Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), commonly known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, actor and author. Martin began his career at age twelve with the all-boy pop group Menudo. After five years with the group, he released several Spanish-language solo albums throughout the 1990s. He also acted on stage and on TV in Mexico, becoming a modest star in the country. In 1994 he starred on the US TV soap opera General Hospital, playing a Puerto Rican singer. In 2018, Ricky Martin's net worth is estimated to be $60 million.
In early 1999, after releasing several albums in Spanish, Martin performed "The Cup of Life" at the 41st Grammy Awards show, which became a catalyst in bringing Latin pop to the forefront of the U.S. music scene. Following its success, Martin released "Livin' la Vida Loca" which helped him obtain enormous success worldwide and is generally seen as the song that began the Latin pop explosion of 1999 and made the transition easier for other Spanish-speaking artists to move into the English-speaking market. Since its release, the song has sold over 8 million copies, making it one of the best selling singles of all time. His first English-language album (also titled Ricky Martin), has sold 22 million copies and is one of the best selling albums of all time. His other studio albums include: Me Amaras (1993), A Medio Vivir (1995), Vuelve (1998), Sound Loaded (2000), Almas del Silencio (2003), Life (2005), Musica + Alma + Sexo (2011), and A Quien Quiera Escuchar (2015).
Martin was raised Catholic, but says he is open to all sorts of religious beliefs, especially the Buddhist philosophy. He feels that subscribing to a specific religion can "limit" an individual in certain aspects, and noted in 2006, "I really like the Buddhist philosophy but that doesn’t mean that I am of the religion. If I subscribe to Buddhism, I can’t be of anything else...I am not going to follow those rules." Martin began practicing yoga after a trip to Thailand in 1997. He enjoys surfing, skydiving, and also vacationing in South Asian countries like India and Nepal, partly on account of his interest in Yoga and Buddhism.
When asked on one occasion about his frequent travel to India and specifically, what brings him back so often, Ricky replied: "India has been an important part of my spiritual growth. Whenever I get the chance, I go to India, and especially visit Puri (Odisha), where I practice Yoga. It has helped me a lot in my personal and professional life. I was in Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) last year. I found some great ashrams and spiritual retreats there. I haven’t been to Puri since my kids were born (he is the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino). Next time I go there, I will take them along. "
Discography:
With Menudo:
Evolucion (1984)
Menudo (1985)
Ayer Y Hoy (1985)
A Festa Vai Comecar (Portuguese) (1985)
Viva! Bravo! (Italian) (1986)
Refrescante (1986)
Menudo (Portuguese) (1986)
Can't Get Enough (1987)
Somos Los Hijos del Rock (1987)
In Action (English-Tagalog) (1988)
Sons of Rock (1988)
Sombras Y Figuras (1988)
Menudo Despidida Ricky Martin (1990)
Solo:
Ricky Martin (1991)
Me Amaras (1993)
A Medio Vivir (1995)
Vuelve (1998)
Ricky Martin (1999)
Sound Loaded (2000)
Almas del Silencio (2003)
Life (2005)
Musica + Alma + Sexo (2011)
A Quien Quiera Escuchar (2015)
Filmography
1985: The Love Boat (TV series) as Ricky
1987: Por siempre amigos (Argentina TV series) as Ricky
1991: Alcanzar una estrella II (TV series) as Pablo Loredo
1992: Mas que alcanzar una estrella as Enrique
1993: Getting y (TV series) as Martin
1994: General Hospital (TV series) as Miguel Morez (1994-95)
1996: Barefoot in Paradise (TV series) as Sandoval
1997: Hercules (Latin American dub, voice role) as Hercules
1999: Idle Hands as Man in Car Park
2000: MADtv (TV series) as himself
2006: Sos mi vida (Argentina TV series) as himself
2011: The Oprah Winfrey Show: guest
2011: Susana Gimenez: guest
2011: American Dad! as himself (uncredited)
2012: Glee (TV series) as David Martinez
2013: The Voice Australia as Himself (Coach)
2014: Dancing with the Stars (TV series) as Himself (Judge)
2014: The Voice Australia as Himself (Coach)
2014: La Voz... Mexico as Himself (Coach)
2014: The Voice Arabia as Himself (guest judge)
2015: Minions (Latin American dub, voice role) as Herb Overkill
2015: The Voice Australia as himself (judge)
2015: La Banda as himself (judge and executive producer)
2015: Nuestra Belleza Latina 2015 as himself (Celebrity guest)
2018: Versace: American Crime Story as Antonio D'Amico