Marc Anthony biography

Synopsis

Early Career

Musician. Anthony was born Marco Antonio Muniz on September 16, 1968 in New York City. His parents, Guillermina and Felipe Muniz, are Puerto Rican and named their son after Marco Antonio Muniz, a Mexican singer who was popular in Puerto Rico.

Marc Anthony grew up in New York City with his sister, Yolanda Muniz. His talent was evident early on; Anthony realized that he had the singing voice, but needed to develop a stage presence to support it. This he did by singing backup as a session vocalist for freestyle and underground New York house music acts.

Marc changed his name, to avoid confusion with his namesake, and quickly became an in-demand backup singer; lending his voice to acts such as Menudo and the Latin Rascals.

First Release

His first release was a record called "Rebel," which debuted in 1988 from Bluedog Records, based in the Bronx. Marc Anthony continued perform in the New York club scene and also wrote songs, often teaming with Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry.

In 1992, Vega and Anthony played New York City's Madison Square Garden as an opening act for Tito Puente.

Soon after, Anthony changed his singing style from Freestyle and House to salsa and other Spanish music. Taking his inspiration from greats such as Puente, Ruben Blades, and Juan Gabriel, Marc Anthony released his first Spanish-language album in 1993. Titled Otra Nota, it included the salsa hit "Hasta que te conoci" (Until I Met You).

Commercial Success

He has never looked back; his albums and singles have been best-selling, with the exception of his two English-language albums, 1999s Marc Anthony and 2002s Mended. In his effort to crossover, it appears that Anthony may have turned away some of his core audience.

In 1998, Anthony appeared with Ruben Blades in Paul Simon's stage musical, The Capeman, which ran for 68 performances. Marc Anthony has also turned his prodigious talents to the big screen, appearing in movies such as 1996s Big Night and Man on Fire, released in 2004.

Personal Life

Marc Anthony married fellow Puerto Rican entertainer Jennifer Lopez on June 5, 2004. Their marriage was clandestine and little spoken-of for some time after the fact.

Anthony has a daughter, Arianna, with his former girlfriend Debbie Rosado who was a New York City police officer. Arianna was born in 1994.