Since 2000, American singer Rex Smith has been coming to the Philippines to share his music with Filipino fans. He even calls the Philippines his second country.
Throughout his comings and goings, Smith made relevant memories in the country as he continued to immerse himself in the local community. However, he couldn’t return for three years because of the pandemic.
Last night, Smith serenaded his Filipino fans in a one-night concert at the Winford Resort & Casino Manila’s Grand Ballroom.
“The Philippines is the most musical nation in the world. There’s a double helping of joy in my heart that I’ve not only been accepted but embraced here. There’s a part of my heart here, and I’m so glad to be back,” Rex said during a press conference at Winford Resort & Casino Manila.
Rex’s musical repertoire included his hit songs “Forever,” “You Take My Breath Away,” and “Let’s Make A Memory.”
“I love singing ballads, but you’ll find out in my concert when I perform here that I have really fun uptempo music because I love to get the audience involved,” he said.
One of his songs, “Simply Jessie,” is a well-known hit in the country as many radio stations play it throughout the week, especially on Sundays when they replay top music sensations through the decades. Yet Rex had no idea that his song would become popular in the Philippines. It also marks one of the most relevant memories of the singer’s first trip to the country.
Two hours into his flight to the country, the stewardess began singing the intro to “Simply Jessie.” Moments later, the whole plane sang in reply, much to his delight.
Local artists Joaquin Garcia and JV Decena shared the stage with Smith for the one-night-only concert. They worked with other international music icons like Brian McKnight and David Foster.
Although they have experience performing alongside Smith and other stars, Garcia and Decena always find working with the singer pleasurable. They also shared how the American singer teaches them new things about life and industry in their encounters.
Besides being a rock star and balladeer, Smith has experience on Broadway after debuting his acting career in the musical Grease in 1978. Like many others, he auditioned for the part but was fortunate enough to land it for himself. If given an opportunity, Smith hopes to sing alongside Lea Salonga. He even shared that they have a good rapport with each other.
Eric Caeg, president of the International Council for Small Business, is ecstatic to have Rex at Winford Manila because of their dedication to bringing good music to Filipinos. The concert was in partnership with the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) and the International Council for Small Business (ICSB).