Eric Martin (Welsh singer) facts for kids

Me One, whose real name is Eric Martin, was born on August 19, 1970. He is also known as MC Eric. Eric is a talented musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Wales. He became famous for his work with the Belgian music group Technotronic.

Early Life and Education

Eric Martin was born in Cardiff, Wales. His parents were from Jamaica. His mother was an English teacher from Kingston. His father was a minister in the Pentecostal Church from Saint Mary Parish. Eric is the youngest of thirteen children in his family.

He went to school in Cardiff, London, and New York City. Eric has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both Jamaica and the United Kingdom.

Making Music with Technotronic

As MC Eric, Martin was a member of the techno and Eurodance group Technotronic. He was the lead singer on their popular song "This Beat Is Technotronic" which came out in 1990. When Technotronic was very popular, they even toured with the famous singer Madonna. This was part of her Blond Ambition World Tour in the 1990s.

Solo Career and Collaborations

In May 2000, Eric Martin released his first solo album under the name Me One. It was called As Far as I'm Concerned and came out on Universal-Island UK. This album had 12 songs. It featured other artists like Guru from Gang Starr on the song "Do You Know." It also featured Michelle Gayle on the song "In My Room". This song used parts of a song by the Beach Boys. "In My Room," "Game Plan," and "Old Fashioned" were all released as singles from the album.

Besides his own music, Eric Martin has also written songs with or for many other artists. These include Jeff Beck, Maxi Priest, the Roots, Capleton, Lynden David Hall, and the Sugababes.

In 2011, he signed a new music deal with Innovation Music, a record label based in Glasgow. In September 2024, it was announced that Eric Martin would receive the Welsh Music Inspiration award. This award is given at the yearly Welsh Music Prize event.

Today, Eric lives in London. He was in Newport during the COVID-19 pandemic.