Legendary. Once again I faced a word that I needed to define completely. Here it goes. “Legendary: of, described in, or based on legends, remarkable enough to be famous; very well-known.” In reading that definition it could be applied to just about any entertainer with a measure of fame. Therefore, it might be good to look at the root word, legend. A legend is a non-historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical; a collection of stories about an admirable person; a person who is the center of such stories. Can we consider this weeks’ featured artist Legendary? That’s what we will look at. This week we feature American singer, actor, record and television producer Marc Anthony.
First, Marc Anthony is very popular. That is a fact. He also has enjoyed a long, illustrious career. Can we call him a living legend? There are some historical facts that have been handed down that are verifiable. 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 has been recognized by New York magazine as one of the Ten Most Influential New Yorkers, was inaugurated into the Billboard Hall of Fame in 2012, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington D.C. in September 2009.
Marc Anthony is also known for his philanthropic efforts worldwide. He and entrepreneur Henry Cárdenas launched the Maestro Cares Foundation in January 2012. In 2014, the foundation opened an orphanage in La Romana, Dominican Republic. In 2015, the foundation opened a youth home and school in Barranquilla, Colombia.
In order to truly understand why many use the word legendary to describe Marc Anthony, we must go back to the start of his career, and his life.
Marco Antonio Muñiz, known by his stage name Marc Anthony, was born in New York City to parents from Guayama, Puerto Rico. Anthony’s parents named him after Mexican singer Marco Antonio Muñiz. He grew up in East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem and El Barrio, and is the youngest of eight children.
Muñiz began his career as a session vocalist for freestyle 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. 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. 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.
Marc Anthony did not become the singer we know today until his début solo album Otra Nota (English: Another Note). Recorded on a low-budget, the album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Tropical Albums chart and reached No. 30 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The album was well received by critics who complimented George’s production and Anthony’s youthful voice. Anthony received two awards for “Best New Artists” at the Billboard Latin Music Awards and the Lo Nuestro Awards.
I should have mentioned this earlier, but Marc Anthony is one of my favorite artists. He makes great music with a voice that sets him apart from other singers. However, I really like Marc Anthony, the person. Still in my memory is an interview he did several years ago. The interviewer paid Anthony a compliment about his singing. He answered in a way that I found interesting and refreshing. Exhibiting a lot of humility he thanked the interviewer and expressed appreciation for the compliment. Very gracious, Marc Anthony struck me as a performer who is grateful for the success he has attained.
All of the accolades and admiration are good, but does it equal legendary status. Let’s take a quick look back to Marc Anthony’s start. He grew up in Spanish Harlem in New York City. Of course many talented performers have come from the same neighborhood. Tito Puente is one name that comes to mind. Certainly he was a legend of Latin Music. However, when speaking of living, breathing, internationally known Latin artists from Harlem – the name Marc Anthony is at the top of the list. That means in his neighborhood, there are possibly a great number of people who will tell you about a young singer who grew up and became one of the greatest Latin Musicians of all time. Legendary!
At fifty years old on the back-end of a thirty year career, Marc Anthony is not slowing down one bit. In fact, he is still extremely popular and fans are lining up to go to his concert. At the end of the coming week, Anthony has two dates here in South Florida. He will be appearing at the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami. These concerts will be huge events in the city. It proves one point: Marc Anthony still has it! What is it? Popularity of course. Marc Anthony is still a huge star. Indeed.
What’s next for Marc Anthony? Could it be another studio album? His last one was released five years ago. Movies, television appearances? That’s always a possibility, even if Anthony records more music. The fact is that Marc Anthony is a legendary performer who is still performing at a high level. Legendary!