PEOPLE WORTH KNOWING
Ricky Martin, born Enrique Martín Morales on December 24, 1971, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a Puerto Rican singer and actor best known for "Livin' la Vida Loca," "María" and "La Copa de la Vida." He holds both U.S. and Spanish citizenship and has spent four decades working in Spanish and English, on stage and on screen.
Martin joined Menudo in 1984 at age 12 and left the boy band in July 1989 at 17. His self-titled solo debut followed in 1991, then Me Amaras in 1993. A Medio Vivir (1995) and Vuelve (1998) built his Latin audience, and "María" became his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 while topping charts in 20 countries.
"La Copa de la Vida" reached No. 1 in 30 countries. On February 24, 1999, Martin performed it at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, the same ceremony where Vuelve won Best Latin Pop Performance. That performance set up his first English-language album, Ricky Martin (1999). Its lead single, "Livin' la Vida Loca," spent five consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, debuted at No. 1 in the UK and topped charts in more than 20 countries. "She Bangs," from Sound Loaded (2000), went to No. 1 in seven countries.
The catalog kept moving in Spanish: Almas del Silencio (2003), Life (2005), MTV Unplugged (2006), Música + Alma + Sexo (2011) and A Quien Quiera Escuchar (2015), which won the Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album. The EPs Pausa (2020) and Play (2022) came later. He has two Grammys, five Latin Grammys and more than 70 million records sold worldwide.
Acting has run alongside the music. Martin played Miguel Morez on General Hospital from 1994 to 1996, starred as Ché in the Broadway revival of Evita from 2012 to 2013, and earned an Emmy nomination as Antonio D'Amico in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018). He later played Robert opposite Kristen Wiig on Apple TV's Palm Royale, which ended after two seasons in 2026. In 2004 he founded the Ricky Martin Foundation, a nonprofit that works against human trafficking.
On February 8, 2026, Martin appeared as a guest during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show, performing Bad Bunny's "Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii." Lady Gaga also joined the show. The Puerto Rican artist who opened the U.S. market to Latin pop in 1999 shared the stage with the one who leads it now.
That summer he took Ricky Martin Live through Asia and Europe, closing the European run in Spain, and said he is working on a new studio album, his first since A Quien Quiera Escuchar. The tour continued through North America and Mexico in the fall of 2026, with dates in Las Vegas, Lincoln and Temecula, California, scheduled into November.
His birth name is Enrique Martín Morales, often written Enrique Martin Morales.
Ricky Martin was born on December 24, 1971.
He is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and holds U.S. and Spanish citizenship.
Yes. He joined Menudo in 1984 at age 12 and left in July 1989.
His biggest hits include "Livin' la Vida Loca," "La Copa de la Vida," "María" and "She Bangs."
His most recent release is the 2022 EP Play. His last full studio album is A Quien Quiera Escuchar (2015), and he has said a new one is in the works.
Yes. His Ricky Martin Live tour has dates in the U.S. and Mexico through November 2026.
Yes. He was a guest during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8, 2026.
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