Julio Iglesias

Arguably one of the most popular singers around the globe for over four decades, Spanish-born crooner Julio Iglesias sold over 300 million records worldwide on the strength of his romantic ballads in a half-dozen languages. Cynics initially dismissed Iglesias as a musical Lothario who relied as much on his good looks as his voice, but audiences around the globe hung on each new song, which he began recording in 1968. By the mid-1970s, Iglesias had established himself as a force on the European and South American pop scenes, as well as a fearless interpreter of established American hit songs. The U.S. market remained out of his reach until 1983, when a compilation of his best work was sold via television commercial; it was quickly trumped by the runaway success of 1100 Bel Air Place (1984), which featured his most unlikely hit, a duet with Willie Nelson on "To All the Girls I've Loved Before." He remained a remarkably popular performer around the globe, as well as a dominant figure on the Latin pop charts in the United States, even more so than his sons Enrique and Julio, Jr., both of whom followed in their father's footsteps. Julio Iglesias' vast album sales and sprawling body of work made him a legendary figure in the history of Latin music.