Ricky Martin - From Child Star to Child Defender
Tuesday November 14, 2006
Ricky Martin was a precocious child. He began acting in television commercials when he was six, joined the original boy band 'Menudo' when he was 12, worked on stage and in telenovelas in his late teens and recorded his debut album when he was 21.
Of course there are other children that have had early success in the entertainment industry, but one of the problems with being precocious is that once that early childhood bloom has worn off, you need talent and a follow-up act to keep the momentum going. Many child stars don't have either and they quickly disappear from the public eye.
Ricky Martin has them both. His MTV Unplugged album, released last week, is his 10th since 1991. He didn't just stop at super stardom; in 2002 he founded the Ricky Martin Foundation, with the aim of fighting sexual exploitation and child trafficking worldwide.
In 2004, Ricky Martin received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Premios Lo Nuestro. Last year the U.S. State Department named him a "Hero in Ending Modern-Day Slavery". And, most recently, the Latin Recording Academy named Martin their 2006 Person of the Year.
That's quite a follow-up act. With his 35th birthday still ahead of him, I'd say Ricky Martin remains precocious.
Photo Courtesy Omar Cruz
Comments
I am a 32 year old women whom has been facinated by Ricky Martin since his Manudo days. I have been watching his career grow and I can only say one thing: “WOW”. He has acomplished so much in the last few years, as well as his entire life. He is a facinating person and one could only hope that more people can be as generous and good spirited as him.
He is by far the most handsome man I have ever seen(inside and out), his spirit shows through everything he does.