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Enrique Miguel Preysler Iglesias (born May 8, 1975, in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish singer of Asian and European ancestry. His Asian ancestry comes from his mother's side of the family.
Iglesias is the son of the famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias and the Filipina journalist Isabel Preysler.
Isabel Preysler named Enrique in honor of his deceased uncle, Enrique Preysler, who died in Hong Kong due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Iglesias's career started on Indie label Fonovisa who helped turn him into one of the most popular artists in Latin America and in the Latin market in the United States, selling more Spanish albums than any other artists in that period of time. Before the turn of the millennium he made a crossover into the mainstream English market and signed a unique multi-album deal with Universal Music for an unprecedented $48,000,000, with Universal Music Latino to release his Spanish albums and Interscope to release English albums.
Iglesias has had five Billboard Chart #1s singles in English and holds the record for most ever Spanish language #1s on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks with seventeen. He is also the best selling Latin act in the United Kingdom as well the Best Selling International Artist in India.
Iglesias' album sales currently total over forty million, making him one of the best-selling Spanish music artists in the world. Iglesias has yet to overtake his father's great sales figures, but has outsold Julio in single-album sales, arguably justifying the label his record company gave him as 'best selling Spanish artist in the world'. He is the best-selling Spanish language artist of the last decade. Iglesias has said that if he has children and they wish to follow in his footsteps, he would naturally expect them also to be better than he is.
Enrique Iglesias was born in Madrid, Spain. His parents were divorced when he was three. After the widely publicized kidnapping of his grandfather Julio Iglesias, Sr. in Spain by Basque ETA (he would be found two weeks later, unharmed), Iglesias moved to Miami, Florida in 1983, at the age of 8, to live with his father. However, his father was rarely at home and Iglesias was raised by his nanny, Elvira Olvarez. He used to visit his mother every summer.
While in Miami, Iglesias enjoyed the luxury of being the son of a millionaire, but later he developed a taste for simpler things, a fact that would later surface in his concerts, where he appeared in plain clothes, including white cotton shirts, and jeans. While attending the University of Miami studying Business Administation Iglesias chose to pursue a music career but lacked the funds to record a demo tape. Choosing to keep his ambitions secret from his family he received a loan of $2000 from his Nanny Olivares. He was auditioned by his future manager, Fernan Martinez who was impressed. Using the pseudonym 'Enrique Martínez', the two promoted his demo across various record labels. Months later, Iglesias was signed up by Fonovisa, and then he went to Toronto, Canada, to record his first album in total anonymity.
Choosing to downplay his lineage the first batch of radio spots identified the young singer only as "Enrique".
Iglesias has collaborated with songwriter Guy Chambers to write "Un Nuovo Giorno", the lead single from Andrea Bocelli's first pop album. The song was later translated into English as "First Day of My Life" and recorded by former Spice Girl Melanie C. The song has since gone to become a huge hit throughout Europe, and peaked in the number one spot in numerous countries. Iglesias also wrote the single "The Way" for American Idol runner up Clay Aiken. Four songs co-written by Iglesias appear on the UK band The Hollies' current album. Many times Iglesias has said that should he ever retire, he wants to write and produce songs for other artists.
In 2000, Iglesias co-produced an off Broadway musical called Four Guys Named Jose and Una Mujer Named Maria. In the musical, four Americans of Latin heritage possess a common interest in music and meet and decide to put on a show. The show contained many references and allusions to many classic and contemporary Latin and pop songs by the likes of Carmen Miranda, Selena, Richie Valens, Santana, Ricky Martin and Iglesias himself.
Iglesias also developed an interest in acting, starring alongside Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Johnny Depp in the Robert Rodriguez film Once Upon a Time in Mexico, in which he played the foul-mouthed gun-wielding Lorenzo. In 2007, he had a cameo role in the TV comedy Two and a Half Men, starring Charlie Sheen. He says that he would act again if given small roles that he could fit in between his musical commitments. He will also play a guitar playing/surfer/massage therapist and Enrique Iglesias lookalike on the tv show How I Met Your Mother.
Iglesias also played the part of an evil Roman emperor in an ambitious TV commercial for Pepsi, which sponsored his last world tour. He starred alongside Britney Spears, Beyoncé and Pink, who turn the tables on him in the commercial.
