As ricky was growing up a phenomenon known as Menudo was increasingly popular, mostly in Puerto Rico, Latin America but eventually across the world. The brainchild of Edgardo Dias, Menudo was made up of 5 Puerto Rican boys all under the age of 16 who could sing, dance and win hearts of every girl who saw them. One of the "rules" of Menudo was that once you hit the age of 16 or your voice changed, a new member replaced you. Ricky was a fan of Menudo- "I was the biggest fan of Menudo. Menudo was a legend". Ricky was determined to be apart of the group.
Ricky auditioned 3 times for Menudo, being turned down the first time because he was too short and the second time he was still too short, and they told him to come back in about 1 year. He comments in interviews that they suggested that he simply goes home and start playing basketball in order to grow! When talking about it Ricky has said, "It was very frustrating but my father was a big support to me, he once said, "you can have it all, but not when you want to- maybe when the universe wants you to". Six months later Ricky had his third audition and in July 1984, when he was 12, he was accepted.
On July 10th 1984 Ricky made his debut with Menudo at the Centro de Bellas Artes in his hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was originally known in the band as "new Ricky" because he replaced original member Ricky Melendez. Ricky was to spend 5 years in Menudo. When he looks back on those years, he saids he has much to thank them for, in term of discipline and dedication, which he practices now many years later. Menudo's schedule was relentless and he admits he lost much of his childhood. "I was trained to be a machine - i was trained not to say "I cannot". The group travelled the world for some 9 months out of the year and when they were not touring they were rehearsing on recording in the studio. Of course there were times that he would get very homesick and miss his family. He would call home and tell his Mother, "Mum, i can't take any more, i want to go home".
Ricky's mum once told him, "Ok, i will speak to a lawyer and have you on a plane tomorrow", and ater thinking about the matter twice he said, "Oh, hold on a minute mum, im ok". To leave home at 12 years old, travel the world, work hard, attend press confrences, concerts etc. was all very intense.
When Ricky was eventually allowed to visit home, he found it very stressful because his father was challenging his mother custody of Ricky. "It was painful the pull and push...i love mum, i love dad, i love them both...at the same time i can not stay with them both".
Ricky had to make a desicion and told the judge he wanted to stay with his mother. Things were never quite the same when ricky would return to Puerto Rico during his Menudo days; "everytime i came home, i would have to deal with this issue and i would be home maybe three days and i would be, "let's get back on the road-let's keep working". "Eventually i realised i was working because i wated to forget about the problems i was having at home. Menudo was my hideout". It was almost a decade before Ricky and his father resolved their differences, but nowadays they ar very close and talk to each other often.
