International Latin superstar Julio Iglesias’ “Starry Night Tour” is set to romance South Florida audiences at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on March 6 at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 21 at 1 p.m.
One of the most popular Latin singers of the ’70s and ’80s, Julio Iglesias has sold more than 250 million albums around the world. He has received more than 2,600 platinum and gold records in his illustrious musical career, a figure that no other singer has ever managed to achieve in the history of music.
A former goalkeeper for the Real Madrid, Iglesias career as an athlete ended after an automobile accident in the mid-’60s. While he was recovering, Iglesias started playing guitar and writing songs. In 1968, he was a contestant at the Spanish Song Festival at Benidorm, where he sang his original composition, “La Vida Sigue Igual.” Iglesias won the first prize at the contest, which led to a record contract with Discos Columbia, an independent record label.
During the ’70s, he toured Europe and Latin America, gaining a large fan base with hits like 1975’s “Manuela.” Iglesias began to record not only in Spanish, but in Italian and French as well. In 1981, his cover of “Begin the Beguine” became a #1 hit.
In 1983, Julio Iglesias received the first and only Diamond Record Award ever given to a singer by the Guinness Book of World Records for selling more records in more languages than any other musical artist in history (Spanish, German, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Tagalog and Japanese). However, his major crossover success was 1984’s 1100 Bel Air Place, a collection of duets that featured the Top Ten English hit duet with Willie Nelson, “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before.” The album sold over three million copies in America and peaked at #5 on the pop charts; it also spawned “All of You,” another hit duet with Diana Ross.
In 1985 he became one of the few Hispanic artists to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also received an affectionate tribute from Miami residents, the city in which he resided, granting him a place of honor on the legendary Walk of Latin Stars on Miami’s 8th Street. (Calle Ocho).
Iglesias’ popularity continued to grow throughout the ’80s, although he only had one more pop crossover hit, 1988’s “My Love,” a duet with Stevie Wonder. That same year, he received a Grammy Award for Best Latin Singer of the Year 1987 for his album Un hombre solo and Artist of the Year from Aplauso ’92.
Other honors Iglesias has received include being named Ambassador of Galicia, Spain, the Monaco World Music Award for the best Latin singer and the ASCAP Pied Piper Award (as the first Latin recipient).
Tickets cost $134, $114 and $84*; all seats are available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, open Tuesday – Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. and on Sunday & Monday – only open on event days at noon. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.