Marc Anthony

Unlike the more socially conscious New York salsa musicians of the 1960s and 1970s, or the highly produced "romantic" salsa artists of the 1980s, Anthony gained fame performing a salsa style that borrowed more heavily from the African American and urban genres that he listened to growing up, such as rhythm and blues and house.

Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and songwriter.

He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time.

A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-time Lo Nuestro Awards winner (the most of any male), he has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide.

Known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads, Anthony's achievements have been honored through various recognitions.

His first album was a freestyle music record, "Rebel", which debuted 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 on the freestyle club hit, "With or Without You" produced by Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry.

A year later in 1990, with Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry, Marc wrote a duet with Chrissy I-eece, called "You Should Know By Now".

By the early 1990s, Anthony had sold more salsa records than any other performer on the planet, solidifying his position among the most important new salsa artists to emerge in the 1990s.

In 1992, still working with Todd Terry, he provided vocals for "Love Change", which is on the flip-side of a 13" vinyl released by Elan and The Powermachine titled "Here's Your Hat", production of Todd Terry. At the same time, he collaborated with music producer Little Louie Vega, who featured the singer on many freestyle club hits "Ride on the Rhythm" and the "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 to salsa and other Latin styles.

Anthony was initially reluctant to become a salsa musician; he declined an offer to make an album in this genre when Ralph Mercado, president of RMM Records, asked him.

Anthony was in a taxi when he heard Juan Gabriel's hit song, "Hasta Que Te Conocí", which influenced him to change his mind and ask Mercado if he could record it as a salsa tune.

Inspired by the music of Tito Puente, Héctor Lavoe, Rubén Blades, and Juan Gabriel, Anthony released his Spanish-language debut, Otra Nota, in 1993.

The album also included a cover of Bread's "Make It with You".

Subsequent tours throughout the Americas, including an opening slot for Blades, established Anthony as one of the newest stars in salsa.

In 1994, he was featured on La India's album Dicen Que Soy, on the song "Vivir Lo Nuestro".

His 1995 follow-up, Todo a su tiempo, won Anthony a Billboard Award for Hot Tropical Artist of the Year.

The album was also 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 album has sold more than 800,000 copies and has become established as a gold record in both the United States and in Puerto Rico.

After an ongoing battle with RMM, he severed ties with Ralph Mercado and left the label in 1999.

Otra Nota, Todo a Su Tiempo, and Contra La Corriente established him as the top-selling singer in the history of the genre, able to sell out Madison Square Garden and prestigious venues internationally.

Anthony's next Spanish language album, Contra La Corriente, was followed by the television special Marc Anthony: The Concert from Madison Square Garden, broadcast on HBO on Valentine's Day in 2000.

The special was nominated for the Music Special of the Year by TV Guide.

The album's song "Y Hubo Alguien" became Anthony's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks and the first by a salsa musician.

The album became the first salsa album to enter the English language Billboard 200 chart.

He was the recipient of the 2009 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Lifetime Achievement Award.

He also received the 2009 CHCI Chair's Lifetime Achievement Award on September 16, 2009.

He holds the Guinness World Record for best-selling tropical/salsa artist and the most number-one albums on the Billboard Tropical Albums year-end charts.

He is also the artist with the most number one songs on the Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay chart with 32 songs.

Marco Antonio Muñiz was born in New York City, the son of Puerto Rican parents.

His father, Felipe Muñiz, was a hospital cafeteria worker and musician, and his mother, Guillermina Quiñones, was a housewife.

Anthony's parents named him after Mexican singer Marco Antonio Muñiz.

Anthony grew up in East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or El Barrio, and is the youngest of eight children.

He was raised Roman Catholic.

His musical education began at home, where he learned to sing in both Spanish and English under the guidance of his father, Felipe, himself a professional guitarist.

As a child, Anthony listened to a variety of musical genres and performers, including rock, rhythm and blues, pop stars José Feliciano (Puerto Rico), Air Supply (Australia), as well as salsa legends Héctor Lavoe (Puerto Rico), Willie Colón (United States), and Rubén Blades (Panama), among others.

According to Anthony, renowned Puerto Rican percussionist and bandleader Tito Puente in particular wielded a profound personal and professional influence throughout his life.

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 Menudo and the Latin Rascals.