Julio Iglesias
Encyclopedia
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (born September 23, 1943), better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish
singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment
, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history, elmundo.es. While Iglesias rose to international prominence in the 1970s and 1980s as a performer of romantic ballad
s, his success has continued on as he entered new musical endeavors. He is also the father of singer Enrique Iglesias
.
, the eldest son of Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga
and Maria del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat. Iglesias' father's family was from Galicia, and Iglesias' mother an Andalusia
n who was of Jewish origin.
In the 1960s, he studied law in Madrid and was a goalkeeper for one of Real Madrid's football teams. On September 22, 1963, he was involved in a car crash, resulting in an injury to his spinal cord. He said, "I had a car accident; [a] very, very strange car accident...I lost control of the car and rolled it, resulting in what they call 'paraparexia,' which is not a paraplegia. It's a compression in the [spinal] cord, in the sense of the neck...my spinal cord; and I was very, very ill for three years." His doctors thought he would never walk again; indeed, his legs were left permanently weakened, and they continued to require therapy as of late October 2010. However, slowly, he began recovering his health. To develop and increase the dexterity of his hands, he began playing guitar. When he recovered from his accident, he resumed academic studies and traveled to the United Kingdom
to study the English language, first in Ramsgate, then at Bell Educational Trust
's Language School in Cambridge
.
In 1971, he married Filipino
journalist Isabel Preysler
and had three children, Chabeli Iglesias
, Julio Iglesias, Jr. and Enrique Iglesias
. Their marriage was annulled in 1979.
On August 24, 2010, Julio Iglesias and Miranda Rijnsburger got married after a 20-year relationship. The religious ceremony was celebrated in the Parish of the Virgen del Carmen of Marbella, and was followed by a Mass of thanksgiving in the chapel on the property the couple owns in the same city. The couple has three sons and twin daughters: Miguel (born September 7, 1997), Rodrigo (born April 3, 1999), Victoria and Cristina (born May 1, 2001) and Guillermo (born May 5, 2007). When Iglesias was 61 years old, his 89-year-old father produced more children: half brother Jaime born on May 18, 2004, half-sister Ruth born on July 26, 2006. Julio's siblings were born to Dr. Iglesias Puga's second marriage to Ronna Keitt.
, a songwriter's event in Spain, with the song "La vida sigue igual" (meaning "Life Continues Just The Same") which was used in the film La vida sigue igual, about his own life. After his events he signed a deal with Discos Columbia, the Spanish branch of the Columbia Records
company. He represented Spain in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest
, earning fourth place, after Northern Irish singer Dana
and the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin
. His entry was the song "Gwendolyne
." Shortly after he had a number one hit in many European countries with "Un Canto A Galicia." That single sold 1 million copies in Germany. In 1975 he found success in the Italian market by recording a song exclusively in Italian called "Se mi lasci non vale" ("If You Leave Me, It Can't Be"). Notable albums from this decade are A Flor de Piel (1974, with the European hit "Manuela"), "El Amor" (1975), and "Soy" (1978). He also sang in French. One of his popular songs is "Je n'ai pas changé".
Following the annulment of his marriage to Preysler in 1979, he moved to Miami, Florida
, in the United States
and signed a deal with CBS International
, and started singing in different languages such as English, French, Portuguese, German and other languages to his music. Iglesias released the album De Niña a Mujer (1981), from it came the first English-language hit, a Spanish cover of "Begin the Beguine
" which became number 1 in the United Kingdom
, he also released a collection, Julio (1983). In 1984, he released 1100 Bel Air Place
, the hit album which gave him publicity in the English-speaking entertainment industry. It sold four million albums in the United States, with the first single "To All the Girls I've Loved Before
", a duet with Willie Nelson
, earning a fifth place spot in the Billboard Hot 100
; it also featured "All of You", with Diana Ross
.
In February 1985, Julio Iglesias made a cameo appearance as himself on The Golden Girls
as Sophia Petrillo
's date on St. Valentine's Day.
In 1985, Julio Iglesias, Sr, was kidnapped, but found alive two weeks later, prompting Julio Iglesias to move his children to Miami, Florida. That year he recorded the duets with Diana Ross
and Willie Nelson
previously mentioned. Iglesias won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album
in the 1988 Grammy Awards
for the album Un Hombre Solo (A Man Alone). He recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder
on "My Love", in his Non Stop album, a crossover success in 1988. In the 1990s, Iglesias returned to his original Spanish melody in Tango
(1996), nominated for Best Latin Pop Album
at the 1998 Grammy Awards, losing to the Romances
album by Mexican
singer, Luis Miguel
. Also that year, his youngest son from his first marriage, Enrique Iglesias, also was nominated for the Vivir
album.
Julio Iglesias went on to win the World Music Award for Tango
in Monaco later that year where he was up against singer Luis Miguel and son Enrique for the second time. Julio performed two "Tangos" to the delight of the audience. In 1995, he appeared as a guest star in the videoclip of Thalía
's song "Amandote"; she had starred in the video clip of Iglesias's hit "Baila Morena". Iglesias returned to the headlines in October 2003, when he went to Argentina
and kissed show host Susana Giménez
three times during a live telecast of her show.
In 2003, he released his album Divorcio (Divorce). In its first day of sales, Divorcio sold a record 350,000 albums in Spain, and reached the number 1 spot on the charts in Spain
, Portugal
, France
, Italy
, and Russia
.
In 2003 and 2004, he was featured on a ten month world tour; which took Iglesias, aided by the success his album Divorcio and toured from Europe
and Asia
to North America
, South America
and Africa
. More than half the shows on the tour sold out within days of going on sale. In December 2004, his Dutch girlfriend Miranda Rijnsburger and Iglesias himself recorded a duet of the Christmas song "Silent Night". The song, which was not officially released, also included a voice message from Iglesias, Rijnsburger and their 4 young children. The song was released online through the singer's official website and a CD was included on their Christmas card as a holiday gift from the Iglesias family to their friends and fans around the world.
In 2008, Iglesias recorded another song as a gift to his fans. The family recorded "The Little Drummer Boy" in Spanish and English and included it in the family's Christmas card. Iglesias also made investments in the Dominican Republic
's eastern town of Punta Cana
, a major tourist destination, where he spends most of the year when he is not on tour. Iglesias's south Florida mansion on the exclusive private Indian Creek Island property was placed on the market in 2006 for a quoted $28 million dollars, making it one of "Ten Most Expensive Homes in the South" in 2006 according to Forbes Magazine.
In September 2006, a new English album titled Romantic Classics was released. "I've chosen songs from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that I believe will come to be regarded as the new standards", Iglesias stated in the album's sleeve notes. The album features the hits "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Careless Whisper", and "Right Here Waiting". Romantic Classics was Iglesias's highest debut on the Billboard charts, entering at number 31 in the United States, 21 in Canada, 10 in Australia, and top spots across Europe and Asia. He returned to the studio to record songs in Filipino
and Indonesian
for his Asian releases of Romantic Classics which helped propel record sales in the Asian entertainment industry. Iglesias promoted Romantic Classics in 2006 and was seen all over the world on Television shows and in the United States, he appeared on Dancing With The Stars
(where he sang his hit "I Want To Know What Love Is"), Good Morning America
, The View, Fox and Friends, and Martha Stewart.
In 2008, Iglesias promoted his Romantic Classics album worldwide and in 2009-2010, he plans for a world tour as a celebration of forty years in the music industry. After his house in Indian Creek didn't sell he razed his house to the ground in 2008 and says he plans to build another.
In 2010, Iglesias continued to travel around the world with his "Starry Night World Tour" to promote his 42 years of career. Julio Iglesias is currently learning tunisian sephardic cuisine for which he has developed an incredible passion, the mloukhia being his best recipe. According to his close friend, Emilio Lopez, Julio is also learning orthodox judaism to become a Rabbi in Los Angeles and teach french speaking kids how to pray with a latino twist
According with his official site, he has sold over 300 million albums worldwide until November 1, 2010.
In March 2011, the artist will launch a new studio album called Numero 1.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history, elmundo.es. While Iglesias rose to international prominence in the 1970s and 1980s as a performer of romantic ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s, his success has continued on as he entered new musical endeavors. He is also the father of singer Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
.
Personal life
Iglesias was born Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, the eldest son of Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga
Julio Iglesias, Sr.
Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga was a Spanish gynecologist. He was the father of singer Julio Iglesias and grandfather to the singers Enrique Iglesias and Julio Iglesias, Jr.. He became one of the youngest gynecologists of Spain...
and Maria del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat. Iglesias' father's family was from Galicia, and Iglesias' mother an Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n who was of Jewish origin.
In the 1960s, he studied law in Madrid and was a goalkeeper for one of Real Madrid's football teams. On September 22, 1963, he was involved in a car crash, resulting in an injury to his spinal cord. He said, "I had a car accident; [a] very, very strange car accident...I lost control of the car and rolled it, resulting in what they call 'paraparexia,' which is not a paraplegia. It's a compression in the [spinal] cord, in the sense of the neck...my spinal cord; and I was very, very ill for three years." His doctors thought he would never walk again; indeed, his legs were left permanently weakened, and they continued to require therapy as of late October 2010. However, slowly, he began recovering his health. To develop and increase the dexterity of his hands, he began playing guitar. When he recovered from his accident, he resumed academic studies and traveled to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to study the English language, first in Ramsgate, then at Bell Educational Trust
Bell Educational Trust
The Bell Educational Trust is an educational institution, that grew from the original EFL school, Bell International College, Cambridge, founded by Frank Bell in 1955. The Bell Educational Trust subsequently expanded outside Cambridge, with a number of partner schools, located in the UK and...
's Language School in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
In 1971, he married Filipino
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
journalist Isabel Preysler
Isabel Preysler
María Isabel Preysler Arrastía, better known as Isabel Preysler, is a Filipina journalist, socialite, and television host.-Early years:Preysler was born in Manila, Philippines, the third of six children to a wealthy family...
and had three children, Chabeli Iglesias
Chabeli Iglesias
Chábeli Iglesias is a Spanish journalist. She was born in Cascais in Portugal, the daughter of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias and Filipina socialite and Hola! magazine journalist Isabel Preysler. She is the older sister of Julio Iglesias Jr...
, Julio Iglesias, Jr. and Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
. Their marriage was annulled in 1979.
On August 24, 2010, Julio Iglesias and Miranda Rijnsburger got married after a 20-year relationship. The religious ceremony was celebrated in the Parish of the Virgen del Carmen of Marbella, and was followed by a Mass of thanksgiving in the chapel on the property the couple owns in the same city. The couple has three sons and twin daughters: Miguel (born September 7, 1997), Rodrigo (born April 3, 1999), Victoria and Cristina (born May 1, 2001) and Guillermo (born May 5, 2007). When Iglesias was 61 years old, his 89-year-old father produced more children: half brother Jaime born on May 18, 2004, half-sister Ruth born on July 26, 2006. Julio's siblings were born to Dr. Iglesias Puga's second marriage to Ronna Keitt.
Career
In 1968, he won the Benidorm International Song FestivalBenidorm International Song Festival
The Benidorm International Song Festival or Festival Internacional de la Canción de Benidorm is an annual song contest which takes place each summer, since 1959, in the city of Benidorm, Spain. The contest, based on the Italian Sanremo Music Festival, was born to promote Benidorm and the Spanish...
, a songwriter's event in Spain, with the song "La vida sigue igual" (meaning "Life Continues Just The Same") which was used in the film La vida sigue igual, about his own life. After his events he signed a deal with Discos Columbia, the Spanish branch of the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
company. He represented Spain in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1970
The Eurovision Song Contest 1970 was the 15th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 21 March 1970 at the RAI Congrescentrum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Amsterdam contest is regarded as one of the most significant in Eurovision history for a number of reasons....
, earning fourth place, after Northern Irish singer Dana
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Dana Rosemary Scallon , known in her singing career simply as Dana, is an Irish singer and former Member of the European Parliament ....
and the Welsh singer Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin
Mary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
. His entry was the song "Gwendolyne
Gwendolyne
"Gwendolyne" was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1970, performed in Spanish by Julio Iglesias....
." Shortly after he had a number one hit in many European countries with "Un Canto A Galicia." That single sold 1 million copies in Germany. In 1975 he found success in the Italian market by recording a song exclusively in Italian called "Se mi lasci non vale" ("If You Leave Me, It Can't Be"). Notable albums from this decade are A Flor de Piel (1974, with the European hit "Manuela"), "El Amor" (1975), and "Soy" (1978). He also sang in French. One of his popular songs is "Je n'ai pas changé".
Following the annulment of his marriage to Preysler in 1979, he moved to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and signed a deal with CBS International
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
, and started singing in different languages such as English, French, Portuguese, German and other languages to his music. Iglesias released the album De Niña a Mujer (1981), from it came the first English-language hit, a Spanish cover of "Begin the Beguine
Begin the Beguine
"Begin the Beguine" is a song written by Cole Porter . Porter composed the song at the piano in the bar of the Ritz Hotel in Paris. In October 1935, it was introduced by June Knight in the Broadway musical Jubilee produced at the Imperial Theatre in New York City.-Music:The beguine music and dance...
" which became number 1 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, he also released a collection, Julio (1983). In 1984, he released 1100 Bel Air Place
1100 Bel Air Place
-Production:*Track 1 arranged by Tony Renis & John Barnes; Tracks 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 arranged by Michel Colombier; Track 4 arranged by Robbie Buchanan & Ramon Arcusa, with Beach Boys' vocals arranged by Brian Wilson; Tracks 8 & 9 arranged by Randy Kerber, with percussion arrangements on track 8 by...
, the hit album which gave him publicity in the English-speaking entertainment industry. It sold four million albums in the United States, with the first single "To All the Girls I've Loved Before
To All the Girls I've Loved Before
"To All the Girls I've Loved Before" was a 1984 cover of Albert Hammond's song by singers Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson, which appeared on Iglesias's album 1100 Bel Air Place. A breakthrough for Iglesias in the English language market, the song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the...
", a duet with Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, earning a fifth place spot in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
; it also featured "All of You", with Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
.
In February 1985, Julio Iglesias made a cameo appearance as himself on The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
as Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo
Sophia Petrillo is a fictional character from the TV series The Golden Girls, and its spin-offs The Golden Palace and Empty Nest. She was portrayed by Estelle Getty for 10 years and 258 episodes and was arguably the breakout character of the show...
's date on St. Valentine's Day.
In 1985, Julio Iglesias, Sr, was kidnapped, but found alive two weeks later, prompting Julio Iglesias to move his children to Miami, Florida. That year he recorded the duets with Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
previously mentioned. Iglesias won a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album
Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album
The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album was awarded from 1984 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1984 to 1991 the award was known as Best Latin Pop Performance*From 1992 to 1994 it was awarded as Best Latin Pop Album...
in the 1988 Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards of 1988
The 30th Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1988. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Paul Simon for "Graceland"*Album of the Year...
for the album Un Hombre Solo (A Man Alone). He recorded a duet with Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
on "My Love", in his Non Stop album, a crossover success in 1988. In the 1990s, Iglesias returned to his original Spanish melody in Tango
Tango (Julio Iglesias album)
-Chart performance:-Sales and certifications:-See also:*List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums from the 1990s*List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States...
(1996), nominated for Best Latin Pop Album
Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album
The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album was awarded from 1984 to 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1984 to 1991 the award was known as Best Latin Pop Performance*From 1992 to 1994 it was awarded as Best Latin Pop Album...
at the 1998 Grammy Awards, losing to the Romances
Romances
Romances is the fifteenth studio album by Mexican singer Luis Miguel, released on August 12, 1997, by Warner Music Latina. It is the third album of the Romance series, in which Miguel covers Latin songs from 1940 to 1978...
album by Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
singer, Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel
Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri is a Mexican singer. He is widely known only by the name Luis Miguel and is often referred to as "El Sol de México"...
. Also that year, his youngest son from his first marriage, Enrique Iglesias, also was nominated for the Vivir
Vivir (Enrique Iglesias album)
Vivir is the second Spanish album from pop singer Enrique Iglesias. This album was a very successful release for the singer. The album includes three number 1 singles on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks charts in US: "Enamorado Por Primera Vez", "Sólo En Ti" and "Miente".In the United States it was...
album.
Julio Iglesias went on to win the World Music Award for Tango
Tango (Julio Iglesias album)
-Chart performance:-Sales and certifications:-See also:*List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums from the 1990s*List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States...
in Monaco later that year where he was up against singer Luis Miguel and son Enrique for the second time. Julio performed two "Tangos" to the delight of the audience. In 1995, he appeared as a guest star in the videoclip of Thalía
Thalía
Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda , known simply by the mononym Thalía , is a Mexican singer and actress. She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide...
's song "Amandote"; she had starred in the video clip of Iglesias's hit "Baila Morena". Iglesias returned to the headlines in October 2003, when he went to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and kissed show host Susana Giménez
Susana Giménez
Susana Giménez, née María Susana Giménez Aubert is an Argentine actress, ex-vedette and television host....
three times during a live telecast of her show.
In 2003, he released his album Divorcio (Divorce). In its first day of sales, Divorcio sold a record 350,000 albums in Spain, and reached the number 1 spot on the charts in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. More than half the shows on the tour sold out within days of going on sale. In December 2004, his Dutch girlfriend Miranda Rijnsburger and Iglesias himself recorded a duet of the Christmas song "Silent Night". The song, which was not officially released, also included a voice message from Iglesias, Rijnsburger and their 4 young children. The song was released online through the singer's official website and a CD was included on their Christmas card as a holiday gift from the Iglesias family to their friends and fans around the world.
In 2008, Iglesias recorded another song as a gift to his fans. The family recorded "The Little Drummer Boy" in Spanish and English and included it in the family's Christmas card. Iglesias also made investments in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
's eastern town of Punta Cana
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is part of the newly created Punta Cana-Bávaro-Veron-Macao municipal district in La Altagracia, the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The area is best known for its beaches and balnearios, which face both the Caribbean and Atlantic, and it has been a popular tourist...
, a major tourist destination, where he spends most of the year when he is not on tour. Iglesias's south Florida mansion on the exclusive private Indian Creek Island property was placed on the market in 2006 for a quoted $28 million dollars, making it one of "Ten Most Expensive Homes in the South" in 2006 according to Forbes Magazine.
In September 2006, a new English album titled Romantic Classics was released. "I've chosen songs from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that I believe will come to be regarded as the new standards", Iglesias stated in the album's sleeve notes. The album features the hits "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Careless Whisper", and "Right Here Waiting". Romantic Classics was Iglesias's highest debut on the Billboard charts, entering at number 31 in the United States, 21 in Canada, 10 in Australia, and top spots across Europe and Asia. He returned to the studio to record songs in Filipino
Philippine languages
The Philippine languages are a 1991 proposal by Robert Blust that all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi—except Sama–Bajaw and a few languages of Palawan—form a subfamily of Austronesian languages...
and Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
for his Asian releases of Romantic Classics which helped propel record sales in the Asian entertainment industry. Iglesias promoted Romantic Classics in 2006 and was seen all over the world on Television shows and in the United States, he appeared on Dancing With The Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
(where he sang his hit "I Want To Know What Love Is"), Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, The View, Fox and Friends, and Martha Stewart.
In 2008, Iglesias promoted his Romantic Classics album worldwide and in 2009-2010, he plans for a world tour as a celebration of forty years in the music industry. After his house in Indian Creek didn't sell he razed his house to the ground in 2008 and says he plans to build another.
In 2010, Iglesias continued to travel around the world with his "Starry Night World Tour" to promote his 42 years of career. Julio Iglesias is currently learning tunisian sephardic cuisine for which he has developed an incredible passion, the mloukhia being his best recipe. According to his close friend, Emilio Lopez, Julio is also learning orthodox judaism to become a Rabbi in Los Angeles and teach french speaking kids how to pray with a latino twist
According with his official site, he has sold over 300 million albums worldwide until November 1, 2010.
In March 2011, the artist will launch a new studio album called Numero 1.
Discography
Studio, live, remastered and compilation main albums- 2011: Numero 1
- 2010: The Essential: Julio Iglesias
- 2010: Original album classic
- 2010: Nathalie-The best of Julio Iglesias
- 2007: Quelque Chose De France
- 2006: Romantic Classics (US:#41)
- 2006: Remastered+Bonus Track
- 2006: Remastered (US:#81)
- 2005: L'homme Que Je Suis
- 2003: Divorcio
- 2001: Ao meu BrasilAo Meu BrasilAo Meu Brasil is an album by Julio Iglesias released on December 18, 2001 by Sony International. Iglesias sings all the songs in Portuguese.-Track listing:# "Dizem Que Os Homens Não Devem Chorar"...
- 2000: Noche De Cuatro Lunas
- 1996: TangoTango (Julio Iglesias album)-Chart performance:-Sales and certifications:-See also:*List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums from the 1990s*List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States...
- 1995: La CarreteraLa Carretera- Track Listing :#"La Carretera" #"Cosas De La Vida" #"Baila Morena" #"Derroche" #"El Ultimo Verano" #"Agua Dulce, Agua Salá"...
- 1994: Crazy (US:#30)
- 1992: Calor (US:#186)
- 1990: Starry Night (US:#37)
- 1989: RaícesRaíces (Julio Iglesias album)Raíces is a studio album by Julio Iglesias released in 1989. The album is a collection of classic love songs from different countries.- Latin American edition :...
- 1988: Non Stop (US:#52)
- 1987: Un Hombre SoloUn hombre soloUn hombre solo is a Julio Iglesias album released in 1987. It generated great success in entire world. The album was composed, arranged and produced by Manuel Alejandro...
- 1987: Tutto l'amore che ti manca
- 1985: Libra (US.#92), (US Latin:#1)
- 1984: 1100 Bel Air Place1100 Bel Air Place-Production:*Track 1 arranged by Tony Renis & John Barnes; Tracks 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 arranged by Michel Colombier; Track 4 arranged by Robbie Buchanan & Ramon Arcusa, with Beach Boys' vocals arranged by Brian Wilson; Tracks 8 & 9 arranged by Randy Kerber, with percussion arrangements on track 8 by...
(US:#6) [Singles: "All Of You" US:#19, US R&B:#38, "Moonlight Lady" Adult Contemporary #17, "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" US:#5, US Country:#1] - 1983: En Concierto
- 1982: Momentos
- 1982: Momenti
- 1982: Et l'amour crea la femme
- 1981: De niña a mujer
- 1981: Fidèle
- 1981: Minhas canções preferidas
- 1981: Zartlichkeiten
- 1980: Hey!
- 1980: Amanti
- 1980: Sentimental
- 1979: A vous les femmes
- 1979: Innamorarsi alla mia eta
- 1979: EmocionesEmociones (Julio Iglesias album)- Track listing :# "Me Olvidé De Vivir"# "Voy A Perder La Cabeza Por Tu Amor"# "Spanish Girl"# "Pobre Diablo"# "Quiéreme"# "Preguntale"# "Quiereme Mucho"# "Con Una Pinta Así"# "No Vengo Ni Voy"# "Un Día Tu, Un Día Yo"-Sales and certifications:...
- 1978: Aimer La Vie
- 1978: As Vezes Tu, As Vezes Eu
- 1978: Da "Manuela" A "Pensami"
- 1978: "Quiero" Album (El Amor)
- 1977: A mis 33 años
- 1976: America
- 1976: Ein Weihnachtsabend Mit Julio Iglesias
- 1976: En El Olympia
- 1975: A Mexico
- 1975: El AmorEl Amor (Julio Iglesias album)El Amor is a 1975 album by Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. It received Diamond certification in Argentina.- Track listing :# Abrázame # A Veces Tú, A Veces Yo # Tema de Amor # Quién # Cuidado Amor...
- 1974: A Flor de PielA flor de pielA Flor De Piel was a short-lived Spanish-language telenovela first broadcast in 1996 in many Spanish-speaking countries and in the US. It starred Mariana Garza as Mariana, a student struggling to deal with a difficult life. The show was produced by Television Azteca , a Mexican company...
- 1974: Viens M'embrasser
- 1973: Soy
- 1972: Un Canto a Galicia
- 1972: Por una mujer
- 1969: Yo CantoYo Canto (Julio Iglesias album)Yo canto is Spanish recording artist Julio Iglesias debut album released in 1969. The album spent 15 weeks in the Spanish charts, and peaked at #3. The album generated four hit singles in the Spanish charts.-Track listing:-Sources and external links:...