Golden Note Presented To José Feliciano at Miami Gala

Feliciano (who has been blind since birth) was born in Lares, Puerto Rico and moved with his family to New York City when he was five years old. He taught himself to play the accordion, and later the guitar, with undaunted determination. By the age of seventeen, he was helping to support his family by playing coffee houses in Greenwich Village. It was not long before he was performing all over the world and recording songs in four languages, including the milestones, "Light My Fire," which was a worldwide pop hit in 1968; "Que Será," a huge success in Europe, Asia and South America; and of course "Feliz Navidad," the Christmas song that has now become a tradition worldwide during the holiday season. He even topped the charts with his stylized version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

In receiving the ASCAP Golden Note Award, Feliciano joins a distinguished list of previous recipients that includes Quincy Jones, Elton John, Andre Previn, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty and Sean "Puffy" Combs.

Feliciano delighted the audience with a special performance featuring both his classic and new material. In addition, several other artists performed throughout the evening including Sony recording artist Francisco Paz, who also served as the celebrity guest host, Grupo Volcán, Los Amigos Invisibles and José Manuel Figueroa.

The Univision Television Network was also honored with the first-ever ASCAP Harmony Award presented to a licensee of ASCAP. Univision received the honor in recognition of its role as an exemplary music partner.