THIS week (Tuesday to be exact), Julio Iglesias will celebrate his 81st birthday.
With over half a century of fame, countless albums, awards, and sellout concerts, the Madrid-born crooner is now enjoying retirement in Miami, along with his millions.
While most of us know him as the smooth, good-looking singer, there are some things about Julio that might surprise you – apart from the fact that he’s still around at 81.
For one, Julio never wanted to be a singer. Until he was 20, he knew nothing about music.
His dream was to become a footballer. In fact, he played professional football for one of Real Madrid’s feeder clubs, Castilla, in the second division, as their goalkeeper.
His sights were set on breaking into the senior Real Madrid squad. But in 1963, when he was just 19, a serious car crash shattered those dreams. Julio suffered severe injuries to his lower back and legs, leaving him unable to walk for two years.
While lying in a Madrid hospital bed, contemplating his future, a nurse named Eladio Magdalena handed him a guitar, hoping it would help him recover his manual dexterity.
Little did he know, this simple act would change his life. Julio fell in love with the instrument and discovered he had a natural talent for music. He quickly mastered the guitar and decided to embark on a new career as a singer.
Though we might stereotype footballers as lacking intellectual depth (remember Gazza?), Julio Iglesias doesn’t fit that mould. He actually holds a law degree from the prestigious Complutense University of Madrid.
Once he was able to walk again, Julio quickly made his way to Miami, marking the beginning of a 60-year relationship with the city.
After representing Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest, he moved to the UK to learn English before settling in Florida. His move was a savvy one. Iglesias had spotted a lucrative niche in the market – singing romantic ballads in multiple languages.
What made his strategy particularly astute was his understanding of the wealthy Hispanic communities in places like Cuba, eager to support a talented, Spanish-speaking performer.
Julio soon began recording in Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, and German, and made appearances on TV.
He also returned to Spain occasionally to maintain his European profile, even winning the Benidorm International Song Festival in 1968.
With stardom now within his grasp, he cemented his place as one of the world’s top entertainers by the 1990s, recording with big names like Frank Sinatra, Sting, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Art Garfunkel.
Julio’s father, also named Julio Iglesias, became a bit of a character in his son’s career, despite having no notable talents of his own.
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He famously showed up at his son’s gigs, earning his own spot in Spanish pop culture with the catchphrase “Raro, raro, raro” (weird, weird, weird). His more flamboyant antics included wearing T-shirts with slogans like, “If I get chicks every night, just imagine what my son’s sex life must be like!”
Julio senior passed away in December 2005 at the age of 90. He left behind a pregnant wife, and in July 2006, their daughter, Ruth, was born. So, as Julio celebrates his 81st birthday next week, one of his guests could very well be his teenage half sister, Ruth. “Raro, raro, raro,” indeed!
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