The unlikely duet between the Madrid-born balladeer and the earthy country crooner made an international star out of an artist who was already the most popular singer in the Spanish-speaking world.Indeed, Iglesias found fame even before he began singing love songs, starting out as a soccer player in the mid-60s before an injury prematurely ended his career.As Spains representative in the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest, the young Iglesias excelled at this early opportunity to show his charisma, his uncommon control as a vocalist, and his ability to transcend musics territorial borders.
After his breakthrough in the U.S. Bel Air Place on which his duet partners included not just Nelson but Diana Ross and The Beach Boyshe consolidated his success with a string of lushly produced albums that became the scores for passionate love affairs both real and imagined. He ventured beyond his tasteful take on Latin pop and jazz styles with 1990s Starry Night, an engaging set of covers by The Beatles, Buck Owens, and others, and 2003s Divorcio, a vivid demonstration of his undimmed powers of seduction. ![]() Additionally, he has over 2,600 certified gold and platinum records. He rose to prominence in the 70s and 80s and has continued to tour successfully for over 40 years. His father, Julio Iglesias Sr., was a medical doctor from Ourense, and is of Galician ancestry. In his youth, he alternated between studying law at the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid, and playing professional football. He used to be a goalkeeper for Real Madrid Castilla in the Segunda Division. However, his future in professional football ended when a serious car accident left him unable to walk for two years, as his injuries had smashed his lower spine and severely weakened his legs. It was actually while in recovery in the hospital that a nurse gave him a guitar, to exercise his hands. Learning to play the guitar helped him discover his musical talent. Entertainment Career: In 1968, Iglesias won the Benidorm International Song Festival, a songwriters event in Spain. Following his win, he was signed to Discos Columbia, the Spanish branch of Columbia Records, and quickly released his debut album Yo Canto (I Sing) in 1969. He was selected to represent Spain at the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest with his song Gwendolyne, and finished in fourth place. During the 1970s, he enjoyed widespread popularity across Europe thanks to his songs sung in multiple languages. Then, in 1979, he moved to Miami, Florida, and signed a deal with CBS International. He began releasing material in English, and his first English-language hit song was a cover of Begin the Beguine. In 1984, he released what is widely considered to be his English-language breakthrough, the album 1100 Bel Air Place. In just the United States alone, the album sold over 3 million copies. It featured duets with prominent American musicians, including Willie Nelson and Diana Ross. He was once again nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the 1998 Grammy Awards a decade later for his album Tango (1996), but lost out to Mexican singer Luis Miguel. In 1995, he was awarded the Excellence Award at the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards. In 2001, he was named the Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy, and a year later in 2002 he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, as he is a composer and lyricist that writes song of his own songs. Also in 2013, Iglesias was the recipient of two awards in China. He received the First Most Popular International Artist of All Time in China, an award from Sony Music China, which was presented to him by the famous Chinese musician Lang Lang.
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