Editing Ricky Meléndez (section)

==Career==
He was raised in [[Guaynabo, Puerto Rico|Guaynabo]]. He became a member of [[Menudo (band)|Menudo]] at the age of nine. He was one of the original five in the group joined by his brothers [[Carlos Meléndez (singer)|Carlos]] and [[Oscar Melendez|Oscar]], and brothers [[Fernando and Nefty Sallaberry|Fernando and Nefty Salaberry]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/musica/nota/lavidadespuesdemenudo-1662212/|title=La vida después de Menudo|trans-title=The life after Menudo|website=[[El Nuevo Día]]|date=9 December 2019|language=es}}</ref> He is also the cousin of group founder [[Edgardo Diaz|Edgardo Díaz]]. As a member of Menudo, he acted in two films: ''[[Menudo: La Pelicula]]'' and ''[[Una Aventura Llamada Menudo]]''. He was a member of the band through most of the band's golden era and he's remembered for singing lead in the tracks "Y Yo No Bailo", "[[Amor En Bicicleta|Amor en Bicicleta]]" and "Cámbiale Las Pilas".

Meléndez retired from Menudo in 1984 at the mandatory age of 16, but since he had started at age nine, he became the band member with the longest tenure at eight years. He gave up his place to [[Ricky Martin]]. His final concert with Menudo was in [[Caguas]], where he was joined by most of the former Menudo members on that concert's date, September 16, 1984.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/O8n1tBXjID8 Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210910025941/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8n1tBXjID8&t=2435s Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8n1tBXjID8&t=2435s| title = EL REENCUENTRO URUGUAY PARTE 1 | website=[[YouTube]]| date = 27 October 2020 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Once Meléndez left Menudo, he tried various business ventures, including a shop at [[Plaza Las Américas (Puerto Rico)|Plaza Las Americas]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], and became a lawyer. In 1998, he got together with former bandmates [[Rene Farrait]], [[Johnny Lozada]], [[Ray Reyes]], [[Charlie Masso]] and [[Miguel Cancel]] to make a comeback tour under the name of [[El Reencuentro]]. They toured the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/32607719.html?dids=32607719:32607719&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+04%2C+1998&author=ERNESTO+LECHNER&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Return+of+the+Spice+Boys%3B+Menudo%2C+that+Latin+teen-pop+sensation+from+the+%2780s%2C+is+back+as+El+Reencuentro.+And+the+group%27s+grown-up+fans+couldn%27t+be+happier.&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716140405/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/32607719.html?dids=32607719:32607719&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+04,+1998&author=ERNESTO+LECHNER&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Return+of+the+Spice+Boys;+Menudo,+that+Latin+teen-pop+sensation+from+the+'80s,+is+back+as+El+Reencuentro.+And+the+group's+grown-up+fans+couldn't+be+happier.&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 16, 2012|title=Return of the Spice Boys; Menudo|last=Lechner|first=Ernesto|date=August 4, 1998|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=17 May 2010|location=Los Angeles, California}}</ref>