Marc Anthony Causes Latin Sensation

Latin sensation Marc Anthony performed a few of his ballads last month on The Early Show plaza for a segment to air June 5.

From his new CD, Mended, Anthony sang "I've Got You" and "I Need You."

Mended is his first English language CD since 1999's triple platinum Marc Anthony. And as a bonus for his Latin fans, he has included a Spanish version of "I've Got You" on the CD called "Te Tengo Aqui." "I Need You" was the first single released off the new CD and already has become a Top 5 contemporary radio hit.

This year, Anthony was awarded "2002 Top Latin Albums/Artist of the Year" and "2002 Tropical/Salsa Album of the Year - Male" for his platinum release, "Libre." Other popular albums by the leading salsa star are "Headliners" and "Desde Un Principio/From The Beginning."

Despite his growing fame in other countries, Anthony remained relatively unknown outside the Latin music world in the country of his birth, the result of having sung almost exclusively in Spanish.

In 1998, his album, Contra La Corriente was awarded a Grammy for Best Latin/Tropical Performance.

All of that changed with the September 1999 release of Marc Anthony, his self-titled English-language pop CD. The album debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and was certified platinum six weeks later. Seven months lafter the release, it had sold more than two million copies in the U.S. alone.

The initial success of the Marc Anthony CD was driven in part by the hit single "I Need To Know."

Anthony's success has not been limited to the music world. He was cast by music legend Paul Simon in the Broadway musical The Capeman and has appeared in Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out The Dead, and Stanley Tucci's Big Night.

In July 2002, following the release of Mended, Anthony is embarking on his first major North American tour in nearly two years.