Marc Anthony

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For the Roman general and statesman, see Mark Antony.

Marc Anthony (born Marco Antonio Muñiz on September 16, 1968) is a Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter who is immensely popular throughout Latin America for his salsa music and salsamonga ballads.

Anthony was born in New York of Felipe Muñiz and Guillermina, Puerto Rican parents who named him after a Mexican singer. He began his career as a session vocalist for pop and dance acts.

After changing his name, Anthony worked as a songwriter and backing vocalist for pop acts including Menudo and the Latin Rascals. His first release was a Freestyle music record, "Rebel", in 1988 on Bluedog Records, based in The Bronx. This cut was written entirely by Marc and showed he was one of the best vocalists in Freestyle music. That same year he wrote and produced "Boy I've Been Told" for fellow Freestyle artist Sa-Fire. Then in 1989, he would sing backing 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, still working with Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry, Marc wrote and sung 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. After 1992, he changed his style from Freestyle music to Salsa and other Spanish music.

Inspired by the music of Puente, Rubén Blades and Juan Gabriel, Anthony released his Spanish-language debut, Otra nota, in 1993, with the salsamonga hit "Hasta que te conoci" (Until I Met You), a famous song by Mexican singer Juan Gabriel. Subsequent tours throughout the Americas, including an opening slot for Blades, established Anthony as one of the hottest new stars in salsamonga.

His 1995 collection, Todo a su tiempo, was nominated for a Grammy. The more traditional-sounding follow-up, Contra la corriente, was promoted by a sell-out concert at Madison Square Garden and won the 1999 Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Performance. 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 released an English-language album that had his name as the title with the US Top 5 hit single "I Need to Know" and the Spanish version "Dímelo" on the Top Ten Latin Songs. The foray was considered a mixed success, partly because it alienated his traditional salsa fans. In 2001, he debuted another salsa album known as Libre and was certified gold. The year after that, he made another English-language album called Mended which included smash hit "I've Got You" and the Spanish version "Te Tengo Aquí".

Anthony has also appeared in various motion pictures including 1996's Big Night and Martin Scorsese's 1999 film, Bringing Out the Dead.

Anthony was married to Dayanara Torres, a former Miss Universe for four years; the marriage ended in 2004. The couple have two sons, Cristian (b. 2001) and Ryan (b. 2003). Anthony also has a daughter, Arianna, with his New York police officer ex-girlfriend. On June 5, 2004, less than a week after his divorce from Torres was finalized in the Dominican Republic, Anthony married Jennifer Lopez. At the same month, he released a Latin Pop album Amar Sin Mentiras with songs like "Ahora Quien" and "Escapemonos" with Jennifer Lopez. 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 Hernandez. In the Latin Grammy Award 2005, his Amar Sin Mentiras won best Latin Pop Album of The Year and his Valio La Pena won Best Tropical Album of The Year. It is rumered that Valio La Pena was secretly dedicated to Jennifer Lopez, his "Lola", before, during, and after his relationship with Dayanara and his undying love for Jennifer Lopez that never faded from their first relationship, just before Jennifer Lopez ended her relationship with Sean "P.Diddy" Combs.