Gerardo Mejia was born on 16 April 1965 in Ecuador. When he was 12, his family immigrated to the USA. Living in California, Gerardo managed to try himself in different occupations. He became a famous musician, rapper, actor, producer, and, later, a pastor.
In 1987, Gerardo landed a role in a teenage romantic comedy Can’t Buy Me Love. He played a boy named Ricky. Even though the role was secondary, a handsome young man attracted the attention of fans and critics. He continued performing in TV series but mostly had secondary roles. Once he played in the movie Colors alongside such famous actors as Sean Penn and Robert Duval. While acting, Mejia started thinking about implementing his childhood dream of becoming a famous singer.
In 1991, Gerardo released his debut album Mo' Ritmo, which made him famous as the first Latin singer, who sang in a mixed language Spanglish (English+Spanish). The album’s producer was Michael Sembello. The single from the LP “Rico Suave” became a huge hit not just in the USA but also all over the world. It sold 600,000 copies. The album itself sold over half a million. Many fans still call the singer Rico, not Gerardo.
In 1994, Gerardo released his first Spanish language album Asi Es. Its target audience was Latin market. The LP included two big hits “Arroz con Carne” and “Maria Elisa”. The second song was dedicated to a beautiful girl Mejia met when visiting his native Ecuador.
