Gabby: Ready, get set...!

Better late than never.

It took Gabby Eigenmann six years – and a big push from Regine Velasquez – to muster enough guts to do an album and he doesn’t regret it.

His debut album is called Loving and there’s a good reason for it.

"On TV, specifically (GMA 7’s) Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin," explains Gabby, at 23 the eldest among Mark Gil’s six children (by four different women, Gabby and sister Ira’s mom being Irene Celebre), "people hate me because I play kontrabida to the kontrabida (Sunshine Dizon who is being replaced effective tonight by LJ Moreno). That’s my image as an actor – a villain, just like my father. But as a singer, I want to be sweet and wholesome and romantic – and lovable – that’s why I chose Loving as my album’s carrier single."

In his six years in showbiz (not counting the years when he did movies as a child actor, including Eddie Romero’s Palaban where he played the toddler son of Pinky de Leon and Problem Child as his Aunt Cherie Gil’s little brother), Gabby never really entertained the thought of doing an album, even if he would sing on GMA’s Sunday show S.O.P. where he’s one of the hosts.

One day, Regine Velasquez (who, as S.O.P. co-host, must have been closely observing – and sizing up – Gabby as singer) broached to Gabby the idea of seriously doing a rap number with KC Montero during Regine’s R2K concert last year at the Araneta Coliseum, and Gabby said yes. "Trip lang ba," he says.

The "trip" was extended to again performing with Regine in her shows in Cebu and at the Music Museum, and for Regine’s MTV where she did a revival of a Whitney Houston song. And then, Regine broke the bombshell question/offer to Gabby: "Why don’t you do a song for the soundtrack of my movie (with Robin Padilla), Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw?" Gabby again said yes, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

After finishing the Kailangan soundtrack, Regine exploded an even bigger bombshell: "Why don’t you do an album?" Gabby wondered to himself, "Kaya ko ba? Kaya ko kaya?" Well, if Regine Velasquez said so…

And that’s how Gabby’s Loving album came to be, produced by Regine’s own Songbird Music and released through Viva/Neo Records. (Gabby is the first artist, aside from Regine, to do an album for Songbird.)

"Regine really gave me all the push and all the encouragement," says Gabby.

Actually, singing is in Gabby’s genes (just as acting is). His grandfather, Eddie Mesa, was at his prime the Elvis Presley of the Philippines, while his Tita Cherie was herself a recording artist (besides being a good actress), the voice behind the song Boy recorded in the late ’70s. His Tito Michael (de Mesa) is a good singer-actor, too, wowing audiences both here and in Singapore with his singing (besides acting) prowess in the hit musical Rent. Gabby’s own father has a good singing voice but, according to Gabby, "He doesn’t have enough guts to sing in public."

Before Loving was recorded, Gabby first let his elders listen to the demo tape and they all gave him the thumbs up. His grandmother, Rosemarie Gil (a Spaniard), even translated Loving into Spanish, calling it Enamorado (the last song on the 12-track album which also includes I’ll Be Here For You by Mon Espia, Please Don’t Go Away by Ogie Alcasid, To Be Near You by Arnel de Pano, three compositions by Lisa Diy and Chat Zamora – namely As You Sleep, I Remember You and Just Like Before which is a duet with "Ma’am Regine" –, Sigurado by Janno Gibbs, Startin’ by Christine Bendebel, Never Thought I’d Hurt This Way by Lisa Diy and Tiny Rodriguez, and a remake of Mike Francis’ Let Me In).

These are the same songs Gabby has been singing in his ongoing mall tour and which he might be doing (some of them anyway) when he again performs with Regine in her shows at the Music Museum and Onstage.

What tips/pointers did he get from Eddie Mesa (whom Gabby calls Papa)?

"He told me to quit smoking and I did. I’d been smoking kasi since I was 18."

Now going full speed as a singer (without sacrificing his acting career), Gabby took voice lessons from Edward Granadosin (of III of a Kind) and was also coached by Zebedee Zuñiga (of The Opera).

Besides Regine and his elders, the one person who’s euphoric over Gabby’s new career as a singer is his father.

"When my album came out," recalls Gabby, "my Dad texted me, ‘You’re my dream, the fulfillment of my frustration to be a singer. I’m glad and happy that you realized the dream that I have passed on to you.’ I was touched."

Now on his mark and getting set, Gabby is raring to go on the wings of song.

"A lot of people, the public included, are closely watching me," smiles Gabby. "I can’t afford to let them down."

Watch Band of Brothers and win lots of prizes

Once again, Funfare is doing a tie-up promo with HBO which premiered over the weekend (Oct. 27) the eight-part mini-series Band of Brothers (aired at 9 p.m. on some days and 10 p.m. some other days). All you have to do is watch the mini-series and answer the following questions and send your answers to: Funfare-Band of Brothers Contest, P.O. Box 512 Greenhills Post Office, San Juan, Metro Manila 1502.

The seven winners chosen every week (per episode) will each get a Band of Brothers T-shirt.

Here are the questions for Episodes 1 and 2:

1. HBO’s Band of Brothers depicts the riveting story of the soldiers of East Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Unit, US Army. (True or false?)

2. Band of Brothers centers on a heroic group of World War II paratroopers known as (a) Screaming Eagles, (b) Easy Company, or (c) Alpha Company

3. Which actor from the TV series Friends is also featured in Band of Brothers? (a-Matt LeBanc; b-David Schwimmer or c-Matthew Perry)

4. Band of Brothers is based on the best-selling non-fiction book by, (a) Stephen King, (b) Stephen L. Ambrose, or (c) John Grisham

5. Which of the following actors plays Herbert M. Sobel, the officer who trains the first batch of paratroopers in Easy Company? (a) Neal McDonough, (b)Donnie Wahlberg, (c) David Schwimmer, or (d) Colin Hanks

6. On June 6, 1944, D-Day, planes with thousands of paratroopers cross the English Channel to, (a) France, (b) Germany, (c), Holland or, (d) Switzerland, where they come under heavy fire.

There you are. Watch for the next sets of questions. Good luck and happy viewing!