Marc Anthony

For other people named "Marc Anthony" or "Mark Anthony", see Mark Anthony.

Marc Anthony

Marc Anthony (born Marco Antonio Muñiz; September 16, 1968) is an American & Latin Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and the biggest selling salsa music artist of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He is best known for his ballads and wide-ranging tenor vocals, and was the first solo salsa act to ever sell out Madison Square Garden.

Biography

Personal life

Anthony was born Marco Antonio Muñiz in New York City, to Guillermina, a housewife, and Felipe Muñiz, a musician and hospital lunchroom worker. His parents were Puerto Rican and named him after Marco Antonio Muñiz. He has a sister named Yolanda Muñiz.

Anthony has a daughter, Arianna (1994), with his NYPD police officer ex-girlfriend Debbie Rosado. Anthony married former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres on May 9, 2000 in Las Vegas. They have two sons, Christian Marcus Muñiz (February 5, 2001) and Ryan Adrian Muñiz (August 16, 2003). It was a rocky marriage, and they separated in early 2002. They later reconciled and renewed their vows in a spectacular ceremony held in Puerto Rico in December 2002. The couple's final separation was in October 2003. Torres filed for divorce in January 2004.

In 2003, a Miami waitress filed paternity charges against Anthony; multiple DNA-tests, the last in August 2004, disproved her claims.

As his divorce proceeded, Anthony was seen out with 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.. In February 2005 Lopez confirmed the marriage, and added that "everyone knows. It's not a secret". A few months later, Anthony's daughter, Arianna, 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.

After weeks of speculation, on November 8, 2007, Marc and Jennifer confirmed to fans in a Miami concert that they were expecting their first child together. Fraternal twins were born to the couple on February 22, 2008 in a hospital in Long Island, New York. Emme Maribel Muñiz at 12:12 am (5 lbs, 7 oz) and Maximillian David Muñiz at 12:13 am (5 lbs, 13 oz) by C-section. They were introduced in People magazine in the March 11, 2008 issue. People paid $6 million for the photos.

Early career

Marc 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 album was a Freestyle music record, "Rebel", in 1988 on Bluedog Records. 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, with Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry, Marc wrote and whispered 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.

He has worked with artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and recently 50 Cent.

Inspired by the music of Puente, Rubén Blades and Juan Gabriel, Anthony released his Spanish-language debut, Otra nota, in 1993, with the salsa hit "Hasta que te conocí" (Until I Met You), a famous song by Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, Marc performed at the Radio y Musica Convention hosted by Alfredo Alonso. "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 salsa. 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, working with top producers, Walter Afanasieff, Cory Rooney, Dan Shea, and Rodney Jerkins, 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 successful dance version was re-mixed by Dutch producer Rene Van Verseveld. 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" (the Spanish version of which, "Me Haces Falta", was written by Mexican star Thalía), "Tragedy", "Love Won't Get Any Better", and "She Mends Me". Like his self-titled Marc Anthony album, it received mixed reviews, though slightly lower.

Anthony has also appeared in a few motion pictures including the 1995 cult classic Hackers, 1996's Big Night, Martin Scorsese's 1999 film Bringing Out the Dead, and Tony Scott's 2004 film Man on Fire.

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.

Marc Anthony in 2006

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.

Marc Anthony sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" when Oscar de la Hoya fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the WBC Welterweight title.

On September 21, 2001 he also sang the national anthem at Shea Stadium in the first game after the attack on the World Trade Center. On September 28, 2008, he sang the national anthem again at Shea Stadium for the New York Mets final regular season game.

Discography

Main article: Marc Anthony discography

Studio albums

• 1991: When the Night is Over
• 1993: Otra Nota
• 1995: Todo a Su Tiempo
• 1997: Contra la Corriente
• 1999: Marc Anthony
• 2001: Libre
• 2002: Mended
• 2004: Amar Sin Mentiras
• 2004: Valió la Pena

Filmography

• East Side Story (1988, Frank Di Sardo) .... FreeStlye 80s Band at Disco, he sings
• 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
• Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Martin Scorsese) .... Noel
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (2000, Episode: Robinita Hood ) .... Mario (voice)he sings "Robinita"
• 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

External links

• Official Website
• MundoMarc.com - El Mundo de Marc y de aquellos que viven escuchándolo... (Spanish Site)
• Official Fanclub
• MarcAnthonyFans.com, another fan club
• Marc Anthony videos