One of the best-selling Latin recording acts in the world is Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler, better known as Enrique Iglesias. He is a Spanish singer, songwriter, actor, and actor. Enrique’s father is a well-known Spanish singer, but he joined the music business under the fictitious name Martinez because he did not want to use his father’s name to further his own career. At the age of 15, he started composing songs, but he had to keep it a secret because his parents disapproved. After his first year, he left school to focus on music. This proved to be a brilliant move because his debut record alone sold 500,000 copies in its first week, catapulting him to overnight fame. His peers could not quite accomplish the feat of maintaining such a delicate balance between his Spanish and English songs. He has amassed over 137 million album sales to date and more than 70 No. 1 positions on different Billboard charts. He has been referred to as “The King of Latin Pop” and “The King of Dance” by Billboard. He is also well known for his charitable work because he frequently gives donations and sponsors concerts to raise money for those affected by natural catastrophes.
Early Childhood & Life
On May 8, 1975, Enrique Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain. His mother, Isabel Preysler, is a well-known Madrid socialite, and his father, Julio Iglesias, is a well-known Spanish vocalist. Enrique’s parents got divorced in 1979 and he went to reside with his mother.
He has two older brothers, Julio and Chabeli, who are his brother and sister respectively.
His grandpa, Dr. Julio Iglesias Puga, was taken hostage by the armed Basque terrorist organization ETA in 1986. Isabel sent her kids to reside with their father in Miami out of concern for their security. But because Julio Sr. had a busy tour schedule, Elvira Olivares, the family maid, looked after them.
Enrique studied business at the University of Miami while attending the elite Gulliver Preparatory School.
Career of Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias and his pals used to write and perform songs at various Miami restaurants when they were teenagers. Without his parents’ awareness, he carried out this action covertly.
He didn’t want to capitalize on his father’s well-known last name. Therefore, he created a demo tape with one Spanish song and two English songs using money he borrowed from his nanny. He forwarded this to Enrique Martinez’s spokesman, Fernan Martinez, who had previously worked for his father.
He secured a deal with Fonovisa Records in 1995 while posing as an undiscovered Guatemalan singer. Enrique soon left Miami University to concentrate solely on music.
In July 1995, Enrique Iglesias released his debut record. In just one week, the album went gold in Portugal and five of its tracks reached the top of the Latin charts on Billboard. Despite being in Spanish, the record helped him gain a sizable fan base and numerous prestigious accolades.
In 1997, his second record, “Vivir,” was released. From the record, three singles—”Enamorado Por Primera Vez,” “Solo en Ti,” and “Miente”—topped the Latin charts. Along with his father, he was nominated for an American Music Award, which went to his father.
Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Sir Elton John supported him on his first performance tour. The band performed in 16 nations to sold-out crowds, as was to be anticipated.
In 1998, his third album, “Cosas Del Amor,” was published. He defeated Ricky Martin to win the American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist with the songs “Esperanza” and “Nunca Te Olvidare,” which topped the Latin singles chart.
In 1999, he released a single named ‘Bailamos’ which became a No. 1 success on the US charts and was featured in the soundtrack of Will Smith’s movie ‘Wild Wild West’.
Due to his success, Enrique and Interscope agreed to a multi-album contract. His fourth album, “Enrique,” released in 2000, was completely in English and went gold or platinum in 32 different nations. There was also a Whitney Houston collaboration in it.
He co-wrote every song on his fifth record, “Escape,” which was released in 2001 and quickly rose to fame. Numerous singles, including “Hero,” “Escape,” and “Don’t Turn Off The Lights,” reached the top of the rankings. A new rendition of “Maybe” appeared on the album’s second edition.
His album ‘Insomniac’ (2007) was so-called as it was mostly recorded at night.
He issued the record “Euphoria” in 2010. The tracks “Cuando me enamoro,” “I Like It,” “No Me Digas Que No,” and “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” were included on his first bilingual album. Sunidhi Chauhan, Nicole Scherzinger, Ludacris, Pitbull, and Akon are among the other performers on this record.
With the 2003 movie “Once Upon a Time in Mexico,” he made his starring debut alongside Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, and Johnny Depp. Additionally, he appeared in episodes of “Two and a Half Men” and “How I Met Your Mother” as a special actor.
Bigger Works of Enrique Iglesias
Half a million copies of his debut album, “Enrique Iglesias,” were sold in the first week—a record for a non-English recording. Five of the album’s songs reached the top of the Latin charts of Billboard, and the album was certified gold in Portugal.
On the Top Latin Albums chart of the US Billboard, his record “95/08 Exitos” debuted at No. 1. In the US and Russia, it received double silver certification.
Recognition & Achievements
He has earned 16 Billboard Music Awards to date, 26 Billboard Latin Music Awards, six American Music Awards, two Grammys, four Latin Grammys, and ten World Music Awards throughout his career.
At the World Music Awards in 2001, his record “Escape” won him the prizes for Best-Selling Pop Male Artist and European Male Artist.
He won the Premios Ondas prize for Most Successful Spanish Artist of the Decade in 2002.
He has 15 Premios Lo Nuestro honors to his name.
Personal Legacy & Life
In 2001, Enrique Iglesias started courting the talented and attractive tennis player Anna Kournikova. They split up after 12 years because there was little time for them to catch up with their worldwide touring schedules.
Estimated net worth
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish-Filipino singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer regarded as the King of Latin Pop who has a personal worth of $100 million. Both the Latin and English-language music industries enjoy enormous popularity for Enrique Iglesias. Over 130 million records have been sold globally by him. He is the illustrious Spanish vocalist Julio Iglesias’ son.
Trivia
For the 2010 Haiti earthquake victims, the Music for Relief organization, run by the American rock band Linkin Park, launched a “Download to Donate” initiative. Enrique collaborated on the production of the album “Download to Donate for Haiti,” which was published by the band’s co-vocalist Mike Shinoda.
Enrique Iglesias requested financial contributions from his followers in 2013 to aid the casualties of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines via the American Red Cross.
Numerous organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, Help for Heroes, Live Earth, Music for Relief, City of Hope, Special Olympics, etc., have received his support.