Singer ricky martin biography. Ricky Martin photo, biography, Ricky Martin and his husband, personal life

Ricky Martin is a pop singer from Puerto Rico, one of the main popularizers of Latin American music on a global level. His hits "Livin' La Vida Loca" ("Live a Crazy Life") and "La Copa de la Vida" ("The Cup of Life") are still heard from the dance floors after many years.

Fans are attracted not only by his work: he is a man open to all philosophical currents, a homosexual, a vegetarian, a philanthropist, actively opposes discrimination and racial prejudice, and his charitable foundation fights against the slave trade around the world.

Childhood and early career

Ricky Martin is often referred to as Ricky, but this is incorrect. His stage name is short for his full name "Enrique".

Ricky was born into the family of psychologist Enrique Martin Negroni and accountant Neireda Morales. The parents of the future celebrity divorced as soon as the son was two years old. Both father and mother met a new love - this is how Ricky had a large family: two half-brothers, Daniel and Eric, as well as three half-brothers - brothers Fernando and Angel and sister Vanessa.

The boy was brought up in a deeply religious way. As a child, Ricky was a minister at the local priest, and also attended Sunday school. Despite the strict upbringing inherent in Catholics, the boy was not limited in self-expression: his parents encouraged his son's vocal talent, who almost from the cradle danced from a mirror with a comb instead of a microphone, and when the boy turned 9, his father took him to an advertising casting. For the next couple of years, young Enrique's face regularly appeared in commercials for toothpaste, lemonade, and hamburgers.

The musically gifted teenager was cast several times in the Menudo boy band to replace Ricky Melendez, who left the group. He was rejected twice because of his short stature. But the boy was persistent, and for the third time, the producers, seeing the fire in Ricky's eyes, nevertheless made him part of the team. Ricky, then simply Enrique, performed with the group from 1984 to 1989. With his participation, 11 albums were recorded: Evolución, Menudo, Explosion, Ayer Y Hoy, A Festa Vai Começar, Viva! Bravo!, Refrescante, etc. In July 1989, 17-year-old Ricky Martin left the group, embarking on a free voyage.

Ricky Martin started his career at Menudo

This decision was not easy for him. He owed a lot to Menudo - together with them he recorded 11 albums and, it seemed, learned everything you need to know about show business. But the strict framework of the contract, the constant supervision of managers, the total absence of a real one - all this pushed Ricky to the end of cooperation. After breaking his contract with Menudo, he returned to Puerto Rico, where he graduated from high school and celebrated his 18th birthday. Having become an adult, he received the right to open his own bank account, after which he moved to New York, towards new opportunities.

Solo career

After school, the young artist intended to become a student at the New York School of Art. But life made its own adjustments - even before the start of classes, Ricky was invited to the Mexican musical Mama Ama el Rock ("Mommy Loves Rock"). On stage, he was noticed by a Mexican television producer and approved for a role in the soap series Reach for the Star.

Ricky Martin in "Evening Urgant"

In 1990, Ricky Martin signed a contract with Sony Discos, and the first album, which was called simply - "Ricky Martin", was not long in coming. Unfortunately, the young singer did not carefully read the terms of the contract, according to which Ricky received only one cent from each album sold.

Ricky Martin's debut album with a charming long-haired young man on the cover sold 500,000 copies. The singer received only $5,000, but the more than modest reward did not dampen his enthusiasm. The album's first single "Fuego Contra Fuego" was certified gold in Argentina, Puerto Rico and Mexico. And when Ricky went on tour in South America, he was greeted with a standing ovation everywhere. “I was at home,” the singer later described his first solo tour.

In 1993, Ricky Martin introduced the world to another album, "Me Amaras" ("You will love me"), which was received quite warmly, but did not make a breakthrough. He also starred in two seasons of the sitcom Getting By and landed a role as a singer-bartender on the soap opera General Hospital, later recognized as one of the longest-running series in television history. In the same years, Ricky Martin slept with a man for the first time, but hid his orientation for the next 15 years.

Breakthrough

In 1995, the English-speaking world's understanding of Latin American music changed radically, thanks to Ricky Martin's new album A Medio Vivir (In the Middle of Life). Almost half of the three million copies sold were purchased in Europe, where the album's title song, "Maria", was especially passionately loved. This composition became Ricky Martin's first international hit. In France alone, 1.4 million copies of the single were purchased.

Ricky Martin – Maria

Following the phenomenal success in the musical field, Ricky Martin was recognized as an actor. He took part in the Broadway production of Les Misérables immediately after publicly saying that he would like to play on Broadway. He was entrusted to play Marius - the main character of the production.

After 11 weeks of showing the performance, Ricky sat down in the studio and recorded his fourth album, Vuelve (Come Back). 8 million copies of the record have been sold worldwide. But the artist considered the main achievement of those years not a new album, and not a role in a Broadway musical, but a performance at the Mundial in France in 1998, for which Ricky specially wrote the composition “La Copa de la Vida” (“Cup of Life”), which became the unofficial anthem of the championship.

Ricky Martin - Cup of Life (1998 FIFA World Cup)

Career heyday

After performing at the 1998 World Cup, Ricky decided that it was time to sing in English, so in 1999 his first album "Ricky Martin" was re-released in English with the addition of new hits. The record, which was purchased by 22 million listeners from all over the world, also included duets with Madonna and Meya, the hit "Private Emotion", recorded together with the star of the Turkish scene Sertab Erener, and, of course, the composition "Livin" La Vida Loca ", which became a visiting Ricky Martin's card for years to come, it is generally accepted that it was this song that caused the international boom of Latin American music and opened the way to the world stage for Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira and Talia.

Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca

The second English-language album arrived in time by the end of 2000. "Sound Loaded" debuted at number three in the US, but never reached number one. The singles from the album are "She Bangs", "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely" (a duet with Christina Aguilera) and "Loaded".

In early 2001, the artist released a collection of songs in Spanish "La Historia", which conquered the Latin American charts, and a little later a collection of English-language compositions appeared - "The Best Of Ricky Martin", which consisted entirely of remixes of Ricky Martin's best hits.

In 2003, the singer released another album in Spanish called "Almas Del Silencio" ("The Power of Silence"). Ricky himself said that he really wanted to return with this album back to his former self, full of emotions and adrenaline.

Ricky Martin. Concert in Moscow. 2016

Two years later, another English-language album with a concise and thoughtful title "Life" saw the light of day. Here, according to the artist, he finally connected with his emotions. “This record is as multifaceted as our life. It's about the anger we feel. About the joy we experience. There is uncertainty and love, all the emotions that people have.”

But for some reason, the record received a rather cold reception - only 700,000 copies were sold worldwide. Perhaps the fashion for Latin American music has passed, or, on the contrary, new, brighter stars have lit up in the Spanish-speaking sky. One way or another, Ricky Martin moved away from recording new songs for a long time, devoting himself to other areas of activity.

In the fall of 2006, the reality show The Ricky Martin Diaries was released. It showed behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and live performances.

Ricky Martin's next album came out six years later. The record "Musica + Alma + Sexo" ("Music + soul + sex") was recorded on the way from Miami to Golden Beach, Florida. Over the years of inactivity, Ricky has accumulated more than 60 songs in his collection of unreleased songs, which had to be carefully filtered to please fans who have long despaired of hearing something new from their idol with the highest quality material.

Ricky Martin's personal life

Ricky Martin has been named to the list of the most beautiful people in the world by People magazine twice, in 2000 and 2006.

Since the early 1990s, Ricky Martin has maintained for the public the appearance of an affair with Mexican TV presenter Rebecca de Alba. Their romance flared up, then faded again. The girl was sincerely in love with Ricky - even five years after the final break, which occurred in 2005, she claimed through tears that an affair with him was the best thing that happened in her life.

In 1999, the singer's personal life became the subject of numerous rumors after Ricky Martin refused to comment on his sexual orientation in an interview with the British edition of The Mirror. “I'm not going to comment on whether I'm gay or not. It doesn’t concern you who I’m in bed with: with a woman, a cow, or even with a broom.”

In 2008, Ricky Martin became the proud father of two sons, Matteo and Valentino, who were carried to him by a surrogate mother.

Twins from an early age were distinguished by a diametrically opposite character. Valentino, said Ricky, is a born contemplative, he loves peace, nature and all living things. Matteo is a true leader who subjugates those around him. He likes to command his brother and tell him what is worth doing and what is not.

Only in 2010, Ricky Martin revealed all the cards and admitted to being homosexual. “I am happy to tell you that I am gay and very happy to be who I am,” he wrote on his official website. A little later, he expressed a desire to marry his boyfriend Carlos Gonzalez Abell. His chosen one was a stock broker; Ricky found his business suit and tie very sexy. In 2014, the couple announced a breakup.

A popular singer wrote a book of revelations, which immediately became a bestseller

In December, the memoirs of popular Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin became a bestseller in the United States and Latin America. He called his book short and simple - "I". As far as the idol of millions of listeners around the world was frank with his fans, the famous American television journalist Larry King decided to find out. Shortly before Martin's 39th birthday (December 24), he invited the singer to CNN's studio

“Mom was the first to whom I confessed that I was in love with a man”

Good evening! Our guest today is Ricky Martin, a Grammy Award winner, a singer whose CDs have sold over 80 million copies worldwide! Ricky, you wrote a book about your life. Why now? And why did he give her such a name "I"?

The book has such a name because it is about me. About my ups and downs, about life and career. About my children. And now, because I felt an irresistible urge to tell my own story.

- Do you have twins?

Yes, two boys. I love them very much. I confess that I have always dreamed of becoming a father.

- Really?

I assure you. I have wonderful memories of my father. And I wanted to have my own family.

- Was it difficult to write?

At times I felt unbearable tension. Not everything in life was smooth. Recovering some events in detail hurt me. But I had to finish what I started.

- Clear. Since you're talking about children, how did you become the father of twins?

I turned to a surrogate mother for help. Believe me, I've considered many options. You could adopt a child. But I liked the path I chose more.

“So your sperm was used during conception?”

mine. Everything turned out to be simple. From the moment I first typed in the search engine on the computer the words "surrogate mother", and until the minute when I took my sons in my arms, exactly a year has passed.

- Great. Listen, how old were you when you started your singing career?

12 years. It was in Puerto Rico. I was taken to the Menudo boy group in 1984. Members of the team were already celebrities. I sang with them for five years. It was a hard life. We gave several concerts every day. They moved from city to city, from country to country. On the other hand, I went to an excellent school. Learned discipline. Well, you know, at that age to feel like a star! Yesterday I rode my bike to school in Puerto Rico, and today I'm flying in a private Boeing 737! Now I understand that we were used to extort money. And then I was just tired. I needed a break. I left the group, came to New York. For the first time in my life I felt free, I didn’t have to follow a rigid schedule. And I looked at the stage with different eyes. Singing began to give me joy again.

I was at your first solo concert in New York. Great show. My son was then six months old. You took him in your arms and danced with him on stage, and he laughed.

I remember it too.

Ricky, already at the beginning of your career, there were rumors about your sexual orientation. Why didn't you tell me right away that you were a homosexual?

There are several reasons, Larry. First, I just wasn't ready to admit it. It's hard to say things like that to yourself sometimes! Secondly, I would simply not be allowed.

- Who?

Producers.

- Why?

You saw my performances, clips. They are built on sensuality, sexuality. I was given a macho image. And succeeded in this, agree. My revelations would spoil everything.

Okay, who was the first person you confessed your homosexuality to? I don't mean your partners, of course.

Mom was the first. In fact, she started this conversation. I came home for a few days. She said that I looked great, that I had a happy look. “Only a man in love looks like that. Are you in love, son? Mom asked. And I really was in love then. "And this is a man?" Mom asked. I couldn't deceive her. "Yes man," I replied. She said, "Come and hug me, son!" That was incredible! A heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders. And when dad congratulated me, I almost burst into tears. He patted me on the shoulder and said, "Be happy, son!"

- Listen, but how did you manage to pretend to be macho so cool. They say gay men don't like women.

It's a delusion. I'm gay, but I love dancing with women. You know, it seems to me that for a long time I could not understand who I am.

- Have you had sexual relations with women?

Yes. In general, the sexuality of any person is a whole complex of instincts, sensations, delusions. This is a search. And everyone goes their own way. I fell in love with both women and men. I was fine with both.

- In the physical sense?

I'm talking about this.

- So you're bisexual?

To be honest, I don't care about all this terminology. Today I am a homosexual. And I'm happy. I feel good. For many years I considered myself bisexual. Perhaps he was mistaken. I can say one thing for sure, I never deceived my partners, I was faithful to them regardless of their gender. And one more thing - I was never interested in casual acquaintances, relationships for one night. Even if I liked someone sexually, I was in no hurry to jump into bed with this person, shouting at the same time: “I'm Ricky Martin!”

- So you've made your sensational confession.

March 29, 2010. It was Monday. I wrote the press release on Friday. But he didn't send it right away. Support was needed, although I felt I was ready to tell the truth. On Saturday, my mother flew to Miami. And it became easy.

- Tell me, when did you first realize that something was wrong with you? God, forgive me, I think I blurted out something stupid.

It's all right, Larry. The meaning of the question is clear. I was 20 years old. I fell in love with a man for the first time. And for his sake, he was ready to quit his career, leave show business.

- Did he have anything to do with show business?

None. We were both young, we wanted to live for our own pleasure, to travel Naive romantics.

- And how did it all end?

Nothing like the vast majority of similar novels at that age. But the breakup was terrible. My heart was bursting with pain. I decided that I was mistaken, and again began to meet with women.

You know, I was just thinking, maybe religion also played a role in your sexual problems? Are you a Catholic?

Yes. I was raised and brought up as a Catholic. As you know, there are many religions that are okay with homosexuality. But not Catholicism.

- Do you have a partner now?

Yes, I have a loved one, and we are happy. It is possible that soon we will go out together, appear at various events and ceremonies.

- Aren't you afraid that they will laugh at you?

I don't see anything wrong with that. I am constantly insulted, but I do not notice it.

- Offended? Where?

I receive hundreds of letters daily, regular and email. The vast majority of them are kind and sincere. But there will definitely be a couple written by evil people who set themselves the only goal - to hurt me as painfully as possible.

"I melt like ice cream in the sun when my twins hug me and confess their love"

- Tell me, you disappeared for a long time, took care of the children. Do you miss the stage?

And how! I'm ready to return. And I hope it happens soon. In March, I'm going on a world tour with a new program.

- Good news. Have you always wanted to be a singer?

I was nine years old when I decided to become an artist. When all my aunts and uncles were at home, I would seat them, and then I would take a wooden spoon and sing to them, holding it in front of me like a microphone. And at the age of 12 I was already in the Menudo group.

- How does your partner feel about children?

Very well. My twins get along with him, they love him.

- Sons changed your life, yourself?

But how. Everything revolves around them.

- Don't get tired of it?

Not at all. Their love keeps me going. I melt like ice cream in the sun when these tomboys hug me and whisper: “Papi, te amo” (“Daddy, I love you” in Spanish. - Ed.). And they know it and confess their love to me every hour.

- And you understand that they do not belong to you, but you belong to them.

That's for sure. They own me, my house. When I was a boy, I asked my parents for permission to go for a walk. Now, to leave, I ask permission from my children.

- Will you take them with you on tour?

Of course. They already have passports. Children travel with me everywhere. I am often criticized for this. They say that children need stability, and eternal traveling is harmful to their development. I answer, what can be more stable and reliable for a child than the presence of a father? I have always been with them, since their birth.

- They don't ask where their mother is?

Not yet, but when that moment comes, I will try to explain to them that everyone is different. There are families with two parents, there are families with one. Now there are many families where children have two dads or two moms. And sometimes there are three mothers. So we have a completely modern happy family.

- How did your parents react to the appearance of grandchildren?

With delight. Judge for yourself, Larry. For ten years I persuaded my mother to move to Miami with me, but she even refused to visit for the holidays. She said you'd better come to us. And then I didn’t have time to look back, as she was already standing in my living room and squeezing the twins. Now she lives with us.

- And your father?

Oh, he's a psychologist. True, retired. Lives in Puerto Rico, but now we see each other much more often.

- I know that you founded a charitable foundation that bears your name. What does this organization do?

Many years ago I was invited to visit an orphanage in Calcutta. I thought it was an ordinary orphanage. It turned out that there live children who were previously forced into prostitution. It was terrible, Larry. Girls ages 4 to 7! And they have already managed to visit the goods. I made a promise to myself that I would fight this terrible phenomenon - child prostitution, child trafficking. He flew to Washington, began to meet with different people: lawyers, human rights activists, politicians, financiers. Found like-minded people. This is how my foundation was born. And he works. We help children all over the world.

- Your foundation helps the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, right?

And them too. We used to take care of children left orphaned by the tsunami in Thailand. Trafficking in children, child prostitution flourish precisely where there have been some natural disasters or wars. General poverty, hunger are pushing people to terrible things. And children, as the most defenseless, are sold into slavery, including sexual slavery, or, no matter how creepy it sounds, they are sold for organs. I know hundreds of such stories, Larry.

Ricky Martin is a famous singer, musician, actor of Puerto Rican origin. In more than 25 years of his successful career, he has become an idol for many fans, is one of the most famous single singers, and the popularizer of Latin American music. He has seven Grammy awards. And with his concerts he visited more than 60 countries of the world.

The artist is involved in charity work, helping children from socially disadvantaged regions and orphanages. Few people know that Ricky is friends with the famous Russian singer, Philip Kirkorov.

Height, weight, age. How old is Ricky Martin

His songs in the 90s sounded from every "iron". The Latin American king of pop, known throughout the world, has managed to earn the love and recognition of millions of fans of different ages. Today, the artist not only writes music and lyrics, he also writes books and acts in films.

Fans want to know absolutely everything about their idol, including his height, weight, age. How old Ricky Martin is will surprise even connoisseurs of his music, because the 46-year-old performer looks great, keeps himself in good shape, leads an active lifestyle, and plays sports.

Biography and personal life of Ricky Martin

The performer was born in 1971 in the city of San Juan. He began his singing career at the age of 12, when he got into the Menudo boy band, the guys performed songs in pop style, performed on television and on the live stage, and after a few years they became popular. In addition, Martin had already successfully starred in commercials at that time, so his name was familiar to many. Ricky performed with the group for five years, the guys recorded eleven joint albums, after which the young performer decided to leave the group and go on a separate voyage.

After graduation, the young man decided that he wanted to develop his career as a musician further, and moved to New York, where he entered the High School of the Arts. But Martin did not succeed in studying in it, because he passed the casting to play in the play “Mom Loves Rock”, and moved to Mexico City. Playing in this performance for two years, Martin simultaneously starred in several TV series, and was looking for ways to fulfill his cherished dream - recording a solo music album.

At the age of 20, the artist releases his first album, and in order to increase its sales, he begins touring his native Latin America. Two years later, his second album is released, and a few years later, the third, which raises Martin to the top of fame. His single "Maria" circles the entire globe, occupying the first lines in the charts of Europe.

In 1998, Ricky Martin was invited by the International Football Federation to perform one of his songs at the World Cup final. This performance was named the minute of fame for Latin American music, the song "La Copa de la Vida" took gold in the charts, and Ricky performed it again at the Grammy ceremony.

After such worldwide success, the artist begins to release English-language albums. Everyone has heard his hit “Livin’ la Vida Loca”, and today there is no person who would not recognize this catchy melody, which has been present in the playlists of clubs at 90s-themed parties for almost 20 years now.

The biography and personal life of Ricky Martin are notable for the fact that the artist is a very open person, he expresses his political views, is a Republican, and supported George W. Bush at his inauguration. In addition, it has been known for many years that Martin is also openly gay.

Family and children of Ricky Martin

A successful career and worldwide fame is the merit exclusively of Martin himself. His parents are the most ordinary people. Mom is an accountant, and father is a psychologist. When Ricky was 2 years old, his parents divorced, so the boy practically lived in two houses, now with his mother, then with his father. The artist has a large family. He has four half-brothers and a sister, so the performer is used to living with family and friends, and after 25 years he realized that he also wanted to have a big family and children.

Ricky Martin was brought up from childhood as a believing Catholic, he spent a lot of time in church and served the priest during worship, so when the guy first realized that he was attracted to a man, he felt a sense of shame, and for a long time did not know how to confess to this parents.

Journalists over the years asked the artist unpleasant questions regarding his sexual orientation, in addition, his popularity among gay fans grew, which also gave rise to new rumors. In 2010, Ricky, so that there would be no more groundless discussions, came out. In his tweet, he wrote that he is gay and an absolutely happy man.

Ricky Martin's son - Valentino Martin

Ricky Martin's son, Valentino Martin, was born in 2008. The artist has always dreamed of a large family and the possibility of the absence of his own children has always embarrassed him. However, today there is still a way out, and this is surrogate motherhood. The woman, whose name the singer keeps secret, gave birth to twins.

Valentino, one of the boys, is very similar to his father, but the guys have different personalities. The boy loves peace and quiet, sits for hours at a book, and absolutely unquestioningly stays with the nanny. In addition, Valentino loves to wear glasses, as Ricky says, he is "a real contemplative of life."

Ricky Martin's son Matteo Martin

The son of Ricky Martin - Matteo Martin was born on the same day as his brother, Valentino, on August 6th. Matteo is just a born leader, he never sits still, loves active games and commanding his brother. The guys spend a lot of time with their father, go in for sports and take pictures.

Ricky puts photos with children on his pages and does not stop repeating that he is a happy father. Despite the fact that the public often says that children who grew up in homosexual families are more likely to be gay themselves, Martin is sure that he does not impose his values ​​​​on his sons and always gives them the right to choose.

Ricky Martin's husband - Jwan Yosef

The orientation of the artist often became a topic for discussion by journalists, since many fans are haunted by the fact that the famous bachelor is gay. Ricky Martin has been in a relationship with economist Carlos Abella for a long time.

The men appeared together in public and spoke out in support of same-sex marriage. In 2014, it became known that the couple broke up, and after a while the singer was carried away by other relationships. The future husband of Ricky Martin - Jwan Yosef is a Syrian and an artist.

Name:
Ricky Martin

Zodiac sign:
Capricorn

Place of Birth:
Puerto Rico

Activity:
singer, musician, actor

The weight:
75 kg

Growth:
188 cm

Biography of Ricky Martin

Ricky was born into the family of a psychologist and an accountant. The parents of the future celebrity divorced as soon as the son was two years old. After that, Martin had four half-brothers Daniel and Eric, Fernando and Angel, as well as a sister, Vanessa. Ricky himself grew up as a novice in a Catholic home, attended Sunday school, where he began performing with the Menudo team.
underage star
Ricky (and then still Enrique) launched his musical career in 1984. He was then only 13 years old. As part of the popular Latin American group Menudo, he went on stage. Until 1990, he was in the team, after which he began a solo career and left the boy band. After school, the young artist moved to New York, where luck was already waiting for him. Ricky Martin was invited to a Mexican series called Reach for the Star, and a continuation of the series followed a little later. After the role, the actor took the pseudonym Ricky Martin and signed a contract with Sony Discos. The first album was not long in coming. "Ricky Martin" was recorded in Spanish. From the record, the artist released the single "Fuego Contra Fuego". It has been named gold with Argentina, Puerto Rico and Mexico. And later, in support of the album, the singer went on a tour of South America.
Will you love me
The artist released his second studio album "Me Amarás" ("You will love me") in 1993. The album sold around the world with a circulation of about a million copies. A year later, Ricky himself moved to California and began to play in the American TV series General Hospital. Not surprisingly, the artist was offered the role of a singer and bartender.
European success
In 1995, Ricky changed the idea of ​​Latin American music, he released the disc "A Medio Vivir". And the single "Maria" proved that the songs are not based on ballads.

Charming Ricky Martin The composition was heard in Europe. However, the residents also liked the ballad called “Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo”.
Broadway
Further, Ricky Martin took part in the production of Les Misérables. He was entrusted with one of the main roles. It is noteworthy that the artists performed on Broadway. After the performances, Ricky sat down in the studio and recorded the fourth album in Spanish "Vuelve". The record went platinum and sold 8 million copies. At the same time, the artist recorded the anthem of the 1998 World Cup.
English speaking
After several years of success in Spanish-speaking countries, Ricky sang in English. "Ricky Martin" was translated and released in 1999. The disc also featured duets with Madonna and Mea. In addition, Riki recorded the hit "Private Emotion" with the Turkish artist Sertab Erener.
The first commercially successful hit "Livin" La Vida Loca" took first positions in the USA, Britain, Australia, as well as in a number of other countries. "She's All I Ever Had" was released next. He reached the second line of the popular and prestigious Billboard Hot 100. The record became platinum 7 times, it was bought by 22 million listeners.
The second English-language album arrived in time by the end of 2000. "Sound Loaded" debuted at number three in the US, but never reached number one. Singles from the album are "She Bangs", "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely" (a duet with Christina Aguilera) and "Loaded".
Ricky Martin on video
In early 2001, the artist released a collection of songs in Spanish "La Historia", which conquered the Latin American charts, and a little later a collection of English-language compositions "The Best Of Ricky Martin" appeared. The latter sold 1 million copies. There was not a single new song, but only remixes.
Back to the past
In 2003, the singer released another album in Spanish. It was named "Almas Del Silencio". Ricky himself said that he really wanted to return with this album back to his former self. He was looking for emotions and adrenaline, which he simply lived a couple of years ago.
Minus popularity
In 2005, the next English-language album "Life" arrived. Ricky Martin co-wrote almost all of the songs. Here, according to the artist, he finally connected with his emotions. According to Ricky, the record turned out to be polyphonic, like life itself. The album started at number 6 on the Billboard 200. The first single "I Don" t Care" was recorded with Amery and Fat Joe. But the second "Drop It On Me" did not appear on the air. After the tour, "It's" was released in support of the album. Alright.
The Ricky Martin Diaries
In the fall of 2006, the reality show "MTV Diaries: Ricky Martin" appeared on TV screens. It showed behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and the performances themselves. And then the album from the MTV Unplugged concert came out. It was number one in Latin America, but number 39 on the Billboard 200.
Who is cooler?
In mid-2009, it became known that Ricky was working on his next album. He became the 9th in a row. Then the release was scheduled for early 2010.
Personal life
Ricky Martin was included in the list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world, which was compiled in 2000 and 2006 by People magazine.
The artist claimed that he was in love with Mexican TV presenter Rebecca de Alba. He broke up with her, and after 14 years he resumed relations. They planned to get married, but never got married.
In 1999, the singer's personal life became the subject of numerous rumors. Then the question of Ricky Martin's sexual orientation was raised. The artist admitted that he lives a full life, enjoys women and sex with them. He has openly stated that he is not gay. A little later, Martin admitted that he was fine with homosexuals and even had experience with men himself.
In the summer of 2008, Ricky Martin became the father of two twin boys. The babies were born by a surrogate mother. Then the artist's manager said that Ricky was absolutely happy and was opening a new page in her life, already as a father.
A year later, on the air of a Spanish television company, Ricky hinted that he was bisexual. He said that his heart could belong to both a man and a woman. But after that he denied it, saying that such an answer was a PR move of the television company. And in the spring of 2010, on his official website, Martin admitted his homosexuality. A little later, he expressed a desire to marry (or marry) his boyfriend Carlos Gonzalez Abell.
Charity
The artist founded the Ricky Martin Foundation. He is engaged in charitable activities. In particular, the organization organized a summer camp for the poor, and Ricky himself participated in organizing communication with children. The Foundation has received numerous awards.

young father
This Foundation took part in the action "Report and Survive". She pursued the goal - the prevention of child trafficking, as well as the prosecution of slave traders.
Politics
Ricky was invited to the inauguration of George W. Bush in 2001. During the performance, the artist called the president to dance on stage. The footage became public knowledge around the world. And Martin expressed his attitude towards Bush with the song "Asignatura Pendiente". A little later, the attitude was changed, the artist even showed the middle finger when he sang the line "photo with Bush" in this song. The gesture caused a lot of applause in the hall.

Every week HELLO.RU talks about what celebrity children wear. Last time we got acquainted with the style of Cruz Beckham - the third son of football legend David Beckham and designer Victoria Beckham, and today the heroes of our column are the sons of singer Ricky Martin - Matteo and Valentino.

Text: / Photo: Gettyimages.com, Splashnews.com/Gallo Images RUS, Instagram.com, Legion-media.ru, Scott Brinegar/Disneyland Resort

On August 6, 2008, Ricky Martin became the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino, who were carried to him by a surrogate mother. For the first time, People magazine reported this, publishing an official statement from the singer's representative:

The children born to the surrogate mother are healthy and are already in Ricky's care. He is very proud of the new chapter in his life and does not intend to lead a public life until the end of the year in order to devote more time to children.

Two years after Martin first became a father, he came out by publicly declaring his homosexuality in a post on the official website:

I am happy to report that I am a happy gay man. I am proud to be who I am.

Ricky Martin with sons - Matteo and ValentinoRicky Martin with sons - Matteo and Valentino

Of course, this was followed by a wave of criticism from members of the public advocating for traditional families. But Ricky tried to ignore the criticism and raise his sons the way he sees fit. By the way, Martin never hid his love for children: long before he had sons, the singer founded the Ricky Martin Foundation, whose goal is to help children all over the world.

My boys are my whole life, they are the best thing that happened to me

Martin said in an interview, noting that he does not see any problems in the fact that Matteo and Valentino do not have a mother, because they are surrounded by the care and boundless love of their father and nannies. Until 2014, Ricky raised his sons with his partner Carlos Gonzalez Abella, but the couple broke up, and the singer expressed the hope that he would soon meet the person with whom he wanted to spend his whole life. In 2016, such a person was found: the artist Jwan Yosef became Martin's chosen one, to whom Ricky recently made a marriage proposal.

Ricky Martin with sons and fianceRicky Martin with sons - Matteo and Valentino

I proposed to him. I was very worried! I got down on one knee, presented him with a bag with a ring and instead of saying "Will you marry me?" said "I have something for you!" Not the best words! But then I said I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. He elaborated, "So what was the question? Will I marry you?" That's all. This was spectacular! After about 30 minutes, I grabbed my head: "Wait, so you said yes to me? And he said yes,"

Martin told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview. Ricky also said that Jwan gets along well with Matteo and Valentino, although the boys have completely different personalities. Back in an interview with Spanish Vanity Fair in 2012, Martin talked about how Valentino is growing up as a very romantic boy, and Matteo is a born leader:

Valentino is an ambassador of love and peace. He loves flowers and nature. If I suddenly lose sight of my son, then I know exactly where to find him - in the garden behind the acacia bushes. Valentino is very calm and noble. And Matteo is the alpha leader. He always tells his brother what to do.

Ricky Martin with sons - Matteo and Valentino



Ricky Martin with sons - Matteo and Valentino

Despite the difference in personalities, Matteo and Valentino's clothing style is very similar. Since childhood, boys have been dressed in the same minimalistic clothes - small copies of those worn by their star dad. Their wardrobe has a huge number of T-shirts - both classic and polo - in all colors of the rainbow. Boys love plain t-shirts and t-shirts with prints - stripes, cages, occasionally - prints with cartoon characters and animals. Like their dad, Ricky, they wear short-sleeve shirts in the summer, paired with safari shorts, loose-fitting cotton trousers, or military-style sweatpants. Speaking of sportswear, Matteo and Valentino have a special passion for comfortable clothes, because, according to Martin, they lead a very active lifestyle and often play pranks:

Fatherhood is incredible. Every day brings you something new. Matteo and Valentino are always bullies, but I can handle them. They are amazing.

This love of boys for activity is also manifested in travel: at the Evening Urgant show in September of this year, Martin admitted that he had been touring the world with his children for 15 months. According to him, Matteo and Valentino are so accustomed to moving that when they stay in a city for more than a few days, they begin to ask their father when their journey will continue. With this approach, real artists can grow out of boys! At least, there is definitely an example before their eyes.

Click on photo to view gallery Ricky Martin with sons - Matteo and Valentino



Ricky Martin with sons - Matteo and Valentino - and fiancé Jwan Yosef