Elina and Leah Furman are the authors of numerous celebrity biographies such as Ricky Martin, James Van Der Beek, The Heat Is On: 98 Degrees, Give It to You: The Jordan Knight Story, and Heart of Soul: The Lauryn Hill Story. Some of their other titles include The Everything After College Book, Generation Inc., and The Everything Dating Book.
Father of Mine
Lounging in a plush armchair and waiting patiently for the battalions of anxious reporters to finish off their now-familiar lines of inquiry, Enrique is the image of nonchalance and detachment. With his shy smile, rumpled locks, and signature black leather pants, the worlds top-selling Latin artist looks as above it all as his albums sales figures. It seems as though nothing could faze him now; nothing, except a couple of questions that would put a dark cloud over every record sale, over every fans smiling face, and over every glance in the bathroom mirror.
Is there any truth to the rumor that you and your father compete when it comes to record sales?
Do you think you would be as successful if it wasnt for your father?
Few things affect Enrique Iglesias as deeply as the mention of his father. Forever cast into the role of the rising son, the young singer has grown to resentthe implication. And when you consider that everything he has achievedthe awards, the critical acclaim, the unsurpassable sales recordhe has achieved on his own, its not hard to understand why.
I dont like to get into it but Im tired of hearing, Do you think you sell more records because of your dad?
Were two different personalities. Were two different singers with two different styles and, most importantly, were from two different generations.
Pointing out the obvious inconsistencies of the like father, like son theory cannot be easy on the Latin crooner. After all, the man he is so intent on distancing himself from is none other than his own flesh and blood, his legendary father, Julio Iglesias.
But listen closely to Enriques words and youll hear a wisdom that is as old as the most ancient empires, as timeless as the struggles of generations past and present, and as certain as the future of rebellious youth. To truly understand a man, it is often not enough to examine his dreams and aspirations. One must look at the whole person, and see his fears, or all that he endeavors not to become. Such is the case with Enrique Iglesias.
Enriques story begins more than thirty years before his arrival into the world. While the singer might not like to dwell on the fact, his tale, like those of so many others, begins with the birth of his father. Born to a privileged Spanish family on September 23, 1943, Julio Jose Iglesias was brought kicking and screaming into this world by Julio Iglesias Puga and Rosario de la Cueva.
As one of Madrids leading gynecologists, Julios father presided over a posh and well-respected household. Living in a spacious apartment in a wealthy part of town, young Julio spent hours dawdling around the house with his mother and looking out onto the busy street life from the pristine privacy of his familys soaring wrought-iron balcony. A younger brother, Carlos, would join him on that very ledge eighteen months later.
Rich in history and overflowing with culture, Madrid is the kind of city one can get lost in. Strolling through its narrow streets, stopping for a chato, a glass of red or white wine before dinner, cheering at the bullfightsthese are just some of the attractions that await the accidental tourist and greet the permanent resident.
For all their worldly advantages, the Iglesias family was not what one would call entirely functional. From an early age, young Julio was aware of difficulties in his parents marriage. The rumors of his fathers sexual exploits with other women would at first shock his delicate constitution, and then alter it beyond recognition. With time, he would learn to justify the infractions, growing closer and closer to his father as he grew up.
On the surface, the family operated like a well-oiled machine. Rosario would escort Julio and Carlos to school, and play the dutiful wife at home. On the inside, however, she was fuming with all the outrage of a woman scorned, and planning the rift that would ultimately divide the family forever.
The loyalties of the children would split down the middle (and here we anticipate the course of events). Given their present reputationsJulio Iglesias is allegedto have bedded more than 3,000 women since the time he was twenty years old, while his younger brother, Carlos, has remained with one woman for a number of yearsits clear which parent each brother sided with in the ongoing war of the Iglesiases. While Carlos stuck by his mother, caring for her well into her twilight years, Julio formed a strong attachment to his father. But the disruption of the family would not occur until much later. Meanwhile, life went on for the Iglesias family as normal.
Ironically enough, the boy who grew into the quintessential Latin lover wasnt considered good-looking by his peers. He would often have to play second fiddle to Carlos, who received most of the attention from family and friends. Knowing that he would never be as handsome as his younger brother wrought a deep-seated insecurity in Julio, one that still plagues him to this very day.
Gabi Fominaya, a family friend from the old days, recalled that Julio had quite an inferiority complex about his looks compared to Carlos. Carlos was an exceptionally beautiful child with thick dark hair and beautiful long eyelashes. I think Julio got sick of people saying how lovely his brother was.
No doubt Julio was affected adversely by the comparisons made between him and his brother. Although had it not been for his being deficient in the beauty department, Julio would never have striven to develop his personality. Using charm and wit to win the affections that his then-gangly and awkward frame could not, Julio developed the kind of social ease that would later help him ascend to the heights of international stardom.
He would also excel in the game of soccer, a sportthat was more like an institution than a pastime in Europe, If a young boy showed promise in soccer, one could feel certain that academics, girls, and popularity would all fall into place. Being a skilled jock was not something the Spanish took lightly, and Julio had been pushed to develop his gift since he was just five years old.
By his fifteenth year, Julio had become such a proficient goalkeeper that he decided to attend tryouts for Real Madrid, Spains premier pro soccer team. Hundreds of young hopefuls had come to compete for the limited team slots, but it was Julio who was handpicked from the crowd to serve as the junior reserve goalkeeper. From the outset Julio made it always look kind of easy, said Fernando Valls, a fellow teammate. He was a showman, you know. He would spin the ball around the tip of his finger before booting it back into play. He was agile and daring. He always went for the ball, even in the most impossible situations. He definitely had what it might have taken to go all the way to the top.
