Julio Iglesias Says 50-year Singing Career is 'a Miracle'

At age 75, singer Julio Iglesias cannot run and can no longer play football. But Iglesias still performs as a singer, as he has for the past 50 years. He calls his singing career "a miracle" in his life.

The Spanish star will be performing at cities across Europe this month as part of a tour to celebrate his career. The first show is this Sunday in Antwerp, Belgium.

Long before Latin American pop artists like Prince Royce, Shakira or Ricky Martin, Iglesias was making songs that were successful all over the world. Many people know him best for 1980s music hits like "Begin the Beguine" and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before."

Iglesias is the best-selling Latin artist ever. He has sold more than 300 million recordings in 14 languages. Six years ago, he was named the most popular international artist in China.

Iglesias told Reuters he feels honored to have enjoyed such a long career. He denies concerns raised by the Spanish media about his recent health. He became a singer after a 1963 car accident that ended his promising career as a football player.

He said, "I still have the passion in my heart. If I don't sing, my heart doesn't beat so strong... Fifty years on the road, playing from China to Finland, it's a miracle."

Iglesias said he still gets excited from performing in front of a crowd.

"The feeling is the same. You close your eyes and you are on the stage and you feel that warmth from the people," he said. He added, "I am an artist who is grateful 1,000 percent to the people. I will belong to the people until I die."

Iglesias will spend the month of June performing in Europe. He will then travel to the United States for a number of concerts in September.

I'm Jonathan Evans.

The Reuters news agency reported this story. Jonathan Evans adapted the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.