Singer Johnny Rivera was born and raised in the bosom of a Puerto Rican family settled in New York's Bronx, and studied at Manhattan's Benjamin Franklin High School. After a temporary visit to Puerto Rico, the artist returned to New York, getting involved in the tropical music scene. Johnny Rivera's debut came in a compilation called Noche Caliente, singing "Terciopelo y Piedra," soon after he joined Grupo Fascinación and later Conjunto Clásico. After signing up to RMM Records, his debut album, called Y Ahora De Verdad, was released in 1991.