Julio Iglesias Biography

Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva, simply known as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He was declared the most successful European commercial singer and was awarded the Guinness Record thrice. Furthermore, the latino artist released around 80 albums and sold over 150 million copies worldwide. Over the course of his lengthy, 6-decade, career, he gained countless awards. Apart from his powerful voice, during his younger year, Iglesias was also praised for his looks.

Early Life and Career

Julio Iglesias was born in Madrid, in 1943. During his childhood, Julio was passionate about football and, as a teenager, he was a goaltender at Real Madrid. However, in 1962 he suffered a car accident which kept him in bed for almost two years. After his recovery, Julio learned to play the guitar and began to write songs. In 1968, Iglesias submitted a song, La Vida Sigue Igual, to the Benidorm International Song Festival. He won and received a contract with Columbia Records. The song became a top hit in Spain and thus and gained recognition.

Fame and Success

One year later, Iglesias already released hit debut album to critical success. Moreover, he represented Spain at Eurovision in 1970. One of the reasons Iglesias became so appreciated, was his talent for foreign languages. In 1972 he started to record in English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese, apart from his native language. Consequently, he began performing in all Europe’s capitals, usually sold-out concerts. During the late 70s, he focused on conquering the English-language markets and establishing himself as a star in the US as well. In 1981, The latin singer released the popular Begin the Beguine.

In 1984, Iglesias released an album titled 1100 Bel Air Place. It sold over 3 million copies and featured the iconic duet with Willie Nelson To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before. Following up on that success, the artist continued to please the American public, throughout the 80 and 90. He frequently collaborated with other major stars like Stevie Wonder and Dolly Parton. However, in 1996 he released Tango, marking a return to his roots. The album gained a World Music Award. Furthermore, in 2003, Iglesias’ Divorcio created huge hype in Spain. In 2004 and 2005, Iglesias moved to impressing the French as well, thus releasing En Français… and L’Homme Que Je Sui. 

Photo source: Discogs