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Julio Iglesias |
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 Julio Jose Iglesias de La Cueva was born in Madrid, Spain, on September 23, 1943, to the eminent physician Julio Iglesias Puga and his wife, Maria Del Rosario de La Cueva y Perignat.
As a young man in Madrid, Julio studied law with the hopes of becoming a career diplomat, even though his first true love and ambition lied on the soccer field. A remarkable athlete, he later landed his dream job as goalkeeper for the professional soccer team Real Madrid. These dreams, however, were soon shattered when a near-fatal car accident left him partially paralyzed and unable to walk for almost two years.
During his recuperation at Madrid's Eloy Gonzalo Hospital, Julio would listen to the radio and write poems, many of which were sad and romantic verses questioning man's mission in life. Strumming away on an old guitar his father's assistant had given him as a therapy to exercise his fingers and pass the time, he began to dress his poems with music and soon discovered a new passion that took over his |
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life.
In that turn of events, Julio went on to surprise everyone, including himself, by winning the most prestigious song festival in Spain, the Benidorm, with his own composition La Vida Sigue Igual, (Life goes On) in 1968. In Benidorm he began a serenade to the world that has never ended.
For the next fifteen years, Julio composed his own music and established himself as an international superstar. In 1983, Julio received the first and only Diamond Record Award ever given to a performer by the Guinness Book of World Records, for selling more records in more languages than any other musical artist in history. His first English release in 1984, 1100 Bel Air Place, immediately went multi-platinum and formed an all-important bridge between European and American music. In 1985, a Star with his name was unveiled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In addition to these honors, Julio was appointed Special Representative for the Performing Arts by UNICEF in 1989, a title he holds dearly to this date. "The world has given me so much, it's important to give something back" he says, pointing out that UNICEF supplies an outlet for him to impact the lives of so many he is otherwise unable to reach.
The man who wrote his first hit thirty years ago has gone on to earn over 2,600 platinum and gold records, having now recorded 76 albums and sold over 250 million. A perfectionist at heart, he is his own worst critic and is always striving to improve his abilities. A record breaker as well as a record maker, Julio delves deeply into his heart and soul with each new project. |
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