Marc Anthony facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc Anthony
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Anthony in 2013
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Marco Antonio Muñiz
September 16, 1968 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1988–present |
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| Children | 7 |
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Marc Anthony is a famous American singer and actor. His real name is Marco Antonio Muñiz, and he was born on September 16, 1968. He is known as the top-selling salsa artist ever.
Marc Anthony has won many awards, including four Grammy Awards and eight Latin Grammy Awards. He has also won 29 Lo Nuestro Awards, which is more than any other male artist. He has sold over 12 million albums around the world.
He is famous for his Latin salsa songs and beautiful ballads. Marc Anthony holds a Guinness World Record for being the best-selling tropical/salsa artist. He also has the most number-one albums on the Billboard Tropical Albums charts. Plus, he has the most number-one songs on the Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay chart, with 32 hits!
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Marc Anthony was born in New York City. His parents were from Puerto Rico. His father, Felipe Muñiz, was a musician and worked in a hospital cafeteria. His mother, Guillermina Quiñones, was a housewife.
His parents named him after a Mexican singer, Marco Antonio Muñiz. Marc Anthony grew up in East Harlem, also called Spanish Harlem. He is the youngest of eight children and was raised Roman Catholic.
His musical journey started at home. His father, a professional guitarist, taught him to sing in both Spanish and English. As a child, Marc Anthony listened to many types of music. He enjoyed rock, rhythm and blues, and pop stars like José Feliciano. He also loved salsa legends such as Héctor Lavoe and Willie Colón. He says that the famous Puerto Rican musician Tito Puente was a big influence on his life and career.
Marc Anthony's Singing Career
Marc Anthony began his career singing for freestyle music and house music groups in New York. To avoid confusion with the Mexican singer, he changed his name to Marc Anthony. He also wrote songs and sang backup for pop groups like Menudo.
Unlike earlier salsa artists, Marc Anthony's style mixed salsa with the R&B and house music he loved. His first album, "Rebel," was a freestyle music record released in 1988. He also wrote songs for other artists.
In 1992, he worked with music producer Little Louie Vega. They even opened for the legendary Latin bandleader Tito Puente at Madison Square Garden. After 1992, Marc Anthony changed his focus from freestyle to salsa and other Latin music styles.
Joining RMM Records
At first, Marc Anthony wasn't sure about becoming a salsa musician. He even turned down an offer from Ralph Mercado, who ran RMM Records. But then, he heard Juan Gabriel's song "Hasta Que Te Conocí" in a taxi. This song made him change his mind. He asked Mercado if he could record it as a salsa song.
Inspired by artists like Tito Puente and Juan Gabriel, Marc Anthony released his first Spanish album, Otra Nota, in 1993. This album helped him become a new star in salsa music. By the early 1990s, he was selling more salsa records than anyone else.
In 1995, his next album, Todo a su tiempo, won him a Billboard Award. It was also nominated for a Grammy. This album sold over 800,000 copies and became a gold record.
His album Contra La Corriente led to a TV special from Madison Square Garden in 2000. A song from this album, "Y Hubo Alguien", became his first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks. It was also the first time a salsa song reached number one. This album was also the first salsa album to appear on the English-language Billboard 200 chart.
These early albums made him the top-selling singer in salsa history. He could sell out huge venues like Madison Square Garden.
Success with Sony Records
Marc Anthony then sang a duet called "No Me Ames" with Jennifer Lopez for her album. He also sang "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" with Tina Arena for a movie soundtrack.
In 1999, Marc Anthony released his first English-language album, Marc Anthony. It included the hit song "I Need to Know". This album was a huge success, selling millions of copies. Another song, "You Sang to Me", was featured in the movie Runaway Bride.
In 2001, he released another salsa album, Libre, which also went gold. The next year, he released another English album, Mended.
In 2004, Marc Anthony released a Latin pop album, Amar Sin Mentiras. The next month, he released Valio La Pena, which featured danceable salsa versions of the same songs. He sang "Escapémonos" as a duet with Jennifer Lopez. Both albums won awards at the 2005 Latin Grammy Awards.
In 2010, he released Iconos, an album honoring classic Latin songs. In 2012, Marc Anthony was added to the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame.
In 2013, he released the salsa album 3.0, which included the hit song "Vivir Mi Vida". This album was certified Platinum. He then went on a big world tour called the Vivir Mi Vida World Tour. He also toured with other famous artists like Carlos Vives.
Marc Anthony sang "God Bless America" at the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In 2016, he performed five sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall.
Acting Career
Besides singing, Marc Anthony has also acted in movies and TV shows. He had supporting roles in films like Hackers (1995) and Big Night (1996).
In 1998, he appeared in the musical The Capeman on stage. He also acted in the drama Bringing Out the Dead (1999). In 2001, he was in the film In the Time of the Butterflies with Salma Hayek.
In the 2004 movie Man on Fire, he played a businessman who hires a bodyguard for his daughter. In 2007, Marc Anthony starred in El Cantante. This movie was about the life of salsa music legend Héctor Lavoe. His then-wife, Jennifer Lopez, also appeared in the film.
In 2010, he was a guest star on the TV show HawthoRNe. He played a detective and the main character's love interest. He also helped produce the music for the show. In 2012, he was a guest mentor on The X Factor. More recently, he played the father of Sonny in the movie musical In the Heights.
Awards and Achievements
Marc Anthony has sold over 12 million albums worldwide. Many of his albums have received gold and platinum awards. New York magazine named him one of the Ten Most Influential New Yorkers. He was added to the Billboard Hall of Fame in 2012. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
He has won 29 Premio Lo Nuestro Latin Music awards, which is the most for any male artist. He has also received many Billboard Latin Music Awards.
He won his first Grammy Award in 1998 for his album Contra La Corriente. In 2000, he won the first-ever Latin Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "Dímelo" (I Need to Know). His English album, Marc Anthony, sold millions and helped start the Latin pop music boom around 1999–2000. In 2005, he won two Grammys for Best Latin Pop Album and Best Salsa Album.
Marc Anthony has had 25 hits on the Billboard charts. His songs "Vivir Mi Vida" and "Flor Pálida" have been viewed hundreds of millions of times on YouTube. In 2013, "Vivir Mi Vida" was number one on Billboard for 18 weeks. This made it the longest-running number-one single ever. He was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year in 2016 for his music and charity work.
In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine listed Marc Anthony among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Other Activities
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Marc Anthony and Henry Cárdenas started the Maestro Cares Foundation in 2012. This foundation helps children in Latin America. In 2014, they opened an orphanage in La Romana, Dominican Republic. In 2015, they opened a youth home and school in Barranquilla, Colombia.
In 2017, Marc Anthony, his ex-wife Jennifer Lopez, and Alex Rodriguez hosted a TV show. It was called One Voice: Somos Live!. This show raised money to help Puerto Rico recover after Hurricane Maria.
Business Ventures
In 2009, Marc Anthony became a part-owner of the Miami Dolphins football team. In 2011, he launched his own line of clothes and accessories. He also helped produce the 2012 TV series ¡Q' Viva! The Chosen. This show searched for new talent in Latin America.
In 2015, he started his own entertainment company called Magnus Media. This company works on music, sports, and content creation.
Personal Life
Marc Anthony supports the Democratic Party. He sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. In 2016, he and Jennifer Lopez hosted a concert for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
Marc Anthony is a Roman Catholic. He was born and raised in New York, even though some people mistakenly thought he was Mexican when he sang the national anthem in 2013.
Family Life
Marc Anthony has seven children. In 1994, he had a daughter named Arianna with Debbie Rosado. They also adopted a son, Chase, in 1995.
He married former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres in 2000. They had two sons, Cristian and Ryan, before divorcing in 2004.
In 2004, Marc Anthony married Jennifer Lopez. They had twins in February 2008. They worked together on music and in the movie El Cantante. They divorced in 2014, and Jennifer Lopez has primary custody of their children.
He married model Shannon De Lima in 2014. They separated in 2016 and finalized their divorce in 2017.
In 2023, Marc Anthony married Miss Universe Paraguay Nadia Ferreira. They announced they were expecting a child on Valentine's Day 2023. Their son was born in June 2023.
Discography
Here are some of Marc Anthony's albums:
- When the Night is Over (with Little Louie Vega) (1991)
- Otra Nota (1993)
- Todo a Su Tiempo (1993)
- Contra la Corriente (1997)
- Marc Anthony (1999)
- Libre (2001)
- Mended (2002)
- Amar Sin Mentiras (2004)
- Valió la Pena (2004)
- El Cantante (2007)
- Iconos (2010)
- 3.0 (2013)
- Opus (2019)
- Pa'llá Voy (2022)
- Muevense (2024)
Tours
Marc Anthony has gone on many concert tours, often with other famous artists: Juntos en concierto (Together in Concert) series:
- Juntos en concierto 2005 with Chayanne and Alejandro Fernández
- Juntos en concierto 2006 with Laura Pausini and Marco Antonio Solís
- Juntos en concierto 2007 with Jennifer Lopez
Filmography
Film
Here are some of the movies Marc Anthony has been in:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 1990 | East Side Story | Flaco | |
| 1993 | Carlito's Way | Latin Band at Disco | Sings "Parece Mentira" |
| 1994 | Natural Causes | Marine Guard | |
| 1995 | Hackers | Agent Kee | |
| 1996 | Big Night | Cristiano | |
| 1996 | The Substitute | Juan Lacas | |
| 1999 | Bringing Out the Dead | Noel | |
| 2001 | In the Time of the Butterflies | Lio | |
| 2004 | Man on Fire | Samuel Ramos | |
| 2006 | El Cantante | Héctor Lavoe | |
| 2021 | In the Heights | Mr. De La Vega |
Television
Here are some TV shows Marc Anthony has appeared in:
- 2000: Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV series) as Mario (voice) in "Robinita Hood"
- 2010–2011: HawthoRNe (TV series) as Officer Nick Renata
- 2012: The X Factor, as a guest judge
Stage
Marc Anthony has also performed on stage:
| Year | Play | Role | Notes |
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| 1998 | The Capeman | Young Salvador Agron | Broadway |
See also
In Spanish: Marc Anthony para niños
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of awards and nominations received by Marc Anthony
- List of best-selling Latin music artists
- List of Puerto Ricans
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
- Nuyorican
- Puerto Ricans in New York City
- Puerto Ricans in the United States
