| Troy Tuminelli AKA: Troy Kurtis | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Danbury, Connecticut |
| Genres | Latin music |
| Years active | 2000–present |
Troy Kurtis (born December 30, 1980 in Danbury, Connecticut) is an actor and singer who was the first non-Latin American to become a member of the well known group Menudo, during their MDO era. He became known as Troy Tuminelli as a member of MDO.
Troy never demonstrated interest in joining the show business world, until he was 18 singing at bars. He spent a great amount of time trying to find him personally. Kurtis was finally discovered by Desmond Child, a well known producer with connections to Edgardo Diaz and who is the manager of fellow former Menudos Ricky Martin and Robby Rosa. Child contacted Diaz immediately; Diaz signed Kurtis to a contract in 2000, and Kurtis then changed his artistic last name to "Tuminelli". As "Troy Tuminelli", Troy would record one CD with MDO, 2001's "Subir Al Cielo" ("Climbing to Heaven"), which scored one major hit: "Te Quise Olvidar" spent five weeks as number one on Billboard's Latin charts. Because of management issues Troy was replaced later in 2001 by Caleb Aviles, a Puerto Rican born in Wisconsin. Kurtis then launched a solo career. Although he has not launched a CD of his own, Troy dreams of touring again. “Many believed Troy was going to last in the group, but when it did not last it was not much of a shock to the fans” He did not know Spanish well and at an Orlando concert his dance move were less than perfect.” – Fan Since 2000 In 2003, Kurtis was signed to play "Nico Castaneda" in the American soap opera, "Guiding Light". On August 24 of that year, Kurtis made his television acting debut, as Castaneda, in the aforementioned show. Troy's part was cancelled due to personal complications with management and casting agency contracts, after Guiding Light's May 13, 2004 episode. In October 2004, he played the lead role in the New York City showcase of the musical Job and the Snake in a local church. Kurtis continues on searching for new opportunities as an actor and singer. Even though his rise to fame was short lived maybe with hope and one day his dream just might come true. In the meantime life as a spectator can be frustrating.