Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony at the Lo Nuestro Awards, Feb. 2007
Background information
Birth name	Marco Antonio Muñiz Ruiz
Born	September 16 1968 (1968--) (age 39)
Origin	Puerto Rico, New York
Genre(s)	Latin, Salsa, Pop, Latin pop
Occupation(s)	singer-songwriter, actor
Instrument(s)	Singing
Years active	1988–present
Label(s)	RMM Records & Video, Sony BMG
Website	www.marcanthonyonline.com

Marc Anthony (born September 16, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter popular in Latin America for his salsa music and salsa monga ballads.

Biography

Personal life

Anthony was born Marco Antonio Muñiz in New York City, the son of Guillermina, a housewife, and Felipe Muñiz, a musician and hospital lunchroom worker.^[1] His parents were Puerto Rican and named him after Marco Antonio Muñiz, a Mexican singer popular in Puerto Rico. He has a sister named Yolanda Muniz.

Anthony has a daughter, Arianna (1994) , with his New York police officer ex-girlfriend Debbie Rosado. Anthony married former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres on 9 May 2000 in Las Vegas. They have two sons, Cristian Anthony Muñiz (5 Feb 2001) and Ryan Anthony Muñiz (16 Aug 2003). It was a rocky marriage,and they separated in summer 2002. They later reconciled and renewed their vows in a spectacular ceremony held in Puerto Rico in December of 2002.^[2] In 2003, a Miami waitress filed paternity charges against Anthony; multiple DNA-tests, the last in August 2004, disproved her claims. The couple's final separation was in October 2003. Torres filed for divorce in January 2004.

As the divorce proceeded, Anthony was seen out with actress-singer Jennifer Lopez, a long-time friend he had worked with in music videos. They had briefly dated in the late '90s, before his first marriage and her second one. Lopez and Anthony were recording a duet together in early 2004, for Lopez's then-upcoming film Shall We Dance? Lopez and Anthony married in a quiet home wedding on June 5, 2004, less than a week after his divorce from Torres was finalized on June 1. On the morning of the wedding, however, the media was tipped off and circled her backyard in helicopters. Photographs, alerting the rest of the world, soon followed. Reports fueled rumors that Lopez was pregnant but this was not the case.

Their guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez's house and had not been made aware that they were actually going to her wedding. The couple had planned not to publicize their marriage early on, allowing more privacy and time together in an otherwise intrusive environment. Days after the wedding, Anthony refused to comment on their marriage during interviews which were scheduled earlier to promote a new album "Amar Sin Mentiras" (To Love Without Lies), which would earn him a Grammy award the following year..^[3] In February 2005 Lopez confirmed the marriage, and added that "everyone knows. It's not a secret".^[4] A few months later, Anthonys daughter, Ariana, appeared at the beginning and the end of her new stepmother Jennifer's music video music video "Get Right" as her little sister. Regarding his marriage and family life, Anthony maintains a private and sometimes defensive stance with the media, which has influenced Lopez to set some boundaries with interviewers.

Early career

Anthony began his career as a session vocalist for Freestyle music and Underground New York House music acts. After changing his name to avoid confusion with his namesake, Anthony worked as a songwriter and backing vocalist for pop acts including Menudo and the Latin Rascals. His first release was a Freestyle music record, "Rebel", in 1988 on Bluedog Records, based in The Bronx. This cut was written entirely by Marc and showed he was one of the best vocalists in Freestyle music. That same year he wrote and produced "Boy I've Been Told" for fellow Freestyle artist Sa-Fire. Then in 1989, he sang backup vocals for Ann-Marie, another fellow Freestyle artist on the Freestyle club hit, "With or Without You" produced by Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry. A year later, 1990, still working with Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry, Marc wrote and sung a duet with Freestyle artist Chrissy I-eece, called "You Should Know By Now". In 1991, he sung backing vocals for another Freestyle track by the artist Edmond titled "Come Back To Me". In 1992, still working with Todd Terry, he provided vocals for the Freestyle cut "Love Change" which is on the flip-side of a 12" vinyl released by Elan and The Powermachine titled "Here's Your Hat", production of Todd Terry. At the same time, he collaborated with his other Freestyle music producer Little Louie Vega, who featured the singer on many another Freestyle-flavored club hit "Ride On The Rhythm" and "When The Night Is Over" album, which featured the Freestyle classic "Time". In 1992, Vega and Anthony opened for Latin bandleader Tito Puente at New York's Madison Square Garden

Singing and acting career

After 1992, he changed his style from Freestyle music to salsa and other Spanish music.

Inspired by the music of Puente, Rubén Blades and Juan Gabriel, Anthony released his Spanish-language debut, Otra nota, in 1993, with the salsamonga hit "Hasta que te conoci" (Until I Met You), a famous song by Mexican singer Juan Gabriel. "Si Tu No Te Fueras", "El Ultimo Beso", "Palabras Del Alma", Though it was mostly a Spanish album, it did feature one English song, "Make It With You". Subsequent tours throughout the Americas, including an opening slot for Blades, established Anthony as one of the hottest new stars in salsamonga. In 1994, he was featured in La India's album "Dicen Que Soy", in the song "Vivir Lo Nuestro".

His 1995 collection, Todo a su tiempo, was nominated for a Grammy with songs like "Te Conozco Bien", Hasta Ayer", Nadie Como Ella", "Se Me Sigue Olvidando", "Te Amare", and "Llegaste A Mi". The more traditional-sounding follow-up, Contra la corriente, was promoted by a sold-out concert at Madison Square Garden and won the 1999 Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Performance. The album's notable songs include "Y Hubo Alguien", "Contra La Corriente", "No Me Conoces", "Me Voy A Regalar", and "No Sabes Como Duele". Anthony also appeared alongside Blades in Paul Simon's 1998 stage musical, The Capeman, which ran for 68 performances. Anthony subsequently recorded the duet "No Me Ames", with Jennifer Lopez on her album On the 6.

In 1999, attempting to emulate the crossover success of Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin in the anglophone market, Anthony released an English-language Latin Pop self titled album with the US Top 5 hit single "I Need to Know", and the Spanish version "Dímelo". Other hits include "When I Dream At Night" and "My Baby You". His song "You Sang To Me", was featured in Runaway Bride. The foray was considered a mixed success, partly because it alienated his traditional salsa fans, though "Da La Vuelta" (Not a Spanish version of any of the songs) was a salsa song and was a hit. Another note is that the song "That's Okay" has more of a salsa tune than pop. In 2001, he debuted another salsa album known as Libre and was certified gold with songs like "Celos", "Este Loco Que Te Mira", and "Viviendo". "Barco A La Deriva", another hit in Libre, was previously performed by Venezuelan singer and actor Guillermo Dávila. The year after that, he made another English-language album called Mended which included smash hit "I've Got You", the Spanish version "Te Tengo Aquí", "I Need You" (which Spanish version "Me Haces Falta" was written by Mexican star Thalía), "Tragedy", "Love Won't Get Any Better", and "She Mends Me". Like his "Marc Anthony" album, it received mixed reviews, though slightly lower.

Anthony has also appeared in a few motion pictures including 1996's Big Night, Martin Scorsese's 1999 film Bringing Out the Dead, and Tony Scott's 2004 film Man on Fire.

Album cover for 2002's Mended

In June 2004 he released a Latin Pop album Amar Sin Mentiras. On July 2004, he converted those songs to salsa in another album, Valio La Pena and included the traditional "Lamento Boricano" that was composed by Rafael Hernández. Notable songs of both albums include "Ahora Quien", "Escapémonos" with Jennifer Lopez, "Valió La Pena", "Se Esfuma Tu Amor", and "Tu Amor Me Hace Bien". In the Latin Grammy Awards 2005, his Amar Sin Mentiras won best Latin Pop Album of The Year and his Valió La Pena won Best Tropical Album of The Year. Lopez and Anthony performed "Escapémonos" at the 2005 Grammy Awards.

On July 11, 2006 Marc Anthony released "Sigo Siendo Yo", a Spanish greatest-hits album. "Que Precio Tiene El Cielo" was the 1st single salsa song and "Lo Que No Di" as a Latin pop song. Anthony stars as Hector Lavoe in El Cantante along with his wife (who acts as Lavoe's wife in the film) which was released in August 2007.

Discography

Albums

• US 200 (U.S. Billboard 200)
• Top Latin (U.S. Top Latin Albums)
• Top Trop (U.S. Top Tropical Albums)
• Top Heat (U.S. Top Heatseekers)
• Top I-Net (U.S. Top Internet Albums)

Non album songs and duets

• Parece Mentira, Carlito's Way soundtrack. 1993
• Vivir lo nuestro duet with La India, on Combinación Perfecta 1993. Also appears on Dicen Que Soy and Desde Un Principio: From The Beginning. RMM Records.
• Así como hoy sur la compilation Voces Unidas. 1996
• Remembranzas and Perdón, duets with Ednita Nazario on Al compás de un sentimiento. La música de Pedro Flores. 1996. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Inc.
• Aguanilé on Yo soy del son a la salsa. 1997. RMM Records.
• One shining moment on That Old Feeling soundtrack. 1997. MCA.
• Time Is An Ocean (duet with Ruben Blades) and Satin Summer Nights (duet with Paul Simon) on Simon's Songs from The Capeman. 1997.
• I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You (duet with Tina Arena) on The Mask Of Zorro soundtrack. 1998.
• Preciosa (Medley incluant Inconsolable, Ese soy and Canta) and Corazón no llores duet with Olga Tañón, and Lamento Borincano on Romance del cumbanchero. La música de Rafael Hernández. 1999. Banco Popular Inc.
• Oye Guitarra Mia (duet with Jose Feliciano), on Guitarra mía. Un tributo a José Feliciano. 2000. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, Inc. Also on José Feliciano y Amigos. 2006.
• Christmas Auld Lang Syne on Rosie O'Donnell's album Another Rosie Christmas. 2000
• There You Were, duet with Jessica Simpson on Irresistible. 2001
• The mexican 2002, duet with Thalía, both Spanish and English version. 2002. EMI Latin.
• Mejores Que Ella, duet with La Mafia.
• No Me Ames, Escapemonos, Por Arriesgarnos, duet with Jennifer Lopez.

Singles

"I Need to Know" hit #3 on Billboard 100 in 1999

DVDs

Filmography

• Carlito's Way (1993, Brian DePalma) .... Latin Band at Disco, he sings "Parece Mentira"
• Natural Causes (1994, James Becket) .... Marine Guard
• Hackers (1995, Iain Softley) .... Agent Ray
• Big Night (1996, Stanley Tucci) .... Cristiano
• The Substitute (1996) .... Juan Lacas
• Runaway Bride His song, "You Sang To Me", was featured in this movie.
• Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Martin Scorsese) .... Noel
• In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) (TV) .... Lio
• Man on Fire (2004, director Tony Scott) .... Samuel Ramos
• El Cantante (2007, director León Ichazo ) .... Hector Lavoe

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Marc Anthony

External links

• Official Website
• Official Fanclub
• MarcAnthonyFans.com
• Marc Anthony at the Internet Movie Database

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