Ricky Martin Biography

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ricky sang in a choir and performed in school plays. By the time he was six he was already appearing in television commercials.

In 1984, he became a member of Menudo and for the next five years, as lead singer of the group, he became a teenage sensation.

Having outgrown his boyband roots in 1989, he went back home to Puerto Rico and completed high school, before moving to New York. However, after enjoying the sights and sounds of New York he was forced to move to Mexico to kick start an acting career on the stage.

In 1991, he released his self-titled debut album which went on to become a hit in the Latin charts. The album ‘Me Amaras’ in 1993 was an even bigger hit, launching him to superstar status in Latin America.

In 1994, he joined the cast of the US soap opera General Hospital, playing Miguel Morez, staying with the show for four years. With his profile as an actor now raised he landed a role on Broadway in the musical Les Miserables.

However, it was after his performance on the 1999s Grammies singing ‘Livin La Viva Loca’ that Ricky became a household name across the world, going on to sell 70 million albums worldwide.

His first English pop album, also titled ‘Ricky Martin’, was released in 1999 and spawned the monster hits ‘Livin' la Vida Loca’, ‘She's All I Ever Had’ and ‘Shake Your Bon Bon’. A year later, he capitalised on his new found superstar status and released ‘Sound Loaded', which included the curiously titled hit, ‘She Bangs’.

Having topped the charts in nearly every country, won Grammies and numerous music awards, Ricky suddenly decided to take nearly five years out of the limelight. He released the Spanish album ‘Almas del Silencio’ in 2003 and created the ‘Ricky Martin Foundation’. Among the many of the foundation’s projects was the donation of a million dollars worth of musical instrument to Puerto Rican public schools.

2005 saw Ricky’s return to music with the album ‘Life’ and he embarks on a world tour in 2006 which its expected millions will attend.