredibly
emotional experience
1292
01:15:13,450 --> 01:15:16,120
for Americans
throughout the country.
1293
01:15:16,160 --> 01:15:25,340
[**]
1294
01:15:37,890 --> 01:15:40,430
[cheering]
1295
01:15:40,480 --> 01:15:43,270
- When I was asked to donate
1296
01:15:43,310 --> 01:15:45,810
something to this museum,
1297
01:15:45,860 --> 01:15:48,860
it wasn't easy to say
1298
01:15:48,900 --> 01:15:51,150
goodbye to my girlfriend.
1299
01:15:51,200 --> 01:15:54,750
She'd been with me for 51 years.
1300
01:15:57,580 --> 01:16:06,630
[**]
1301
01:16:07,920 --> 01:16:14,590
[**]
1302
01:16:23,940 --> 01:16:25,820
[**]
1303
01:16:25,860 --> 01:16:30,200
- Now, next year will be
our 60th Anniversary for Motown.
1304
01:16:30,240 --> 01:16:33,330
Would you mind
saying "Happy Anniversary"?
1305
01:16:33,360 --> 01:16:35,320
- Sure, sure.
1306
01:16:35,370 --> 01:16:37,790
Hi, I'm Jose Feliciano.
1307
01:16:37,830 --> 01:16:42,290
Sometimes I call myself
the pale version
of Stevie Wonder.
1308
01:16:42,330 --> 01:16:45,500
[laughs]
But I am Jose Feliciano,
1309
01:16:45,540 --> 01:16:48,460
and I would like to help Motown
1310
01:16:48,500 --> 01:16:52,800
celebrate its 60th Anniversary.
1311
01:16:52,840 --> 01:17:01,350
[**]
1312
01:17:01,390 --> 01:17:03,770
- The national anthem
was the worst thing,
1313
01:17:03,810 --> 01:17:06,600
that's turned
into one of the greatest,
1314
01:17:06,650 --> 01:17:09,280
greatest things.
I mean, it's bizarre.
1315
01:17:09,320 --> 01:17:10,780
Life is crazy!
1316
01:17:11,860 --> 01:17:20,830
[**]
1317
01:17:23,830 --> 01:17:29,420
[**]
1318
01:17:29,460 --> 01:17:31,500
- We were in Dallas
in 2007.
1319
01:17:31,550 --> 01:17:34,470
I get to the hotel
and I'm taking the guitars out,
1320
01:17:34,510 --> 01:17:36,720
and these people
walk by the back,
1321
01:17:36,760 --> 01:17:39,180
They said, "What are you doing?"
I have a concert
with Jose Feliciano.
1322
01:17:39,220 --> 01:17:41,560
"Oh, yeah? Jose Feliciano, huh?
1323
01:17:41,600 --> 01:17:44,810
Would you tell him
I was at Tiger Stadium in 1968
1324
01:17:44,850 --> 01:17:48,940
and he should come
by such bar at the hotel
1325
01:17:48,980 --> 01:17:52,150
and buy me a drink when he does
because he disgraced
the anthem?"
1326
01:17:52,190 --> 01:17:55,490
He was really pissed off...
1327
01:17:56,280 --> 01:17:58,120
...40 years later!
1328
01:17:58,160 --> 01:18:01,460
The flip side of that
is dear friend Ernie Harwell.
1329
01:18:01,490 --> 01:18:03,030
Ernie had died
and we were playing
1330
01:18:03,080 --> 01:18:05,500
his memorial at the ballpark
1331
01:18:05,540 --> 01:18:09,460
and there was
a luncheon with the '68 Tigers,
1332
01:18:09,500 --> 01:18:11,880
and they had
a slightly different
1333
01:18:11,920 --> 01:18:13,960
opinion of Jose's anthem.
1334
01:18:14,010 --> 01:18:15,720
They loved it.
1335
01:18:15,760 --> 01:18:17,890
And they were losing
three games to one.
1336
01:18:17,930 --> 01:18:20,350
They came back
and won the last three games.
1337
01:18:20,390 --> 01:18:24,850
Jose, was their good luck charm.
They love him for it.
And that's nice.
1338
01:18:25,770 --> 01:18:28,400
Commentator: Here's William...
1339
01:18:28,440 --> 01:18:31,360
Detroit, the new
World Champions!
1340
01:18:31,400 --> 01:18:34,360
And look at Williams
picking up Lolich!
1341
01:18:34,400 --> 01:18:36,610
It's a happy bunch of Tigers!
1342
01:18:36,650 --> 01:18:38,990
They have beaten
the Cardinals 4 to 1,
1343
01:18:39,030 --> 01:18:42,620
and they have replaced them
as the Champions of Baseball!
1344
01:18:42,660 --> 01:18:46,660
And they made some comeback.
They were trailing
three games to one.
1345
01:18:52,630 --> 01:18:54,550
- And now we ask
all of you to remain standing
1346
01:18:54,590 --> 01:18:56,630
as we welcome
to the field an iconic figure
1347
01:18:56,670 --> 01:18:58,920
from the 1968 World Series.
1348
01:18:58,970 --> 01:19:01,510
Booked by Hall of Fame
announcer Ernie Harwell
1349
01:19:01,550 --> 01:19:04,390
to perform the national anthem
prior to game five,
1350
01:19:04,430 --> 01:19:07,350
his performance stands out
as one of the most
memorable anthems
1351
01:19:07,390 --> 01:19:09,100
in the history of sports.
1352
01:19:09,150 --> 01:19:12,650
He's now recognized
as helping pave the way
for future performers
1353
01:19:12,690 --> 01:19:14,980
to express their patriotism
1354
01:19:15,030 --> 01:19:17,530
with their own artistic flair.
1355
01:19:17,570 --> 01:19:21,410
Ladies and gentlemen, here
to perform our national anthem.
1356
01:19:21,450 --> 01:19:24,910
Please, welcome Jose Feliciano!
1357
01:19:24,950 --> 01:19:26,910
[crowd cheers]
1358
01:19:28,870 --> 01:19:37,840
[**]
1359
01:19:38,760 --> 01:19:47,730
[**]
1360
01:20:44,410 --> 01:20:47,500
[crowd cheers]
1361
01:20:47,540 --> 01:20:49,540
- I love you, Detroit!
1362
01:20:51,460 --> 01:20:53,170
[cheering]
1363
01:20:53,210 --> 01:20:55,050
God bless America!
1364
01:20:58,710 --> 01:21:01,550
- For me, Jose will always be
1365
01:21:01,590 --> 01:21:04,510
a person who belongs in
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1366
01:21:04,550 --> 01:21:07,680
He has the gift
of being multidimensional,
1367
01:21:07,720 --> 01:21:10,970
like Bob Marley or John Lennon,
1368
01:21:11,020 --> 01:21:14,860
totally with clarity like water.
You know, there's tequila,
1369
01:21:14,900 --> 01:21:17,570
whiskey, bourbon
and cerveza,you know.
1370
01:21:17,610 --> 01:21:19,700
And then there's water,
you know. Jose is water.
1371
01:21:19,730 --> 01:21:21,940
I never looked
at Jose like Latino,
1372
01:21:21,990 --> 01:21:23,780
or Puerto Rican...
1373
01:21:23,820 --> 01:21:25,990
To me, as an artist
he's an artist that transcends
1374
01:21:26,030 --> 01:21:27,030
all of those things.
1375
01:21:28,280 --> 01:21:30,700
- One of the biggest enigmas
1376
01:21:30,750 --> 01:21:33,710
is that Jose Feliciano has not
1377
01:21:33,750 --> 01:21:37,050
gotten nominated to the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1378
01:21:37,080 --> 01:21:38,540
But if there's somebody
1379
01:21:38,590 --> 01:21:42,220
that's extremely deserving to be
1380
01:21:42,260 --> 01:21:46,510
nominated into
the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame is Mr. Jose Feliciano
1381
01:21:46,550 --> 01:21:49,720
because he's paid his dues,
he's earned it.
1382
01:21:52,430 --> 01:21:55,730
- But I'd like to do for you
my favorite Beatles' song
1383
01:21:55,770 --> 01:21:59,770
because it reminds me
of all the things
1384
01:21:59,820 --> 01:22:02,490
that I have been through.
1385
01:22:02,530 --> 01:22:06,120
And I want to dedicate
the song to all of you
1386
01:22:06,160 --> 01:22:10,160
because you all
have been important in my life.
1387
01:22:10,200 --> 01:22:13,450
And so this is "In My Life,"
1388
01:22:13,500 --> 01:22:16,880
and I dedicate it to you.
1389
01:22:16,920 --> 01:22:26,760
[**]
1390
01:22:28,050 --> 01:22:37,140
[**]
1391
01:22:38,940 --> 01:22:48,700
[**]
1392
01:22:50,570 --> 01:23:00,660
[**]
1393
01:23:03,210 --> 01:23:13,050
[**]
1394
01:23:16,060 --> 01:23:25,820
[**]
1395
01:23:28,110 --> 01:23:36,950
[**]
1396
01:23:39,370 --> 01:23:49,090
[**]
1397
01:23:52,010 --> 01:24:01,730
[**]
1398
01:24:04,400 --> 01:24:14,240
[**]
1399
01:24:16,660 --> 01:24:26,090
[**]
1400
01:24:27,550 --> 01:24:36,230
[**]
1401
01:24:39,270 --> 01:24:48,240
[**]
1402
01:24:52,570 --> 01:25:01,290
[**]
1403
01:25:04,290 --> 01:25:14,300
[**]
1404
01:25:17,300 --> 01:25:26,310
[**]
105252
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