'It's One Of The Best Albums I've Done': José Feliciano On 'Behind This Guitar' & Feliz Navidad

(CBS Local)-- José Feliciano is 74-years-old and he's not slowing down one bit.

The GRAMMY Award winning musician is famous for his hit Christmas single "Feliz Navidad" and released a new album Friday called "Behind This Guitar." Feliciano recorded in Nashville for the first time with his old producer Rick Jarrard and feels like his voice is stronger now than it was in his early music days.

"My album is one of the best albums I've done," said Feliciano in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "My last album was an album entitled The King, where I did an album devoted to Elvis's music. It was a lot of fun. The biggest challenge was recording in Nashville. I've done concerts in Nashville, but I've never recorded there. I can see why people enjoy recording there. It was a thrill for me. Rick and I got back together and Rick Jarrard is like being with George Martin from The Beatles. His instincts are great and he knows what material to choose."

FULL INTERVIEW:

Feliciano was born blind and has been performing music since he was a kid. He came to the United States from Puerto Rico in 1950 and moved with his family to the Bronx. The Connecticut resident changed Christmas music forever when he created "Feliz Navidad" in 1970.

"The thing that's really been amazing for me is that I wrote Feliz Navidad in California in 1970 and it was another Rick Jarrard suggestion," said Feliciano. "He said Jose, there hasn't been a new Christmas song since Rocking Around The Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock, and White Christmas by Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby. Those were from a long time ago. When I went to China, the Chinese wanted to here Feliz Navidad."

In addition to his new album, Feliciano will also release a book and a documentary later this year about his life. He hopes that his music keeps inspiring people.

"My voice is better, I sing better, and I sing with more conviction," said Feliciano. "I think before I just sang to be a performer. I sang in school assemblies and I dreamed in class that I would be like Elvis. In a sense I felt that way. For people who are blind, I want people to think I can do this. That's how I started. When I first heard Ray Charles in the 1950s, I wanted to be that guy.