"Canta como un ángel", comentó Michael Jackson. "Me encantaría acompañarle al piano", expresó Billi Joel cuando escuchó la virtuosa voz de Marc Anthony.

Pero no todo fue color rosa. Marco Antonio Muñiz, como verdaderamente se llama, comenzó cantando en varias discotecas de Nueva York. "Él pensaba que en algún momento alguien se interesaría en su talento y le brindaría la oportunidad de demostrar su arte en la música", relató una fuente cercana.

A medida que transcurrían los días, nadie "descubría" el brillo de la estrella, cosa que hizo que Marc se desinteresara por la música.

Al sentirse frustrado, decidió postular a la Fuerza Aérea y, justo cuando la institución le dio el sí para su ingreso, el destino cambió para él. Minutos antes de que se marchara a la base de entrenamiento militar, su representante le comunicó la gran noticia: "Tenemos el primer contrato ¡Marco!".

LAS CONQUISTAS

Desde entonces, y con el nombre artístico de Marc Anthony, su fama subió como la espuma. Así, este salsero, que nació el 16 de septiembre de 1969 en Nueva York, lanzó su primer disco, When the Night is Over, que grabó con el productor Little Louie Vega.

Pero no sólo conquistó el ritmo sabroso, sino varios corazones. Uno fue en Nueva York, donde tuvo un romance del que nació Ariana Muñiz, según la página web delatele.com.

Luego, Marc conoció a la ex Miss Universo Dayanara Torres, con quien contrajo nupcias el 2000, pero los problemas maritales fueron tantos que ella solicitó el divorcio. La sentencia del adiós se dictó en junio del 2004.

A los cuatro días del divorcio, Marc se casó con la actriz y cantante JLO.

CURIOSIDADES

Enlace matrimonial. Marc Anthony y Jennifer Lopez tienen grandes similitudes: carreras discográficas, sus orígenes y una cuantiosa fortuna que en conjunto suma unos 75 millones de dólares.

Vida privada. El cantante y compositor tiene cinco hijos: una niña con una chica de Nueva York, dos con la ex Miss Universo Dayanara Torres, y dos con su actual esposa, la cantante Jennifer López.

Confesión. El artista puertorriqueño Marc Anthony confesó en una entrevista que siempre estuvo enamorado de Jennifer y que es ella la famosa "Lola" a la que él tanto nombra.

-- Note the MJ song chosen.

It was also the last set of concerts ever performed by Michael Jackson.

A surreal, frustrating, star-pocked, stop and start pair of shows he was throwing at Madison Square Garden Sept. 7 and 10, 2001, under the title "30th Anniversary Tribute," marked his three decades as a hitmaker. A network special would be cobbled out of the two shows (rerunning, as it happens, tonight on TV One), but seeing them live, the first of them would have been memorable, even if it hadn't one of his last.

For the first half of the five hour concert, in which he was making his first major public appearance in a decade, Jackson sat like a King of Pop, in a royal box with a court that included Macauley Caulkin on one side and Elizabeth Taylor on the uther. Such classic film stars as Janet Leigh and Ann Miller squirmed in their chairs in sections where rappers like Jay-Z and P. Diddy checked their cell-phone messages in the next seats over.

Stars like Whitney Houston, Marc Anthony, Liza Minnelli, and others, came out to sing his songs. Then stars like Shaggy and Destiny's Child came out to sing their own hits for no particular reason (the latter adding a "Billie Jean" groove incongruously to "Bootylicious.").

There was even a long, contentious speech in there by a star who had possibly been more reclusive than Jackson -- Marlon Brando, who sat on a couch center stage and pontificated on child welfare issues.

Finally, Miss Taylor stepped to the microphone to give the crowd what it wanted: Jackson on stage. In a manner befitting a world that sometimes treated him like he was from another planet, Jackson, 43, stepped on stage in a spacesuit and helmet.

He appeared first with his brothers, as the Jacksons presented their first gig in decades, using some of the original Motown choreography.

After a medley of ``Can You Feel It,'' ``ABC'' and ``The Love You Save,'' Jackson sang his first solo on ``I'll Be There'' before `N Sync jumped on stage to join their predecessors in ``Dancing Machine.''

Jackson paired with another contemporary pop star, Britney Spears, for a sweet duet version of his ``The Way You Make Me Feel.''

Then it was Jackson all alone, finally, for a crowd-pleasing ``Billie Jean,'' complete with original glove and moonwalk. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash joined him on a pair of rock songs, ``Black and White'' and ``Beat It,'' before the star played the one new song of the night, ``You Rock My World,'' from his forthcoming ``Invincible'' album.

And though he still thrilled with his footwork, adding a sideways variation to the moonwalk during "Billie Jean," he also showed that on the one new song, his voice had changed from its perpetually high, adolescent wail to a lower intonation.

Mostly, though, his vocals were lip-synched.

That meant, thanks to recording technology, he sounded exactly as he did when he recorded songs such as ``Beat It'' and ``Black and White.'' At least there were some live performance elements to those -- for "Billie Jean," it was entirely the recorded track, making it look more and more like an unsure Michael Jackon impersonator rather than the real thing.

Unsure of how realistic the lip synching would look on TV he often covered his mouth as he sang to mask any inconsistencies. He didn't show off his lower voice until the new song, ``You Rock My World'' and his first solo with the Jackson Five Friday -- a dodgy ``I'll Be There.''

Still, there were some moments of pure pop pleasure, as in the playful duet with Britney (which, shockingly, wasn't used in the final TV cut for whatever reason).It might have been strange to highlight a celebration of solo years with a reunion of his first group, but it was nice to see the brothers performing together again. Running through the old hits, the still-shy Jackson could retreat into the group dance moves and harmonies -- though he starkly stood apart from his brothers in skin tone and demeanor. He even appeared on stage with them for the first time in a spacesuit complete with helmet, as if he came from Krypton and not Gary, Ind.