The hunky heartthrob who sings the country’s No. 1 song, “Livin’ La Vida Loca [The Crazy Life]” turned Broadway into “La Avenida Loca” yesterday as thousands of fans lined up to meet him.
“We drove seven hours to get here last night,” said Angel Dejesus of Virginia, who arrived at Tower Records on the Upper West Side at 5:30 a.m. to claim his prime position on line.
“Ricky Martin is number one. The best. There’s no one better. He makes the Latin community look good.
“Yeah, and boy does he look good,” said his sister Esmeralda Dejesus, who could not stop jumping up and down with excitement three hours before the Grammy winner’s arrival.
“Ricky Martin” – Martin’s first English-language recording – went on sale yesterday at stores across the country.
Up to 8,000 dedicated fans lined up to greet the former member of Menudo in the hopes of getting their CDs personally signed by the Puerto Rican pop star.
“He’s everything. He’s one of a kind,” said Magdalena Ramos, 20, of Brooklyn.
“He makes everybody want to dance.”
“He’s the hottest guy in the world,” screamed Alana Otverskaya, 16, of Oceanside, L.I.
“I hope I get a kiss from him. That would make the last seven hours worth it.”
“I never liked Spanish music before, but with Ricky Martin – I’m just in love. In love with ‘La Vida Loca,’ said Lana Raykher, 16, of Brooklyn.
But all the swooning and screeching by Martin’s enthusiastic fans made one cop on guard duty a little jealous.
“I wish I was Ricky Martin,” the cop said as he surveyed the anxious crowd.
By 4 p.m. – the time Martin was scheduled to show up – the thousands of fans lining Broadway began to get rowdy. Chanting “Ricky! Ricky! Ricky!” and holding their huge hand-made banners reading “We love Ricky!” – the crowd could wait no longer.
Finally – almost one hour late – the Latin Lothario arrived. His car pulled up to the store’s entrance off 66th Street surrounded by a group of scantily clad dancers shimmying to “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”
Martin – awe-struck by the scene – waved to the freaked-out fans and was quickly whisked inside where he would begin autographing thousands of CDs.
“Twenty-two hours later – I made it,” beamed Marivette Hores, 28, of Paterson, N.J., as she ran out of Tower Records waving her signed CD.
“He was really nice. It was worth every second. He’s just plain gorgeous.
“Look – he signed my chest,” screamed Ida Banter – pointing to the signature.
“I am getting it tattooed tonight.”