What Is Gerardo Mejia's Net Worth?
Gerardo Mejia, better known by his mononym Gerardo, is an Ecuadorian-born American rapper, singer, and actor who has a net worth of $1 million. Gerardo Mejia later became a recording industry executive and then a pastor. Gerardo came to prominence in the early '90s with his hit song "Rico Suave."
Gerardo was only twelve years old when he and his family moved to Glendale, California, the place where his music career came to life. He first entered showbiz as Ricky in the 1987 dramedy "Can't Buy Me Love" before starting his career in music. His subsequent role was playing Bird in the 1988 crime drama "Colors," where he first flaunted his dance skills even though he didn't sing at any point in the film.
In 1991, he released his debut album, "Mo' Ritmo," which spawned his breakthrough single "Rico Sauve." This song, which includes verses with lines in both English and Spanish, like most of his other works, has made Gerardo known as a one-hit wonder via media sources, including MTV and VH1. Subsequently, Gerardo became the head of A&R at Interscope's Dance division, an American record label, and he was instrumental in signing new artists such as Enrique Iglesias and Bubba Sparxxx. At the beginning of the new millennium, he got back to the studio to record his fifth album, "Fame, Sex Y Dinero," which was released in October 2001. His latest studio album is 2004's "180°," but since his album release he has been focusing most of his career behind the scenes in the music industry and has also become a youth pastor.
He was the star of the reality television series "Suave Says" on VH1, which followed Gerardo, his wife, his two daughters, his son, and his mother through their day to day lives while they worked to build and strengthen their relationships.
Early Life
Gerardo was born Gerardo Ernesto Mejía Aguilera on April 16, 1965 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. His family later moved to the United States, and he grew up in Glendale, California. He was raised in a multicultural environment in which he was exposed to many different styles of music. Gerardo showed an early interest in music and entertainment, and he began to make his own music while still a teenager.
Career
Gerardo began working on his debut album in the early 1990s. The album, "Mo'Ritmo," was released on January 29, 1991, on Interscope Records. It reached the 36th spot on the U.S. charts. Its success, in large part, was due to the single "Rico Suave," which was featured on the album. The single peaked at #7 in April 1991 and also made it to the second spot on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The song, as well as many of Gerardo's other songs on the album, featured lines in both English and Spanish. The song also contains samples of the James Brown song "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose" and the Daiquiri song "Chamo Candela." The music video for "Rico Suave" features Gerardo and various male backup dancers wearing white t-shirts and black jackets performing a choreographed dance in front of a skyscraper. The video was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Male Video and Best New Artist.
However, the success of the song at the time did not translate to long-term mainstream musical success for Gerardo. Although his following single, "We Want the Funk," a semi-remake of Parliament's "Give Up the Funk," did reach the 16th spot on the charts, Gerardo was unable to match the success of "Rico Suave" in subsequent releases. The singular popularity of "Rico Suave" has made him known as a one-hit wonder by sources like VH1, MTV, and even Gerardo himself. "Rico Suave" was included on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s" and the list of "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders." It also made "Blender" magazine's list of "50 Worst Songs Ever."
Despite his inability to match his early success, Gerardo continued to release music throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. He released his second album, "Dos," in 1992 followed by "Asi Es" in 1994. He released his fourth album, "Derrumbe" in 1995 and his fifth album, "Gerardo: Fame, Sex y Dinero," in 2001. His sixth album, "180," was released in 2004, followed by his seventh in 2007, "La Iglesia de la Calle."
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Outside of making his own music, Gerardo also worked as a producer and music executive later on in his career. He worked as an Artist & Repertoire Executive at Interscope Records. While in that position, he signed rapper Bubba Sparxx.
In terms of Gerardo's acting career, it began in 1987 when he appeared in "Can't Buy Me Love" as the character of Ricky. In 1988, he appeared in "Colors" in the role of Bird. The film was about South Central Los Angeles gang violence. It was the first time that Gerardo's dance skills were showcased as he appeared dancing in one of the film's party scenes. However, his vocal skills were not on display in the film.
Also in 1988, he appeared in the series "Supercarrier" as Luis Cruz. He then took a break from the screen for a few years before being cast as the character of Flaco in "A Million in Juan" and Armando in "Somebody to Love," both in 1994. After nearly a decade away from the screen, Gerardo appeared in "Pauly Shore is Dead" in 2003 in the role of Rico Suave. The same year, he appeared in the film "Mi Casa, Su Casa" as Miguel Sanchez. The film has also been released with the alternate title of "Loco Love." In 2014, he appeared as himself in "Suave Says," a short-lived television series.
In 2013, Gerardo made an appearance on Katie Couric's show "Katie." In the interview, he discussed his new life direction as a Christian youth pastor. He was ordained as a pastor at Praise Chapel in Kansas City and is the pastor of a church in Ashland, Kentucky.
Personal Life
Gerardo is married to Kathy Eicher, a former pageant queen who won the title of Miss Virginia USA in 1989. The couple began dating in 1991, got engaged two years later, and married in 1993. While Eicher had been in the public eye due to pageants, her level of stardom was much less than Gerardo's, who was at the height of his fame. The couple thus attracted attention because of the differences in their lifestyles, as Eicher was generally much more private. However, the couple managed these differences and has sustained a long marriage. Together, they have had three children – Nadia, Bianca, and Jaden. Nadia later became a model who also competed in pageants like her mother. She won the title of Miss California USA in 2016. The couple lives together in Kentucky.
