'The day I retire is the day I die'
He has sold over 300 million copies of his records worldwide, in an astonishing 14 different languages. He has amassed more than 2,500 gold and platinum records. His most recent collection of greatest hits is called 1, and contains established favourites such as Begin The Beguine and his duet with Willie Nelson, To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before.
There’s just no stopping that old schmoozer, Julio Iglesias. ‘I’ve lost none of my passion,’ he says, on a recent visit to London for two appearances at the Royal Albert Hall and to pick up an award from Sony for being the most successful Latin artist of all time. ‘There are many singers whose technique is better than mine. But there is no one who is more passionate.
‘You could give a thousand people the most sophisticated camera in the world, a piece of equipment that does everything for you. But only 50 would take an interesting photograph and they would be the ones who brought their own vision, their own passion to the project.’
At 70, Julio simply doesn’t understand the concept of slowing down. ‘Yes, I’m further up the mountain now. The air is getting a little thinner.’ But don’t talk of retirement. ‘The day I retire,’ says Spain’s most famous export in his heavily accented English, ‘is the day I die.’
Helping to keep him young is Miranda Rijnsburger, his 48-yearold Dutch partner of 24 years (they finally married in August 2010), and the mother of his five youngest children. Miguel and Rodrigo are 16 and 15 respectively, twins Victoria and Cristina are 13 and Guillermo recently turned seven.
By his first marriage to Isabel Preysler he has a daughter Chabeli, a well-known chat-show host in Spain, and two sons, Julio Jnr, a model-turnedsinger, and Enrique, who’s giving his father a run for his money as an internationally acclaimed singer and heart-throb.
Fatherhood second time around, says Julio, is subtly different. ‘The love is the same but I was young first time and not yet so established. So I think I would say I’m more concerned, more connected with my kids by Miranda. Not that my older children suffered. They have grown into happy, independent adults. But now I’m more lenient. Now I say yes more than I say no.’
He says he inherited his musical ability from his mother, Maria. ‘She had a good ear and sang beautifully. But if it had not been for the accident, I wouldn’t have discovered I also had music in me. So, out of something bad came something good. Not that I could have guessed it would lead me on this incredible journey.’
At the age of 20, Julio was picked to play in goal for football club Real Madrid, a career dramatically cut short by a near-fatal car accident, from which it took him the better part of three years to recover. It was during his lengthy convalescence that he first picked up a guitar and, in time, began composing his own songs. His new career, if he had but known it, had begun.
‘I don’t remember the accident,’ he says now. ‘I was in a coma for a week. But when I woke up, I knew something serious must have happened because all my family was gathered round my hospital bed.
‘I reached down and touched my legs and there was no feeling in them. The doctors explained that there was a compression affecting my central nervous system, which left me paralysed for months.
‘It was during this time that a nurse gave me a guitar. I taught myself to play and then started writing poems. The poems became songs and, in time, I became a singer, although a very bad one. But now I was entering a new dream. And gradually I became an okay singer.’
Music has made him a wealthy man, with houses in Spain, Miami and Punta Cana, a resort in the Dominican Republic overlooking the Caribbean where his near neighbour and great friend is the fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.
An audience with Julio is a curious affair. On the one hand, you’re conscious of being hosed down in treacle, metaphorically speaking, and yet it’s quite impossible to resist his rascally charm. His style is from another age – all deep, meaningful stares followed by winks and much merry laughter.
The fact is that he’s a very nice man, fantastically attentive to anyone whose path he crosses, but someone who is somehow in on his own joke. Look, he seems to be saying, I know I lay on the corn with an industrial-sized trowel but, in an increasingly brutish world, is that so bad? And you might not realise it at the time but catch sight of yourself after a session with Señor Iglesias and you’ll spot a silly smile on your face.
Certainly, nobody could possibly accuse him of not looking after his army of fans. ‘Yesterday, I was in Holland. Today, I’m in London. Tomorrow, I’m in Dublin. Then it’s London again followed by Mexico. It’s a crazy life.’
He’s the first international artist, he says with some pride, to have a live television special in China watched by 400 million people. So how on earth does he keep his marriage on track? ‘Good question. My wife and kids were with me yesterday. We travel together many, many times. We have home schooling for the children and I’m lucky because my fans have bought me the best plane in the world.’ [He means he’s been able to afford it because of his global album sales.]
‘It can fly 15 hours nonstop. I have a bed on board so I can sleep as if I were at home. My family is the love of my life. I work hard to make sure that we’re all together as often as possible.’
So why Miranda? ‘Because she’s a very special person, a generous person. And it’s timing. We came together at the right time for each other. I love women,’ he adds, a touch superfluously. ‘I respect them. But look, if I had been gay, I’d have been the biggest gay guy in history.’
Julio, you will have gathered, is addicted to love.
How are relations with the children from his first marriage? ‘Enrique and Julio are very independent. I don’t even know their girlfriends. It’s true that I’ve never met Enrique’s girlfriend, Anna Kournikova. They’ve been together 12 years now. But my wife and younger children all know her. The trouble is, I’m always travelling.
‘But yes, I would like to sing with Julio and Enrique one day. Fathers like to talk to their sons but the sons are not so interested. It’s the same the world over. It was the same when I was young and thought I knew it all. And it happens even more if you’re in the same profession.’
Julio Snr has duetted with Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton, Placido Domingo, Sting – you name them. Who next? One Direction perhaps? He roars with laughter. ‘Now that’s an interesting idea. My younger daughters would be so happy if I did. Seriously, it’s no longer easy for me to reach the younger generation because I belong to a sort of classic musical style. One Direction,’ he muses. ‘I plan to surprise everyone with my choices of music over the next year.’
Remember, you read it here first.
There’s just no stopping that old schmoozer, Julio Iglesias. ‘I’ve lost none of my passion,’ he says, on a recent visit to London for two appearances at the Royal Albert Hall and to pick up an award from Sony for being the most successful Latin artist of all time. ‘There are many singers whose technique is better than mine. But there is no one who is more passionate.
‘You could give a thousand people the most sophisticated camera in the world, a piece of equipment that does everything for you. But only 50 would take an interesting photograph and they would be the ones who brought their own vision, their own passion to the project.’
At 70, Julio simply doesn’t understand the concept of slowing down. ‘Yes, I’m further up the mountain now. The air is getting a little thinner.’ But don’t talk of retirement. ‘The day I retire,’ says Spain’s most famous export in his heavily accented English, ‘is the day I die.’
Helping to keep him young is Miranda Rijnsburger, his 48-yearold Dutch partner of 24 years (they finally married in August 2010), and the mother of his five youngest children. Miguel and Rodrigo are 16 and 15 respectively, twins Victoria and Cristina are 13 and Guillermo recently turned seven.
By his first marriage to Isabel Preysler he has a daughter Chabeli, a well-known chat-show host in Spain, and two sons, Julio Jnr, a model-turnedsinger, and Enrique, who’s giving his father a run for his money as an internationally acclaimed singer and heart-throb.
Fatherhood second time around, says Julio, is subtly different. ‘The love is the same but I was young first time and not yet so established. So I think I would say I’m more concerned, more connected with my kids by Miranda. Not that my older children suffered. They have grown into happy, independent adults. But now I’m more lenient. Now I say yes more than I say no.’
He says he inherited his musical ability from his mother, Maria. ‘She had a good ear and sang beautifully. But if it had not been for the accident, I wouldn’t have discovered I also had music in me. So, out of something bad came something good. Not that I could have guessed it would lead me on this incredible journey.’
At the age of 20, Julio was picked to play in goal for football club Real Madrid, a career dramatically cut short by a near-fatal car accident, from which it took him the better part of three years to recover. It was during his lengthy convalescence that he first picked up a guitar and, in time, began composing his own songs. His new career, if he had but known it, had begun.
‘I don’t remember the accident,’ he says now. ‘I was in a coma for a week. But when I woke up, I knew something serious must have happened because all my family was gathered round my hospital bed.
‘I reached down and touched my legs and there was no feeling in them. The doctors explained that there was a compression affecting my central nervous system, which left me paralysed for months.
‘It was during this time that a nurse gave me a guitar. I taught myself to play and then started writing poems. The poems became songs and, in time, I became a singer, although a very bad one. But now I was entering a new dream. And gradually I became an okay singer.’
Music has made him a wealthy man, with houses in Spain, Miami and Punta Cana, a resort in the Dominican Republic overlooking the Caribbean where his near neighbour and great friend is the fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.
An audience with Julio is a curious affair. On the one hand, you’re conscious of being hosed down in treacle, metaphorically speaking, and yet it’s quite impossible to resist his rascally charm. His style is from another age – all deep, meaningful stares followed by winks and much merry laughter.
The fact is that he’s a very nice man, fantastically attentive to anyone whose path he crosses, but someone who is somehow in on his own joke. Look, he seems to be saying, I know I lay on the corn with an industrial-sized trowel but, in an increasingly brutish world, is that so bad? And you might not realise it at the time but catch sight of yourself after a session with Señor Iglesias and you’ll spot a silly smile on your face.
Certainly, nobody could possibly accuse him of not looking after his army of fans. ‘Yesterday, I was in Holland. Today, I’m in London. Tomorrow, I’m in Dublin. Then it’s London again followed by Mexico. It’s a crazy life.’
He’s the first international artist, he says with some pride, to have a live television special in China watched by 400 million people. So how on earth does he keep his marriage on track? ‘Good question. My wife and kids were with me yesterday. We travel together many, many times. We have home schooling for the children and I’m lucky because my fans have bought me the best plane in the world.’ [He means he’s been able to afford it because of his global album sales.]
‘It can fly 15 hours nonstop. I have a bed on board so I can sleep as if I were at home. My family is the love of my life. I work hard to make sure that we’re all together as often as possible.’
So why Miranda? ‘Because she’s a very special person, a generous person. And it’s timing. We came together at the right time for each other. I love women,’ he adds, a touch superfluously. ‘I respect them. But look, if I had been gay, I’d have been the biggest gay guy in history.’
Julio, you will have gathered, is addicted to love.
How are relations with the children from his first marriage? ‘Enrique and Julio are very independent. I don’t even know their girlfriends. It’s true that I’ve never met Enrique’s girlfriend, Anna Kournikova. They’ve been together 12 years now. But my wife and younger children all know her. The trouble is, I’m always travelling.
‘But yes, I would like to sing with Julio and Enrique one day. Fathers like to talk to their sons but the sons are not so interested. It’s the same the world over. It was the same when I was young and thought I knew it all. And it happens even more if you’re in the same profession.’
Julio Snr has duetted with Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton, Placido Domingo, Sting – you name them. Who next? One Direction perhaps? He roars with laughter. ‘Now that’s an interesting idea. My younger daughters would be so happy if I did. Seriously, it’s no longer easy for me to reach the younger generation because I belong to a sort of classic musical style. One Direction,’ he muses. ‘I plan to surprise everyone with my choices of music over the next year.’
Remember, you read it here first.