Ricky Martin is a Puerto Rican pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991. Ricky Martin was born Enrique Martín Morales on December 24, 1971 in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Nereida Morales and Enrique Martin Negroni, an account and psy6chologist, respectively. Nereida and Enrique divorced when Ricky was two although his father remarried. Martin has two maternal half-brothers, Fernando and Ángel Fernández, and two paternal half-brothers, Eric and Daniel Martín, and a paternal half-sister Vanessa Martín.

Ricky Martin grew up in a Roman Catholic home and was an altar boy until he joined Menudo. Martin has some Corsican and Catalan ancestry as his paternal fourth great-grandfathers were born in Rogliano, Cap Corse, Corsica, and Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia.

After completing high school, Martin left San Juan for New York City. Martin thereafter moved to Mexico City where he began acting and started in a musical-theater in 1989 named Mis Tennis Rojos (My red tennis shoes) next to Angelica Vale and then followed another theater production Mama Ama el Rock (Mom Loves Rock). He then participated in a telenovela (soap opera) titled Alcanzar Una Estrella II (Reach for a Star 2) next to Sasha Sökol. Out of this soap opera a musical group was formed named Muñecos de Papel in which he was one of the 6 members; they toured several cities in Mexico and recorded 2 albums. His main single was Juego de Ajedrez. A film based on the TV series was also produced in which Martin played Pablo, earning a Heraldo Award in 1993.

Martin was signed to Sony Discos, the company's Latin imprint, in 1990 while acting in Mexico. He released his first solo album, the Spanish-language Ricky Martin, in 1991, which included the single Fuego Contra Fuego. The hit release earned Gold records in Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Puerto Rico, and he performed a string of sold-out concert dates across South America.

In 1993, Martin released his second solo album, Me Amarás, which featured a Spanish-language cover of the Laura Branigan hit "Self Control", as "Que Día Es Hoy", and sold more than a million copies worldwide.

Martin moved to Los Angeles, California in 1994 and landed a role as bartender and singer Miguel Morez in the American soap opera General Hospital.

Throughout his career, Ricky Martin has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. He is the founder of Ricky Martin Foundation (in Spanish Fundación Ricky Martin), a non-profit charity organization. Ricky Martin's exuberant 1999 single "Livin' la Vida Loca" made him a prominent figure of Latin dance-pop. Martin got his start with the all-boy pop group Menudo; after five years with the group, he released his Spanish-language solo album, Ricky Martin, in 1991. He also acted on stage and on TV in Mexico, becoming a modest star there. In 1994 he starred on the American TV soap opera General Hospital, playing a Puerto Rican singer. In 1999, after several albums in Spanish, he released his first English-language album (also titled Ricky Martin), which included the salsa-style "Livin' la Vida Loca". The album sold 17 million copies and brought Martin international fame. His other albums include A Medio Vivir (1995), Vuelve (1998), Sound Loaded (2000, with the hit "She Bangs"), Life (2005), and the compilation album Ricky Martin 17 (2008). In 2010 Martin announced that he was a "fortunate homosexual man", ending years of fan speculation on the topic.

Martin's twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, were born via a surrogate mother in 2008. Martin also co-owns a Miami restaurant, Casa Salsa, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.

Discography

Studio albums

• Ricky Martin (1991)
• Me Amarás (1993)
• A Medio Vivir (1995)
• Vuelve (1998)
• Ricky Martin (the debut English breakthrough studio album) (1999)
• Sound Loaded (2000)
• Almas del Silencio (2003)
• Life (2005)
• Música + Alma + Sexo (2011)

Live albums

• MTV Unplugged (2006)
• Ricky Martin Live: Black & White Tour (2007)

Compilation albums

• La Historia (2001)
• The Best of Ricky Martin (2001)
• Ricky Martin 17 (2008)

Filmography

• 1987 : Por siempre amigos (TV series) as Ricky
• 1990 : Alcanzar una estrella (TV series) as Pablo Loredo
• 1991 : Alcanzar una estrella II (TV series) as Pablo Loredo
• 1992 : Más que alcanzar una estrella as Enrique
• 1993 : Getting By (TV series) as Martin
• 1993 : General Hospital (TV series) as Miguel Morez (1994–1996)
• 1996 : Barefoot in Paradise (TV series) as Sandoval
• 2002 : Les Diables as Brian Rodriquez
• 2003 : Ricky Martin: En la intimidad (TV) as a guest star

Television appearances

• Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd (2003) – as himself (guest appearance in season 6)
• General Hospital (1995) (television series) – Miguel Morez (unknown episodes, 1994–95)
• Alcanzar una estrella (1991) (television series)
• "The Oprah Winfrey Show (2011) - as himself (guest appearance in season 25)

Theatre

• Les Misérables (1996), Broadway – Marius
• Evita, (2012), Broadway - scheduled

Awards and Achievements

• Martin was chosen along with Félix Trinidad in 1999, to lead Puerto Rico's worldwide tourism campaign, both  exemplifying Puerto Rico's youthfulness, enthusiasm and indefatigable  character.
• In February 2004, Martin received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lo Nuestro Awards in Miami, Florida.
• Martin was honored as the 2006 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy on November 1, 2006. He was chosen for his accomplishments as a world  renowned entertainer, consummate performer and passionate humanitarian. A portion of the proceeds from the evening's tribute dinner was used for  benefitting Ricky Martin's charitable efforts.
• On October 16, 2007, Martin received the 2351st Hollywood Walk of Fame star,shortly after receiving the key to the city of Miami Beach, Florida on October 11. The star is located besides the Hollywood and Highland complex. Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Rita Moreno were invited to the unveiling ceremony.