Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva was born on September 23, 1943, in Madrid, Spain, into a well‑educated and culturally rich family. His father, Julio Iglesias Sr., was a respected medical doctor, and his mother, María del Rosario de la Cueva y Perignat, came from a diverse ancestral background that included Galician and Puerto Rican heritage. From a young age, Iglesias demonstrated a deep interest in both academics and athletics, interests that would shape the early chapters of his life.
A Youth Crossroads: Football and Law
Growing up in the streets of Madrid, Julio Iglesias pursued his education while also nurturing a passion for football. He played as a goalkeeper for the Real Madrid Castilla team, the reserve side of one of the world’s most famous clubs, and envisioned a future on the football field. Simultaneously, he enrolled in law school at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid, where he prepared to follow in his father’s professional footsteps.
At this stage, Iglesias seemed destined for a life that balanced sport and legal study — experiences that would have offered a very different public legacy than the one the world knows today.
The Tragedy That Changed His Path
In September 1962, just as he was turning twenty, Iglesias’s life took an unexpected and dramatic turn. On a night out with friends, he was involved in a serious automobile accident on a Madrid highway that shattered his lower spine and left him almost completely paralyzed. Doctors initially said it was unlikely he would walk again. For more than a year and a half, Iglesias underwent rigorous therapy and recovery, during which his dreams of becoming a professional football player were abruptly ended.
During his long stay in the hospital, a nurse gifted him an old guitar to help him regain dexterity in his hands through music. This small but profound gesture laid the foundation for his future as a musician. To alleviate the monotony and pain of recovery, Iglesias began learning basic chords and turning his own poems into songs. In doing so, he discovered a talent he had never truly explored before — music.
From Law to Lyrics
After gradually regaining mobility, Iglesias briefly continued his education. He studied English at a language school in Cambridge, United Kingdom, further widening his cultural horizons. He then returned to Spain to complete his law degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. Despite his academic achievements, his focus increasingly shifted toward music.
The Sound of a New Beginning
The breakthrough moment came in 1968, when Iglesias entered the Benidorm International Song Festival, a prestigious Spanish song competition. With a song he had written himself titled “La vida sigue igual” (“Life Goes On the Same”), he won the contest — a triumph that launched his recording career. Shortly after, he signed a contract with Columbia Records and released his first album, Yo Canto, in 1969.
A year later, Iglesias represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Gwendolyne”. Though he did not win, the song became a hit across Europe and significantly boosted his rising fame.
The Birth of a Global Artist
These early experiences — overcoming physical adversity, turning poetry into song, and achieving early success in national and international music competitions — laid the groundwork for Iglesias’s meteoric rise. What began as a therapy‑driven pastime transformed into a lifelong profession that would see him become one of the most successful and best‑selling artists in history, transcending language and geographic boundaries.
Iglesias would go on to release dozens of albums, sell millions of records worldwide, and become a pioneering figure in international Latin music — but those foundational years of resilience, self‑discovery, and artistry remain among the most compelling chapters of his life.
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