JULIO IGLESIAS
Julio Iglesias' career did not begin with music, but with a goal net and an accident that almost left him immobile. The man who sold over 300 million records was, until age 20, merely the reserve goalkeeper for Real Madrid.
The End of the Dream on the Pitch
On September 22, 1963, Iglesias' life changed on a road. A car accident resulted in a spinal compression. The initial diagnosis indicated he would not walk again. During recovery in a Madrid hospital, nurse Eladio Magdaleno handed Iglesias a guitar so he could exercise his fingers and pass the time.
There, between physical therapy sessions and forced rest, Iglesias began to write verses. He did not plan to be a singer; the lyrics served to fill the silence of hospital isolation.
The Festival That Started It All
In 1968, Iglesias appeared at the Benidorm International Song Festival. He performed the song "La Vida Sigue Igual." He won the contest and signed a contract with the Discos Columbia label. The image was that of a restrained man who barely moved on stage and kept his eyes closed—a characteristic that would become his trademark for decades.
European Expansion and the Marketing Plan
The 1970s were the period of the siege on the European continent. In 1970, he represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest with "Gwendolyne," finishing in fourth place. The result was enough to open doors in France, Italy, and Germany.
Iglesias adopted a strategy of recording in multiple languages. He recorded his hits in Italian, French, German, and Portuguese. The goal was omnipresence on the local radio stations of each country, eliminating the language barrier that limited other Spanish artists.
The American Invasion and Lifestyle
The definitive jump to global superstar status occurred with the move to Miami in the 70s. In 1981, he reached the top of the UK charts with a version of "Begin the Beguine."
The United States market was conquered through strategic collaborations. The 1984 album "1100 Bel Air Place" sold millions of copies and featured the duet "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" with Willie Nelson. The partnership with an American country icon placed Iglesias in the heart of the Anglo-Saxon audience.
Numbers and Logistics
Iglesias' career came to be managed like a corporation.
Languages: Recorded in 14 languages.
Sales: Surpassed the 300 million album mark.
Assets: Heavy investments in real estate in the Dominican Republic and Florida.
The lifestyle, widely documented by the celebrity press, included private jets and a concert schedule that covered five continents annually. Julio Iglesias went from being an injured former athlete to becoming the Latin artist with the highest sales volume in history, maintaining strict control over his public image to this day.