Ricky Martin not afraid to cry

NEW YORK (AP) -- Forget machismo. Latino pop star Ricky Martin lets his true feelings show.

In a new book, "Ricky Martin: Red-Hot and on the Rise," the Puerto Rican singing sensation recaps his career, which began with the teen group Menudo, and describes his openness about shedding tears.

"Unfortunately, the Menudo rule was that you had to leave the band once you reached 17," Martin says in an excerpt published Sunday in the New York Post. "My last concert was in Puerto Rico, my hometown. I am a man who cries, and I cried a lot."

The 27-year-old Martin dominated Spanish-language song charts internationally before making his first English-language album, which has become a top seller in the United States.