They’ve become a worldwide success over the past 15 years thanks to their stunning covers of well-known and classic hits, and now Il Divo are preparing to release a new album ahead of their tour of Australia later this year.
But while all four singers are managing to juggle their busy schedule with their personal lives – with three of them now happily married with families – 49-year-old Carlos Marin has taken a step away from tradition and is happier than ever now he’s single.
Carlos was married to his former wife Geraldine Larrosa for three years, but they were in a relationship for more than a decade. However, while the heartbreaking split came as a shock at the time, he’s now embracing single life – and has no plans to settle down with one woman in the near future. So much so, he’s chosen to date “many” women instead.
“I was the first one that got married and the first one that got divorced, the rest of the guys are all married,” he told Starts at 60. “I’m the only single divorced one having a very good time. I’m dating many [women], that’s the best part of being single! Why date one if you can date many?”
Band member Urs Buhler is married to Leticia Martin Crespo, while David Miller wed American soprano singer Sarah Joy Kabanuck in 2009. Meanwhile, Sebastien Izambard married Renee Murphy a year before, in 2008.
Carlos insisted, while the band have 120 shows to perform this year, plus another 80 next year, they’ve worked out a healthy balance between work and home life – and said he still believes it’s possible to have a happy marriage at the same time as selling millions of hits worldwide.
Asked if it can be hard to juggle marriage with work, he admitted: “It is, it is sometimes, but when you have an understandable partner it makes it easier. You need to have someone who understands perfectly what this business is all about.
“You need to be with the fans and travelling all the time. The rest of the guys are all very happy, and they do it well. When you’re right together and make a schedule with your family, then you can make it work.”
Despite their different relationships, the band are stronger than ever – and Carlos credits their ages, as well as their previous solo careers, for their ongoing success.
“We know we need to be four captains in this boat. We are four grown-up guys together, not coming out as young kids singing karaoke, but we have careers behind us already. We knew what we were doing, and being a bit older than other groups makes things a little easier,” he added.
They’re now preparing to release their new album, Timeless, on August 10. Their first hit from the project was released recently – a Spanish cover of Adele’s hugely popular song ‘Hello’.
“We spoke to Adele about it and she gave us permission, she loved the Spanish version,” he said.
It’s just a teaser for more incredible vocals to come, as Carlos revealed they’ll be covering hits including ‘Smile’ and ‘Unforgettable’ (by Nat King Cole), ‘Right Here Waiting for You’ (by Richard Marx), ‘All of Me’ (by John Legend), ‘Angels’ (by Robbie Williams), and more.
They’ll then be touring right round Australia in October, and Carlos said of their plans down under: “There will be songs from the ’30s right through to our day. It will be inspired with a 30s/40s look, and we’ll talk about the songs, movies and of course some dances. I think it will be one of the best shows we’ve done so far.”