by Michael SuttonMartika appeared after teen girls like Tiffany and Debbie Gibson returned adolescent bubblegum to the pop charts. Martika was born as Marta Marrero in Whittier, CA, on May 18, 1969. Her parents were originally from Cuba; however, they left the country during a revolution. Raised in California, Martika started acting before launching a recording career, appearing in the film version of Annie in 1982 and on the TV series Kids Incorporated from 1984 to 1986. In 1988, her first single, More Than You Know, landed on the American charts; a year later, its follow-up, Toy Soldiers, was number one in the U.S. for two weeks. Martikas self-titled debut album was also released in 1989. On her second LP, 1991s Martikas Kitchen, she received songwriting assistance from Prince, to whom she was also briefly romantically linked. Martika returned to television by joining the cast of Wiseguy. In 1999, she recorded The Happy Song.