Julio Iglesias, the iconic Spanish singer (and formerReal Madrid goalkeeper!)
who has been generating hit singles for 40 years, will turn 70 this year.
What more natural time to release a two-CD retrospective of his career?
Indeed, the only thing forced about this latest offering may be its awkward title:1 Greatest Hits.
(Paul Anka,Stevie WonderandDolly Partonjoin him on other tracks.)
As he approaches the Big 7-0 in September, Iglesias savors his every waking moment literally.
“I’m locked in a battle with sleep these days,” he says.
“When I was younger, sleep appealed to me because I was tired all the time.
These days, I love the concept of waking up more than anything else.”
A: I feel like I’m floating off in a hot-air balloon.
The earth keeps getting farther away, and I’m afraid the balloon will crash to the ground.
Actually, I’m not that anxious about it, really.
I’ve lived a very fortunate life.
Q: In concert you entertain the audience with stories about your life and career.
Why did you start doing that?
A: A singer is a storyteller at heart.
People want to see an artist’s true feelings, his vulnerability.
I remember watching Frank Sinatra andSammy Davis Jr.do the same thing.
One time I went to see Sinatra and he had lost his voice, but he didn’t cancel.
He just stood out there and told stories about his life.
He got a good 10 standing ovations at the end.
