ASHLAND, Ky. (WOWK) — Gerardo Mejia was a Latin pop star in the early 1990s, rising to fame after creating the hit song “Rico Suave.”
Today, instead of spending his days performing, his time is dedicated to his family and a church he and his wife built in Ashland, Kentucky.
Mejia’s rise to stardom and path to Christianity started in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
“As a child, I used to wander from one home to another without a care in the world. I absolutely cherished my childhood. In 1976, our family moved from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Los Angeles, California. I was just a young boy striving to find my place and stand out,” Mejia reminisces about his early years.
Once in the United States, he became an award-winning break dancer, an actor, then finally, a music sensation.
“I got myself into music and I had a big hit song called Rico Suave,” Mejia says.
Nearly a year after reaching this celebrity status, Mejia met his wife, Miss West Virginia Kathy (Eicher) Mejia.
“In 1992, which could be viewed as the decline of my fame, I met Kathy Mejia in Mexico, who is now my wife. Initially, I noticed her great physical beauty, but over time, I discovered her wonderful inner self, and I realized she was my perfect match,” Gerardo reflects.
However, starting a family and keeping up with the “Rico Suave” persona was hard to balance.
“There wasn’t really any balance at the time. It was about maintaining the ‘Rico Suave’ persona. This made things challenging within the family for quite a while,” Gerardo explains.
This led to one of the toughest moments in Gerardo’s life, separating from his wife.
Kathy left Los Angeles and moved closer to home, ending up in Ashland, Kentucky. Gerardo eventually followed.
“I came to Ashland, Kentucky, about 10 years ago, trying to save my family. That’s where God came in. That’s where everything changed,” Gerardo says.
Gerardo decided to put “Rico Suave” in the rearview mirror, and he says that was only possible through a higher power.
He reconnected with his wife, and together they worked through their issues.
“Choosing forgiveness every single day. I’m a lot happier now than I’ve ever been, which seems surprising because when we were younger, we thought we were in love, but now we truly know what that means,” Kathy expresses.
The former Latin-pop star now focuses on sharing his story of divine intervention, dedicating the rest of his life to Christianity.
He and his wife started the House of Grace Church out of an old warehouse along Greenup Avenue in downtown Ashland.
“This journey wasn’t just about the two of us. God introduced others into our lives,” Gerardo mentions, alluding to their expanding church community.
“He is very accepting. He’s authentic. He’s genuine. He has a history, I have a history, we all do, but it simply doesn’t matter,” House of Grace Associate Pastor Ron Rucker comments, sharing his own journey through life and his faith alongside Gerardo.
“They have let this Latino dude, they let him come over here and be able to speak in a pulpit. I’m accepted, I get to be myself and not have to change. Don’t wear a mask at this church. Come over here, be yourself. Let’s see what God does,” Gerardo says, referencing his ministry.
From “Rico Suave” to “Pastor G,” Gerardo says he’s content to do God’s work while sharing his Hispanic heritage with eastern Kentucky along the way.
“I can tell you something, I have brought Ecuadorian culture into Ashland, Kentucky. Hopefully, by the time that I’m done here, they all speak Spanish. That’s my goal,” Gerardo says.
