At the age of 6, he scored parts in commercials and became very comfortable in front of the camera. Wanting to excel in his craft, Ricky started taking singing and acting lessons before he was 10. Before joining Menudo Ricky served as an altar boy. The first time Ricky auditioned for Menudo, he was rejected for being "too small and "too young." Ricky tried again a second time and was again rejected, but he never gave up on his dreams. The third time he was successful... Ricky was selected to join Menudo in 1984 at the height of the band's fame.

Overnight, Ricky Martin went from an anonymous chubby cheeks 12 year old to a heart throb performing for tens of thousands of people in stadiums around the world... Go Ricky Go Ricky!!!

Ricky always wanted to be in Menudo to learn and experience the lifestyle of an entertainer. With Menudo, Ricky traveled all over South America and the U.S., Italy, Japan, Guam, the Philippines and Spain.

Ricky was with Menudo for five years... of non-stop recording, rehearsing and performing. After five years in Menudo he was rotated out of the youth driven band.

Ricky says he learned an important lesson from being in Menudo: How to be disciplined.

Ricky graduated from high school and traveled to New York to study and reflect on his early fame. In all he took a one year break.

In 1990, Ricky re-entered the record business as a solo artists, signing with Sony Records. Ricky Martin, the 1992 Latin album, earned him solid reviews and eight gold records in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and the United States. In 1993, he released his second album, Me Amaras. Wanting to try his luck in the acting business, Ricky picked up and moved to Los Angeles the same year he released Me Amaras.

After a few auditions, Ricky snagged the role of Miguel Morez on General Hospital instantly becoming a television heart throb. After General Hospital, Ricky earned the lead role of Marius in the Broadway production of Les Miserables. Ricky dubbed the Spanish version of Disney's Hercules. His third album, A Medio Vivir in 1995, was produced by Robi Rosa and KC Porter (Bon Jovi, Boyz II Men, Richard Marx, Patti LaBelle), and sold more than 600,000 copies in six months. Ricky Repeated that success with Vuelve which was certified gold on July 7, 1998 and sold more than six million copies worldwide.

Ricky was more excited performing at the Grammy's than actually bringing home an award because the audience was one of the most demanding of his career. He has one goal when he steps in front of an audience: "Make them go crazy!"

Ricky felt his successful Grammy performance was a key to getting support from his record label's top brass. "I knew they'd come to me someday", says Ricky. After The Grammy's, it was "Yo, this is mine!" To calm his nerves before the monumental perfomance, Ricky said to himself, "Dude, you've been doing this for 15 years be yourself." Also extending his yoga session to ease his pre-Grammy jitters.

In 1999 he was named one of People magazine's 50 "Most Beautiful People".

He turned down a part opposite Jennifer Lopez in West Side Story.

He owns a restaurant called Casa Salsa in Miami Beach, Florida.

Ricky Martin likes to support AIDS causes, since he has seen many of his friends succumb to the deadly disease.

Ricky is the spokesman for Puerto Rican tourism, and appears in many television commercials touting the tropical island getaway.

Ricky describes himsef as a romantic, Ricky's worst quality he says is his stubbornness. When Ricky feels stressed he practices yoga.

Intelligence is the #1 quality Ricky looks for in a girl, Ricky thinks a rose can say more than 1,000 words.

Ricky is quoted as saying he has made love on a beach. Ricky's safty tips watch the sand it scratches.

While on his 2000 tour Ricky went Sky diving in New Zealand he actually went and jumped 4 times. He has also gone Para Gliding, Hang gliding and Rock climbing.

When asked what's the most romatic thing your've every done or had done to you his reponse - "The most romatic thing I've ever done is also the most expensive, it was to cancel a show and the most expensive aspect of it was that they sue me big time. But I was in love and it is something I would never do again".

Ricky Martin's personal quote:

"The homosexual community wants me to be gay. The heterosexual community wants me to be straight. Every [writer] thinks "I'm the journalist who's going to make him talk". I pray for them. I pray that they get a life and stop living mine!"