Glee

Ricky Martin is soon to invade the hallways (and hearts!) of McKinley High – and it’s just the start of what promises to be a big 2012 for the Latin heartthrob! In preparation for Tuesday’s highly anticipated all-new ep of Glee, here are FIVE things you need to know about the man behind “The Spanish Teacher”…

At the ripe ol’ age of just 40, the man has – yes, you read that right – three decades of music to his name! A baby-face Ricky joined Puerto Rican boy band Menudo in 1984 when he was a mere 13 years old. His Spanish-language eponymous debut solo album came in 1991, but it wasn’t until his 1999 hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca” that he solidified his place in the pop music world and kicked off what was termed the “Latin Explosion” (which paved the way for the music careers of J-Lo, Enrique Iglesias and soooo many more!).

After years of speculation, Ricky made the announcement in March 2010 – in the classiest way possible, saying on his official website, “Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment. These years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed… I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

Ricky’s twin boys – Matteo and Valentino, adorbs! – were born via surrogate in August 2008. He said at the time, “I’m so happy! Everything they do, from smiling to crying, feels like a blessing. This has been the most spiritual moment in my life.” Oh, and BTW, they are totally cute.

In 1994, Ricky moved to LA and landed a gig on American soap opera General Hospital. He spent two years heatin’ up Port Charles as Miguel Morez, a singer/bartender who had a long-lost lovechild with Lily Rivera… who was attached to mob boss Sonny Corinthos… who ran L&B Records… which repped Miguel… who… let’s face it, we could go on all day! In 1996 Miguel went out on tour and Lily… died in a car accident. But not this one. Gotta love soaps, eh? (And seriously, when we said “heatin’ up,” we totally meant it – That hair! That face! Mega-swoooons!).

Ricky is no stranger to Broadway. In 1996, Ricky joined the cast of the Broadway revival of Les Miserables in the role of young (hot?) revolutionary Marius. The production just so happened to also feature Glee star Lea Michele, who recently said of Ricky, “[He] is like the closest thing to an angel that exists on this Earth. He’s the nicest person.” Aww! In April, Ricky returns to the Broadway stage in the revival of EVITA as narrator Che. Check out his Twitter for a sneak peek pic!

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