Jose Feliciano

“In 1966 I recorded my first bolero album. I was about 18 years old then and I recorded it because I wanted my parents to know that I hadn't lost my identity of being Latino.”

“New York is really where my career somewhat started.”

“RCA wanted me to change my name. They asked me around 1965, when they first signed me. They said, 'Feliciano is too Latin.' I said, 'That's who I am. I'm Jose Feliciano.' They wanted me to change my name to Joe Phillips.”

“To me, my guitar has always been my orchestra.”

“I'm Puerto Rican, but I represent everybody.”

“New York will always be a part of me no matter where I go.”

“When I came on in '68, I was really the lone wolf.”

“I have genuine respect for women and I want to win their respect. I don't want them to look at me and say, 'Oh, another man with the same attitudes as most men.'”

“No one can pigeon-hole me because I play everything, and I did that on purpose.”

“The accordion was the first instrument I played, when I was 7 years old.”

“When I was 15, I became an avid fan of Andres Segovia. He brought so much respectability to the guitar.”

“I take pride in the fact that I was the first Hispanic artist to really crack the English market.”

“I've been a fan of Elvis since I was 11, so for me, it was a real thrill to make an album of all my favorite Elvis songs.”

“I'm lucky that I can play all kinds of music, that it appeals to all of the generations.”

“I always wanted to be the first true Latino to break the American barrier, to be on the American charts.”

“I went through the immigration thing. But when I got to New York it wasn't so tough for me. I went to school. I went to P.S. 57, then I went to the Lighthouse for the Blind on 59th St. I guess being blind is a great leveler.”

“When my career took off it surprised me, I was only 22. To have that much success so fast, I just wasn't prepared.”

“I taught myself until I was about 16. And then I studied classical guitar with some teachers.”

“If I've influenced people, so be it, but I don't dwell on those kinds of things. I just put out my music. If I influence someone without knowing it, I'm happy about it. I try not to think about those things because it's not about me.”

“I sang the National Anthem with soul.”