Ricky Martin was one of the biggest teen idols in Latin America during the ’90s and a major figure in American pop music by the end of the decade. In 1991, he released his self-titled debut album, which became a hit on the Latin charts. Two years later, he followed it with Me Amarás, 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 in Les Miserables. He left General Hospital to perform in the production and stayed with the play for about a year. His first English-language pop album, which also happened to be titled Ricky Martin, was released in the spring of 1999. It made him an international superstar thanks to blockbuster singles “Livin’ la Vida Loca” and “She’s All I Ever Had.” A year later, Martin sizzled again with the release of Sound Loaded. His biggest Spanish-language hits were collected on 2001’s La Historia, while 2003’s Almas del Silencio was an album of new Spanish material. Life, from 2005, was a return to English-language pop. Martin then released MTV Unplugged in 2006. It was followed by a new studio album in 2011, Musica + Alma + Sexo, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. He released A Quien Quiera Escuchar in 2015. Martin continues to tour the world.
