'Rico Suave' Singer: 'I Knew I Was A Dirtbag'

At the height of his fame, Gerardo Mejía was touring the world behind his number one hit “Rico Suave.” Taking advantage of his celebrity status, Mejía says he went from “place to place, girl to girl” and was with more than 500 women.

In 1994, it appeared as if the playboy musician was settling down when he married former model and beauty queen Kathy Eicher. But Mejía says he cheated throughout the marriage.

"I had gotten married, I had a daughter, and I was trying to make things right, but I didn’t want to let go of who I once was," Mejía says. "It was tough for my wife. Mind you, a lot of it she didn’t know until later."

After so many years of cheating, Mejía had a wake-up call. It happened when he was still taking his wife to church, and he says he couldn't stand that everyone there knew the truth about him.

"I knew I was a dirtbag," Mejía says.

So, he vowed to change. “One day in my office, I got on my knees and I said, ‘OK that’s it. I have no excuse not to serve you anymore, Lord,'" Mejía says. "I went back home, and I told my wife. It was tough at the beginning. There was a healing process, there was me winning her back -- and I can tell you now that after 13 years, we're normal. There's no infidelity.”

Today, Mejía's life is very different than it was in his wild days. He works as a youth pastor.

"At the age of 17, I did give my life to God. Because of my motivation to be famous and this and that... it shifted," he says. "But the great thing about God is me realizing that his presence is there in the good times and the bad times... God never gave up on me."