GLAAD to Honor Ricky Martin & Kristin Chenoweth

Grammy award-winning singer Ricky Martin and Emmy- and Tony award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth will be honored at the 22nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Martin will receive the Vito Russo Award, which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people, in New York on Saturday, March, 19th.

"Ricky coming out was a game changer for many gay and transgender Latino children, who for too long did not have many out gay people to look up to," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, in a statement released to the press. "Through his music, videos and interviews, Ricky has sent an important message that our community wants the same things all people do: an equal chance to raise our families and take care of our loved ones."

Chenoweth will receive the Vanguard Award, which is presented to media professionals who have increased the visibility and understanding of LGBT people, in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 10th.

"When allies like Kristin take such powerful stands against antigay sentiments in the media, it sends an important message of equality," Barrios said. "It is a privilege to honor such a talented and conscientious advocate for fairness towards the LGBT community."

For more information on the awards, click here.

How Ricky Martin Juggles Single Fatherhood with Twin Toddlers

Ricky Martin has been through a lot in the past year. But keeping him calm at the center of his crazy life are his two most adoring fans – 2-year-old twin sons Matteo and Valentino.

"Every day they teach me different things," the pop star, 39, tells Parade of his boys, born via surrogate in August 2008. "The love is there. When you have a 2-year-old saying every other hour, 'Papi, te amo. Papi, I love you,' it can't get better."

Certainly, there's never a dull moment. "A lot of people say, 'Wow, you're a single father of twin boys, that's crazy!' " he says. "Two toddlers can get hectic, but I wouldn't change it for anything."

Asked what fatherhood has taught him, Martin replies: "Heavy lessons about simplicity and unconditional love. I don't want to sound cliché, another father talking about unconditional love, but man, that's the way it is. You hear it all the time, but when you feel this other branch of love getting stronger and stronger every day, it's just amazing."

He also reveals that the twins are already following in their famous father's footsteps. "The other day I took them to a toy store and they went straight to this tiny piano," he says. "And I'm like, 'Look at the robot!' But no, it was the piano. Both of them. So it's very beautiful."

Martin, who came out last spring, also talks about being a voice in the gay community – and says it's a natural progression for him.

"It's something I feel really good about doing," he says. "I have been an activist for human rights for many years. Today, I'm in touch with who I am and I have the opportunity to be in front of a camera and talk to millions of people."

Ricky Martin's latest CD, Musica+Alma+Sexo (Music+Soul+Sex) was released yesterday.

New Release Tuesday!

We start a new month with several new releases on Blu-Ray, CD and DVD. Here are today's new releases including Ricky Martin's new CD, Musica+Alma+Sexo.

MOVIES

10 (B)

A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Soup (B)

Alice in Wonderland (1951) (B)

All About Eve (B)

An Affair to Remember (B)

Boys Don't Cry (B)

Chain Letter (B)

Conviction (B)

Hatchett II (B)

Let Me In (B)

Monsters (2010) (B)

Never Let Me Go (B)

Night Catches Us (B)

Pleasantville (B)

Ray (B)

The Tillman Story (B)

Welcome to the Rileys

You've Got Mail (B)

MUSIC

George Michael - Faith (Remastered)

The JaneDear Girls - The JaneDear Girls

Ricky Martin - Musica+Alma+Sexo

Rod Stewart - The Best of the Great American Songbook

TV SHOWS

Airwolf - 4th Season

Blue Murder - Complete Series

Cake Boss - 3rd Season

Garrow's Law - 1st Season

Saturday Night Live - Best of Chris Farley & Best of John Belushi

(B) = Available on Blu-Ray

Ricky Martin Says He Wants a Daughter

Ricky Martin says his twin sons are a handful but he’d love to have a “daddy’s girl”.

The gay star had sons Matteo and Valentino by a surrogate mother in 2008.

He told Miami radio station Y100: “Fatherhood is incredible! Every day is something different.

“Matteo and Valentino, they’re constantly ganging up on me but I can take it! They’re amazing – I want more. This is only the beginning of our family.”

When asked how many children he would like, Martin said: “I don’t know. Maybe one, two more, but yeah, definitely. I need [a] daddy’s girl.”

He added that becoming a father had changed his life, not least his sleeping patterns.

“Babies wake up every two hours,” he said. “At 7 o’clock you are awake. For me, I was a night owl in the past, but now, I’m up, I’m working, I’m already dealing with the kids.”

Ricky Martin Confirmed for Evita

Rumors have been floating about for the last year, and now it has been confirmed that Ricky Martin will star as Che in the Broadway revival of Evita, opening Spring, 2012.

Argentine actress Elena Roger will star as Eva Peron, a role she played in London in 2006. Michael Grandage directed that production and will oversee the Broadway revival.

Martin said in a previous statement: I've been blessed with the opportunity to perform on many of the world's largest concert stages, but I've never lost my love for the intimacy of the theater. I'm delighted to know that after I've had the chance to share new music and tour over the coming year, that I will then return once again to Broadway. I'm looking forward to playing such an essential part in Michael Grandage's wonderful production and the chance to work with the tremendously talented Elena Roger."

Music Video Premiere: Ricky Martin's "The Best Thing About Me is You"

When Johnny Weir says things like being gay is the smallest part of “what makes me me,” it’s a big turn off for many (including me). Still, we're glad he’s finally come out publicly and is no longer being coy and now everyone can all get on with our lives.

Ricky Martin is a different story.

He’s also a famous person who everyone assumed was gay but since he came out last year publicly, he’s really become a powerful voice and can influence how the world views gay people and how gay youths view themselves.

Ricky being gay is the most important part of him because he is mature enough to know that it influences all that he does and all that he is.

He has already shared his thoughts so eloquently in his memoir Me and in various interviews he gave last fall. Now we get to see how being an openly gay man impacts his work as a musical artist with today’s release of the music video for his song The Best Thing About Me is You.

It’s about equality and it’s pretty gay.

Enjoy!

Perez Hilton Tops the List of Most Googled Gays

Hollywood gossip blogger Perez Hilton has topped the list of the most Googled Gays compiled by the Advocate based on Google Trends data.

Sir Elton John (4th), Ricky Martin (5) and George Michael (12) appear on the list. Here is the Top 20 list:

1. Perez Hilton
2. Adam Lambert
3. Ellen DeGeneres
4. Sir Elton John
5. Ricky Martin
6. Marc Jacobs
7. Alexander McQueen
8. Rachel Maddow
9. Antoine Dodson
10. Neil Patrick Harris
11. Jane Lynch
12. George Michael
13. RuPaul
14. Suze Orman
15. Portia de Rossi
16. Tom Ford
17. Chris Colfer
18. Jonathan Groff
19. Wanda Sykes
20. Steven Slater (JetBlue Flight Attendant)

Ricky Martin Would Give Adoption a Try

Ricky Martin already has beautiful 2-year-old twin boys Matteo and Valentino – but he may be ready to expand his family again.

"Even though I started with surrogacy, adoption is probably my next step," Martin told Extra after performing with other stars for the CBS special A Home for the Holidays, which raises awareness about adoption.

"I had to be here as a father … 20,000 children have been beautifully impacted by this project. Adoption is beautiful. Give it a try!" 
Martin, who turns 39 on Christmas Eve, added.

He also revealed the big present he's hoping for this year: "I just want my children to be happy. I want my children to be healthy."



The annual TV event aired last night on CBS.

Ricky Martin Unveils New Album Cover!

The sexy, out and proud Ricky Martin has been in a very productive mood this year.

First he releases his memoir, Me, and now is preparing for the February 1st release of his latest album called Music+Alma+Sexy (Music+Soul+Sex).

That’s a pretty provocative title, don’t you think?

The highly-anticipated bilingual album is the Grammy winning superstar’s first new studio album In six years.

And the cover, unveiled this week, is just sizzling hot.

Ricky Martin Unveils Music+Soul+Sex

Get ready for new music from Ricky Martin.

The Latin pop star has unveiled the title of his first studio album in six years — Musica+Alma+Sexo (Music+Soul+Sex) will be released February 1st. The album features tracks in both Spanish and English, and its first single is “The Best Thing About Me Is You.”

The Spanish version, “Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tu,” is already number one on the Latin charts.

Martin will kick off his promotional tour for the album with an appearance on the CBS special A Home for the Holidays, appearing with stars including Katy Perry and Melissa Etheridge.

Ricky Martin & live-in boyfriend spotted in Miami

TV y Novela magazine has revealed identity of Ricky Martin's boyfriend. He is Carlos Gonzalez.

The picture taken by the Paparazzis, shows Martin and Carlos Gonzalez walking with rheir twin sons, Matteo and Valentino in an undisclosed Miami park during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Carlos González is a Miami-based stockbroker with whom Ricky has a romantic relationship for more than two years the media added. They live together at their Miami (Golden Beach) home.

For years, Grammy winner Ricky faced an inner struggle with his sexuality, until he decided to come out earlier this year, Now, he says he's a fortunate gay man. Ricky talked about hitting rock bottom when he visited Oprah Show. Ricky and Oprah said "the world would change if everyone who is gay comes out".

Ricky feels comfortable with his personal life, which he openly stated in his recently released autobiography, "Me".

Out 100's Entertainer of the Year: Ricky Martin

On March 29th of this year, Ricky Martin made a decision that would change everything. He posted a letter on his website and linked to it from Twitter. The letter outlined the process of writing his upcoming memoir, during which Martin came to realize that he needed to free himself of a particular burden. Writing about it, he added, was “a solid step toward my inner peace and vital part of my evolution.” He closed the letter, with a beautiful, eloquent, and simple declaration: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

It is a warm October afternoon in Miami Beach, and the fortunate homosexual man is tearing up. We’ve just started talking, but Martin can barely contain his elation. It is sweet and touching and genuine. When I suggest that few of his fans could have imagined in January that he would be on the cover of this year’s Out100, he has to steady himself, sucking in the air and releasing it in a low, long exhalation. The hum of jet skis and motorboats on Biscayne Bay fills the silence. A breeze shifts the long, white drapes that separate the living room from Martin’s waterfront garden. “I get emotional,” he says, finally, fanning the air gently with his hand. “What a beautiful way to start.”

He’s right. There is something beautiful in witnessing a major celebrity in the throes of profound and real transformation. A week before we meet, Martin had made a surprise appearance at the annual Human Rights Campaign national dinner to pledge his support. “Something as simple as standing at that dinner and saying, ‘I’m gay,’ creates so may emotions I’ve never felt before,” he admits. “I didn’t do it earlier because of fear, and, bottom line, it was all in my head. I was seduced by fear, and I was sabotaging most of my life -- my music, my relationships with my friends, with my family, with everybody. That’s something I need to share because I know that a lot of people are going through what I went through, no matter what their age, and fear cannot control us.”

Martin is about to share big time -- with his new memoir, Me, a remarkably heartfelt account of his journey from teen group Menudo to fatherhood, delivered in a frank, conversational style that doesn’t economize on the truth. It includes accounts of his first passionate affairs -- with men and with women -- as well as his struggle to reconcile his conflicted yearnings with his rapid ascent in America. The pivotal year is 1999, at which Martin performed his World Cup anthem, “La Copa de la Vida,” at the Grammys. Largely unknown in the United States beyond Hispanic audiences, he left the stage as a breathless Rosie O’Donnell (the evening’s host) exclaimed, “Who was that cutie patootie?” Between that quip and the well-intended advice of Madonna to “stop doing interviews -- everyone knows who you are” were a few short hops separated by 17 million album sales for his first English-language album, Ricky Martin, covers on Time and People, and a 25-date U.S. tour that sold out in eight minutes.

Contrary to Madonna’s comment, it’s arguable whether Martin even knew himself. In Me, he presents much of his life as a subconscious effort to avoid confronting unpalatable truths. It’s one explanation for his nonstop work ethic. He was always, he says, a performer who didn’t know how to say no -- “perhaps because if I stopped I would start to think.” A growing interest in India -- a giant Buddha stares passively from his hallway -- would eventually help him resolve those tensions and lead to the introspection that animates his memoir. “In this book, I am sharing the moments that triggered intensity, like passion and love, and that brought me to a place of understanding or a place where I really started asking a lot of questions, connecting the dots,” he says.

It was connecting the dots that led directly to Martin’s tweet last March. In his memoir, he recounts how friends and colleagues remonstrated with him to hold off: “I ignored all their recommendations, and by the end, when they came to me with the argument that I shouldn’t do it during Easter because it might offend my Christian fans, I said: ‘What part of ‘I can’t take it any more’ do you not understand? What about me?’”

Two people who didn’t intervene to stop Martin were his parents. “My father is an amazing human being,” says Martin. “He was the first one to tell me, ‘Come on, share your love.’ ” As for his mother, she flew to Miami for a visit the same day he published his letter. Martin held off posting it until he knew she was safely in the air, beyond the reach of gossipy chatter, and made her read it the moment she arrived at his house. “As soon as she finished,” he writes, “she stood up, gave me a great big hug, and started to cry like a baby.”

M artin is not the first pop star to come out -- a string of musicians got there before him, but while many enjoyed significant fame none has achieved such stratospheric heights of idoldom. And none had to contend with the dual responsibilities of being gay and a crossover Latin music star -- or a “symbol of the new status Latin culture holds in mainstream America,” as The New York Times dubbed him in 1999. That seems like an awful lot of symbolism for one man’s shoulders. Martin shrugs. “I am a minority twice,” he says. “I am Hispanic, and I am a gay man, and they both struggle. Is it a big responsibility? It can be as big as I want it to be, and I believe there’s a lot still to come.”

Martin doesn’t skate over the oppressiveness of Latin machismo that made his coming-out such a milestone back home, one not always appreciated by the press and bloggers in the West who treated it as no big deal. At the same time, he insists that his own “Latin lover” vibe was always genuine. “A lot of people go, ‘Wait a minute, so ‘She Bangs’ became a ‘He Bangs?’ ” -- he laughs -- “No, I never lied. That was my truth at that moment. And when you are on stage you just are. Mind you, as an entertainer if you make a move and you get a reaction, trust me, you are going to make that move again -- that’s what we entertainers live off. Do I think it’s going to be the same now? I don’t know, and,” -- his voice drops to an urgent whisper again -- “it doesn’t matter. It feels so good that it can’t be wrong.”

Not content to represent two minorities when he could represent three, Martin became a single parent just over two years ago after identifying a surrogate mother on the Internet. He thinks now that he was dealing with a lot of residual guilt for having abandoned his younger brothers when he joined the gilded cage that was Menudo, but he was also inspired by his work with his children’s foundation, launched to help disabled children in Puerto Rico and later broadened to combat child trafficking and prostitution. In Me, he robustly rejects criticism of his choice to raise his twin boys, Matteo and Valentino, alone, with some familiar arguments -- many great people are the products of single parents -- and some less so. All families are different, he says, before adding, with a priceless flourish, “being unique is fabulous.”

As it happens, his two boys do have another man in their life, one who does not materialize in Me, but who has recently become a major part of Martin’s world. “I am in a relationship, and I am in love, and it’s incredible that I’m actually talking about it,” he says, adding that it’s not in the book because it was too soon to write about it. “It was a moment to nurture a relationship, not a moment to talk about it. And I was living one day at a time in this relationship because I was a father first and foremost -- I wasn’t looking for anyone.” Martin won’t reveal much more, except to say that his partner is also from Puerto Rico and loves his children and is loved by them in turn.

In the end, of course, everything is connected (back to those dots again) and Martin credits his boys for lighting the fuse that led him to come out. The turning point was that chapter about fatherhood. As he pondered why he’d wanted children, he cycled back through a chain of linked events and consequences. “Why did I decide to be a father? Because of my work with my foundation. Why my work with my foundation? Because of my trips to India. Why did I want to go to India? Because I wanted to detach from fame, because I wanted to look for silence. Why? Because I didn’t like interviews, I didn’t like being famous. Why was that? Because maybe I was being invaded by questions about my sexuality. Hmmm. Why did I feel invaded?”

Above all, he says he worried about Matteo and Valentino having to answer for their father’s untruths. How would they respond as they grew older? Would they have to lie on his behalf? “How could I teach my kids to lie?” he asks. “How could I teach them not to be themselves?” And, as simple as that, he realized he couldn’t and wouldn’t. “My children will grow up with no prejudice,” he says. “As parents, we need to create a new way of thinking for our kids, in which we accept, and we love, and we can vibe with everybody.”

On cue, it seems, the boys awake from their afternoon nap and are brought downstairs to daddy. Martin has a small retinue of loyal and longtime staff, more like family, and they start clucking and fussing over the kids, amusing them with clown faces as they run around the lawn grabbing at flowers to present to the adults, tokens of their affection. Martin laughs as they stumble in their haste and launches into a proud-father monologue, detailing their quirks and foibles: how Valentino insists on eating with his hands, covering his face with pasta; how he jokes that Matteo is “half Puerto Rican and half Chinese” because of his overweening fondness for rice. And he frets about separation issues when he returns to Broadway in 2012 to play Che in the revival of Evita, his first stage role since he played Marius in Les Misèrables in 1995, before reassuring himself that other Broadway parents deal with much the same.

And there is, of course, his new partner. Martin imagines a day when he’ll be walking down a red carpet with his man and his boys, right behind Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka and their twin kids. “How awesome will that be?” he asks. Well, very.

See all of the 2010 Out 100 honorees here.

OUT 100 Cover Revealed!

OUT Magazine has revealedts complete list of the annual Out 100.

The list is mostly made up of openly gay people but also included are some straight allies. Click HERE to see all of the honorees who were all photographed in one of three distinctly different gatherings — Studio 54, the Stonewall Riots, and Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball.

Out chronicles the 100 LGBT movers and shakers who made big impressions on the cultural and social fabrics of this year.

Here are the 16th Annual Out 100 Cover Award Honorees:

Entertainer of the Year — Ricky Martin: “I am Hispanic, and I am a gay man, and they both struggle. Is it a big responsibility? It can be as big as I want it to be,” Martin tells Out. Embracing both fatherhood and new status as a gay role model, Martin, who opens up in his new memoir, Me, looks forward to teaching his twin boys acceptance and love and a day when he proudly walks them down the red carpet!

Diva of the Year — Johnny Weir: “Every little boy should be so lucky as to turn into me,” Weir declared unapologetically after two Canadian broadcasters suggested he undergo a “gender test” during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. With his flair for flamboyance and commitment to glamour, Weir never shies away from controversy—or pageantry. As to the ubiquitous questions surrounding his sexuality, Weir’s opinion remains clear. “I’m not ashamed of anything, but I want it to be out there in my own words.”

Artist of the Year — Julianne Moore: “I don’t think a movie like The Kids Are All Right could be made if this wasn’t the way that families are living today all over the United States,” Moore states. The actress, a four-time Oscar nominee, began her activism some 25 years ago after her first experience with what would become the AIDS pandemic. Now, although she works to keep politics and career separate, Moore notes, “I choose a part because I’m interested in the role, the director, the script. I don’t go looking for something that seem political, but by virtue of the roles being intensely personal, it becomes that way.”

Newsmaker of the Year — Rachel Maddow: Growing up in the time of the AIDS pandemic gave Maddow a compelling perspective on the state of gay activism, especially now in the age of Obama. “We continue to have a sort of lackadaisical gay political movement that has a relationship with Democrat politicians that doesn’t serve gay rights: ‘We want to be close to you.’ Beautiful! But if we’re not getting anything for that, then it’s actually counterproductive.” Now Maddow’s self-titled MSNBC news hour serves as appointment TV for anyone even halfway interested in the surreal theater of American politics amid the surging tide of anti-Washington sentiment.

Stylemaker of the Year – Nate Berkus: Oprah protégé Berkus recently became the first openly gay man to host a daily nationally syndicated television show, and the guru is not taking that responsibility lightly. “Having a daily show is an opportunity for me not to push a political agenda, but to speak out for tolerance and understanding and equality,” he notes. “I’ve been given an enormous opportunity, and I plan to use it responsibly.” Berkus has already proved his commitment to responsibility, having recently appeared on Larry King Live and delivered a compelling plea to America to stop antigay bullying.

Out Editor Aaron Hicklin says of the selections: “For this year’s cover, the five honorees all reflect major breakthroughs in the profile of the LGBTQ community, including one of the most successful pop stars of all time, a leading commentator on politics and current affairs, a wildly entertaining Olympic ice skater who captured everyone’s imagination in Vancouver this year, the first openly gay male host of a daytime TV show, and the fabulous LGBT ally Julianne Moore, star of The Kids Are All Right, a boundary-pushing movie that quietly and profoundly lent legitimacy to our relationships and families."

Ricky Martin Visits Ellen

The Ricky Martin express goes on!

The singing star is promoting the hell out of his memoir, Me, and his latest stop was a big one: The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday.

The host presented Ricky with a pair of mini track suits for his twin sons with their names in the back and the title of dad’s biggest hit: Livin La Vida Loca.

Ricky spoke to Ellen about coming out and finding the right time: “I think that everyone has to go through their own process. When you’re not ready. You’re not ready. You have to go through a spiritual path. It doesn’t mater if takes you 10, 15 years since the moment you realize where you understand who you are. You cannot be forced.”

He also talked about the bullying epidemic: “Children are being bullied because they are gay and they are committing suicide. Children are committing suicide because they are being outed. If you’re not ready, you’re just not ready.”

Here is video of Ricky’s appearance. Enjoy!

Ricky Martin Says He’ll Get Married When Puerto Rico Allows It

Ricky Martin says he will marry his partner when his home country legalises gay marriage.

The star has not revealed the name of his long-term boyfriend, but says they would get married if they could.

Appearing on the Larry King show, he said: “I would get married… There are many countries around the world where same-sex marriage is a right. Not in Puerto Rico, unfortunately. And not in many states in America.

“Yes, we could go to Spain and get married. We can go to Argentina and get married. But why do we have to go somewhere else? Why can’t I do it in my country where the laws are – you know, protecting me?”

He added: “I can go to Spain. I have many friends in Spain. And get married. And make it very beautiful and symbolic. But… I [can't] do it in the backyard of my house. I want to have that option. I don’t want to be a second class citizen anymore. I pay my taxes. Why can’t I have that right?”

Martin came out last year. He is currently promoting his autobiography Me, which was published this week in English and Spanish.

Ricky Martin Talks About Coming Out, His Man & More on 'Larry King Live'

Ricky Martin has been out and about promoting his new autobiography, Me, and talking openly about his gay life and his forthcoming new CD. Here's his interview from Larry King Live.

Oprah Winfrey's Interview with Ricky Martin

Here is Oprah’s interview with Ricky Martin which aired Tuesday, the same day his memoir 'Me' was released.

It’s such a contrast to the Barbara Walters interview of a decade ago when she asked Ricky if he was gay and he did not answer. Walters has since expressed her regret over asking the question but Ricky is a different man today as you can see in these videos.

He tels Oprah of Walters: “She knocked me out… I had my little monologue prepared – what I was used to answering: ‘No, I don’t think it’s something that I want to talk about; this is something private… I show everything when I’m onstage…’. But she kept on going and going and going. I just wasn’t ready… It was not my moment.”

“People were mocking my sexuality and I was, like, ‘I don’t wanna be that. Is that me…?’ I think I hate myself…” he added.

But he holds no grudge against the veteran newswoman even though he was initially angry: “I felt invaded, I felt violated in many ways… but it was not the first time I was asked this question in an interview, but it was a massive TV show… That gave the right for every journalist to ask.”

Ricky also talks about recent string of young gay suicides and says they make it evident that gays must be allowed to come out only when they are ready: “Right now we are dealing with people that are being bullied because they are gay and now we’re dealing with people who are committing suicide because they’re forced to come out and that is horrible… You have to go through a very spiritual process in order for you to accept yourself and then it feels amazing.”

Well said Ricky and good for you.

Ricky Martin Felt 'Numb' and Cried 'Like a Baby' After Coming Out

After having children, Ricky Martin decided he couldn't live a lie any longer and decided to tell the world his biggest secret--he is gay. And in an interview with Oprah Winfrey airing today on her show, he confessed it wasn't easy.

"When I realized, okay, I just pressed send, whoo... I was alone," the international singer said to the talk show host. "I was in my studio alone for a minute. My assistant walked in and I just started crying like a little baby. I started crying." Martin admits he felt "numb" but then relieved after sharing the news with the world.

Martin credits his 2-year-old twins born via surrogate with helping him realize he needed to be totally open about his sexuality.

"I couldn't take it anymore. It was too painful. But I guess the most important thing is my children... When I was holding them in my arms I was like, 'What, am I gonna teach them how to lie?' Whoa, that is my blessing right there. Then, when I was holding my children I said, 'Okay, it's time to tell the world.'"

The 'Livin' La Vida Loca' singer is releasing his memoir 'Me' today. In it, Martin opens up about everything from his experiences in Menudo to his sexuality and fatherhood.

"From the moment I wrote the first phrase, I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time. Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside. Writing this account of my life, I got very close to my truth. And this is something worth celebrating," he said.

Ricky Martin Previews New Single & Cover Art

Ricky Martin offers fans a short preview of his upcoming single "The Best Thing About Me Is You" as well as the cover art for the song.

Martin has recorded an English-language version with British singer Joss Stone, while the Spanish version features ex-Quinta Estación vocalist Natalia Jimenez.

Martin recently revealed to Black Book magazine that his creativity "has exploded" since coming out in March. His next album is expected to be released in early 2011.

His biography "Me" will be released next month.

Click here to preview the new single, featuring Joss Stone.

Ricky Martin's Decision to Come Out Has 'Unleashed His Creativity'

Desmond Child, who says he has noticed a dramatic change in the "Livin' La Vida Loca" star since he announced to the world he is gay in March.

Desmond - who worked with Ricky on his fourth English language album - said: "I'm really excited about the music, the content, because since he's come out its unleashed his creativity and the scope of what he can sing about and say and do.

"Once he opened that door a floodgate of energy and creativity just really exploded."

The songwriter, who previously collaborated with Ricky on hits including "She Bangs," also praised the star's philanthropy, saying his Ricky Martin Foundation charity work has also informed the issues he wants to sing about.

He added: "He's a formidable person - an activist, a philanthropist and humanitarian. All of the work he's put into his charity-it's all going into the music."

Desmond - who has worked with artists including Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Meat Loaf and Shakira - also described the sound of the new record, which is expected to be released next year.

He told blackbookmag.com: "We really reached a creative fusion of rock and pop and electronic and Latin music - it's all over the place in a really great way."

Ricky - who is adoptive father to twins Matteo and Valentino, two - is also planning to publish his autobiography, Me in November this year.