Ricky Martin has been in front of the camera ever since he can remember, from starting out as a child actor in TV commercials; his journey has only made him rise in stardom. Today he stands as one of the most popular names in Latin Pop Culture and is widely known for his music.
He was born in Puerto Rico, as the youngest of the 3 children his parents had. His father was an accountant and his mother was a psychologist. However, at the young age of 2, he had to deal with the consequences of his parent’s separation.
It was Ricky’s maternal side that was musically inclined, having his maternal grandfather as a poet inspired young Martin to write songs. Martin reminisced on his time spent with his family as a child:
“Every time I find myself in front of an audience, be it twenty people or one hundred thousand, once again I feel the energy that consumed me back at the family gatherings of my youth.”
After discovering, an audition for the opening of child artists, for commercials, young Martin began appearing in Puerto Rican television commercials for products such as soft drinks, toothpaste, and restaurants. In a year and a half, he starred in 11 commercials starting only at the age of 9 years.
Entering the last years of his pre-teens, he after being rejected twice was chosen as a member of the Boy-Band Menudo.
During the time he did numerous shows, and even recalls his experiences as a time when he met some amazing people, explored his sexuality and was fascinated by the same, gained fame, and also became associated with various philanthropic missions. He particularly enjoyed the noble deed of helping young children in Third world countries, for which he even partnered with UNICEF.
At the age of 17, he decided to evaluate his career path and left Menudo. Initially wanting to study Arts he enrolled himself in New York, however, he had a change of heart and did not join to continue being a performer.
The 90s was the onset of a golden period for him, when he signed deals with Sony Entertainment for his solo albums, and became a hit. After being a famous vocalist and musician in the region, he was in 1994 offered a lucrative opportunity to act in a Hollywood serial, where unfortunately he couldn’t shine. He had just begun his first relationship with a man and was finding it hard to be a Latino in L.A. or Hollywood.
After doing many popular numbers in Latin America, he also briefly tried his hand at English songs, attempting to woo the audience in the States. He had a good run, where he would often be recognized as a ‘Sex Symbol’.
In December 2003, Martin was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In his role as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Martin has supported UNICEF’s efforts in fighting for children’s rights, especially in the area of child trafficking.
In 2010, Martin decided to come out as gay, while risking his career. His platonic friendships were many, and he also called himself a bisexual on Oprah Winfrey’s show.
“Sexuality is one complicated thing,” he says. “It’s not black and white. It’s filled with colors. When I was dating women, I was in love with women. It felt right, it felt beautiful. You can’t fake chemistry —the chemistry was there with them. I wasn’t misleading anyone.”
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However, in 2016 he on television announced his relationship with Jwan Yosef, a Syrian-Swedish painter, and got married soon after and has had 3 beautiful kids.
Over the decades, Martin has been honored with accolades including the Leadership in the Arts Award, Billboard’s Spirit of Hope Award, ALMA Award, Vanguard Award, International Humanitarian Award by the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, Hispanic Heritage Award for his humanitarian work in rescuing children from the streets of Kolkata (September 2002).
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