Ricky Martin was one of the biggest
teen idols in Latin America during the '90s. A lead singer of Menudo, Martin was
blessed with good looks and a nice voice, which helped him become a Latin music
star. He also became an actor, earning praise from the Mexican motion picture
industry and starring on the American soap opera General Hospital, where he played
Miguel Morez, a bartender who sings on the weekend.
Ricky Martin (b. December
24, 1971) was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As a child, he sang in
the choir and performed in school plays. When he was six, he began acting in television
commercials. Shortly aftereward, he took professional singing and acting lessons,
which paved the way for his auditions for Menudo. In 1984, when he was 12 years
old, he became a member of Menudo. For the next five years, he was the lead singer
of the group, helping them become international sensations. Once he outgrew Menudo
in 1989, he went back home to Puerto Rico, where he completed high school. After
graduation, he moved to New York, where he simply relaxed for several months. Following
a few months of inactivity, he began to work his way back into the entertainment
industry. He returned to Mexico, where he acted on stage for a year before returning
to the music industry. In 1991, he released his self-titled debut album, which
he co-wrote with his fellow Menudo alumnus Robi Rosa, who would become a regular
collaborator over the course of Martin's career (often credited as Ian Blake).
Ricky Martin became a sizable hit on the Latin charts. Two years later, he followed
it with the Juan Carlos Calderon-produced Me Amaras, which was an even bigger
hit, launching him to superstar status in Latin America. In January 1994,
he joined the cast of the soap opera General Hospital, playing Miguel Morez. His
recurring role was so successful that it landed him a role on Broadway, where
he played Marius in Les Miserables. He left General Hospital to perform in the
production and stayed with the play for about a year. In 1995, he released
his third album, A Medio Vivir, a record that had a harder rock edge, yet also
featured such Latin styles as flamenco and cumbia. In early 1998, he released
his fourth album, Vuelve. His first English pop album -- which happened to also
be titled Ricky Martin -- was released in the spring of 1999; it made him an international
superstar thanks to blockbuster singles including "Livin' la Vica Loca"
and "She's All I Ever Had." A year later, Martin sizzled again with
the release of Sound Loaded. |
