Enrique Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain, on May 8, 1975. His parents, superstar singer Julio Iglesias and model Isabel Preysler, separated when Enrique was three. Five years later young Enrique moved to Miami to be with father Julio. While his childhood was blessed to the extent that his parents were successful, Enrique was not spoiled or fazed by his privileged position. He grew up as a normal, well-adjusted teen with common growing pains.
He attended business school at the University of Miami, but left after a year to follow in the family business: entertainment. His start came in 1995 in Spanish when he promoted himself as Enrique Martinez from Central America. Iglesias was intent not to be accused of nepotism and did the legwork required to hawk his demo tape around town.
His last name stuck however, and he moved to Toronto to record his first album, which was named Enrique Iglesias. It sold more than a million units in three months, which was a phenomenal achievement for a Spanish album. Before his first English release that sent his fame into the stratosphere in fact, Iglesias was a household name in the Latin world. His world tours filled stadium after stadium and his albums sold millions everywhere. The awards piled up and Enrique built a name for himself, separate from his father.
In 1999, his song "Bailamos" became the most requested radio track in Los Angeles and New York, and was featured on the sountrack for Wild Wild West. The song later went to #1 on Billboard and Enrique was a superstar. His first English album, Enrique, went double platinum in the US and quadruple platinum worldwide.
His global appeal has been considerable, with record sales in Canada, India and Taiwan. His tours have taken him to the Middle East, Russia and Turkey. In order to serve his international fan base, Iglesias has recorded in four languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and English.
Next up for Iglesias is a venture into the world of Hollywood. Look for him to appear in Once Upon A Time In Mexico with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Johnny Depp. The film is set for a 2003 release.
