Joey Albert remains ageless after 45 years in the industry

Joey Albert is one of the biggest Original Pilipino Music (OPM) hitmakers in the country. She has been in the music industry for 45 years, yet she remains ageless, and her love songs are timeless hits that have become soundtracks of our lives. People still listen to and sing her songs up to this day.

“It was a journey that was purposed. I was like being led on a yellow brick road. But every opportunity just came one after the other, and all I simply did was take it,” she described her music career on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.” Joey recently held a successful concert titled “FORTYfied: Joey Albert 45 The Repeat” at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. It was produced by her dear friend, Pops Fernandez, who also performed with Joey onstage.

The well-loved hitmaker considered 1985 the highest point of her journey. She explained during the interview, “I proved myself as one of the big concert queens. I staged ‘Larger than Life’ at the ULTRA. I was the very first OPM artist to stage a concert at the ULTRA. I filled it up.”

Joey’s major hits have defined her successful career as an OPM artist. Who could forget her classic songs Tell Me, Million Miles Away, I Remember the Boy, It’s Over Now, Iisa Pa Lamang, Yakapin Mo Ako, Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin, Memories, Without You and Points of View (a duet with Pops)? Joey revealed that she sings Million Miles Away when she goes to videoke. She said about the song, “Parang na-li-live ko iyong song na iyon every day, being so far away from the people I love. It was being far away from my mom. It was just being far away from a career that I love. It’s just being far away from a life that I knew.”

Then she decided to migrate to Canada with her family despite having a flourishing career in the Philippines. “My husband really wanted to move there for the children.” She talked about her life in Canada. “Napakahirap. Siguro tatlo o apat na taon, iyak ako nang iyak. Siyempre, na-depress ako. Hindi ko naman ipapakita, pero nakaka-depress kasi parang pinatay iyong ilaw sa buhay ko. Wala iyong mommy ko, wala iyong pamilya ko, at wala ang career ko. Although siyempre, I was happy to be with my husband and my children.’’ Looking back, Joey believed it was the right decision to make, and she would still do it if faced with the same situation again.

Her life story is remarkably inspiring, just like her songs. Joey is a cancer survivor. It was never an easy battle while confronting mortality and enduring the pain. She shared, “It’s just really one foot in front of the other when it’s something like that, and hope and faith.” She saw her father and sister pass away due to cancer. “There was a part of me na parang naghahanda na lang. And that’s why every day of my life, every moment of my life, every decision I made, sinubukan ko talaga at sinikap kong gawing decision para sa kabutihan ng pamilya ko — ng mga anak ko, ng asawa ko, or ng mga naniwala sa akin throughout my career. At least, alam ko na ‘pag may nangyari sa akin, maganda na iyong naiwanan ko.”

Joey never questioned God for her suffering. “Ang itinuro sa akin, iyong mga paghihirap natin, puwede nating gawing mga tulay — stepping stones — para ipagdasal ang ibang tao. Kasi iyon ang mga pinakamahalagang maiaalay natin sa Panginoon. Iyong pain, iyong sacrifice is the most beautiful gift we can offer to God for other people.”

I asked Joey what piece of advice she could give to someone afraid of death. “Siguro isipin na lang kung sino iyong nasa kabilang buhay, kung sino naghihintay sa atin. In fact, ‘pag may nagsasabi natatakot ako sa chemo or sa surgery ko, sinasabi ko, may nakahintay naman doon. Naghihintay lang si Lord doon sa surgery room. Nandiyan na iyan Siya. The one thing I think about is: nagawa ko na ba? Maganda na ba iyong buhay na naiwanan ko? Kasi, it helps you not to be scared to leave it behind.”