Essentially the definition of international pop star, Ricky Martin has become an icon in the majority of the world. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Martin moved to Mexico as a teenager to pursue acting and landed several roles on telenovelas before signing on as a part of Latin boy band Menudo. By 1991, Martin had started a successful solo career and began touring throughout Latin America, before moving to Los Angeles to join the cast of General Hospital. Martin continued to release popular Spanish-language albums and performed on Broadway, but it was his 1999 English-language album and its single "Livin' La Vida Loca" that garnered him the worldwide stardom he now experiences today. The Latin pop star has since released several more albums both in Spanish and English, continued acting on Broadway and in film/television, founded the humanitarian Ricky Martin Foundation and has become politically involved in promoting gay rights.
