Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva is a celebrated Spanish artist who has made a lasting impact on the global music scene.
As a famous singer, songwriter, and former professional football player, Iglesias has attained remarkable commercial success, establishing himself as one of the highest-selling recording artists in music history.
Born in Madrid, Spain, his musical career took off in the 1960s, during which he displayed his extraordinary vocal abilities and engaging stage presence.
Over the course of his distinguished career, he has recorded and released more than 80 albums, exploring a wide variety of musical styles, from romantic ballads to lively pop songs.
REAL FACTS ABOUT JULIO JOSE
FULL NAME: Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva
BETTER KNOWN AS: Julio Iglesias
DATE OF BIRTH: September 23, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH: Madrid, Spain
NATIONALITY: Spanish
OCCUPATIONs: Spanish singer-songwriter and former footballer
MARITAL STATUS: Married
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva was born on September 23, 1943, in Madrid, Spain. He was raised by his parents, Julio Iglesias Sr., a Spanish gynecologist and physician, and María del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat, a Spanish socialite.
Julio grew up with his siblings, Carlos, Jaime, and Ruth Iglesias. In his youth, he balanced a budding career in professional football with studying law at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid.
He also spent three months at the Bell Educational Trust’s Language School in Cambridge, England, before returning to complete his law degree at Complutense University of Madrid.
Iglesias is of Spanish descent, although his specific religious beliefs are not publicly known.
CAREER
Julio Iglesias started his career as a professional football goalkeeper for Real Madrid.
However, after a car accident in 1967, he shifted his focus to music. His first album, “Dio,” was released in 1969 and achieved commercial success.
Iglesias represented Spain in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest, and throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he gained substantial international acclaim, releasing hit songs in various languages, including Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and German.
He has sold over 150 million records globally and has performed in more than 5,000 concerts, entertaining an estimated 60 million people across five continents.
In 1983, Iglesias was recognized as the artist with the most recorded songs in different languages, and in 2013, he was honored as the best-selling male Latin artist of all time.
His popularity reaches well beyond Spain, where he holds the record for the most albums sold, totaling 23 million.
He is also the top-selling foreign artist in countries such as Brazil, France, and Italy.
In 2013, Iglesias was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and was celebrated as the most popular international artist in China.
Julio Iglesias has produced several remarkable hit songs, such as “Dio” (1969), “El Mundo Es Así” (1975), “1100 Bel Air Place” (1984), “Un Hombre Solo” (1987), and “Tango” (1990).
His lasting musical influence and broad cultural resonance have established him as a genuine icon of Latin music.
PERSONAL LIFE
Julio Iglesias has experienced two major relationships in his life.
His first marriage was to Isabel Preysler, a Filipina television presenter from the affluent and aristocratic Pérez de Tagle family.
They tied the knot on January 29, 1971, and welcomed three children: Chábeli, Julio Jr., and Enrique.
However, their marriage ended in divorce in 1979, and they received an annulment from the Catholic Church in 1980.
Following his separation from Isabel Preysler, Julio Iglesias entered into a long-term relationship with Dutch model Miranda Rijnsburger.
The couple eventually married on August 26, 2010, in a quaint church in Marbella, Spain.
Together, they have five children: Miguel Alejandro, Rodrigo, twins Cristina and Victoria, and Guillermo Iglesias.
