Swinging & swooning with Rex Smith

We have been having a great fantastic time rocking and grooving to the sounds of the ‘60s these past months. So maybe it is now about time to give some overaged kids or maybe I should say, a younger group of music lovers a chance to swing and swoon with someone they can be nostalgic with. That someone is Rex Smith.

Rex comes from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and remains a big favorite among sentimental Filipinos. He is set to perform at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, April 1 and at the Hard Rock Café on Sunday, April 2. The concert series is entitled Rex Smith: Forever Rex after one of the singer-actor’s big-selling sentimental ballads. Aside from Forever, there are also Simply Jessie, You Take My Breath Away, Let’s Make a Memory, Foolish Heart and Everlasting Love among others.

Thanks to the TV movie Sooner or Later, every teenaged girl in the early ‘80s spent a period of her life with a big crush on Rex Smith. I know several who still giggle at the mention of his name to this day although they have already discarded their teen years long ago. I do not remember anymore who played his leading lady but she was a 13-year-old who pretended to be older so she could get her music teacher to fall for her. It was Rex who played the singer cum music teacher. He was named Jessie in the film and that was probably where his song Simply Jessie came from.

Despite his heartthrob looks, Rex however was never simply Rex. It was very early in his career when he effortlessly transcended the pop idol phase and came to be known as a talented singer and actor with excellent credentials. After starting his career with a rock group that opened gigs for hard rockers like Ted Nugent, he made his debut as Danny Zuko in the original Broadway production of Grease. He next did the role of Frederic in Pirates of Penzance for which he was honored with the Theater World Award. He reprised the part in the movie version with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt.

While he doubtless enjoyed the adulation of teenaged fans because of his hit recordings, Smith’s solid base remained in the musical theater. Other shows he headlined over the years were The Scarlet Pimpernel, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, Anything Goes, West Side Story, Sunset Boulevard, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell and They’re Playing our Song among others.

In between these stage stints he continues to do a lot of television. Among his past credits on the boob tube were guest stints in JAG, Caroline in the City, The Sentinel, Baywatch and Pacific Blue. He was a semi-regular in the soap series As the World Turns and was the original blind superhero Daredevil on TV. To the delight of his fans from way back, Rex never forgot his pop idol success and even hosted the hit tunes show Solid Gold on MTV for a number of years.

The shows this weekend mark Smith’s second time to visit the Philippines. He also did two sell-out concerts at the Big Dome during the Valentine Season six years ago. Tickets to Rex Smith: Forever are priced at P1,600, P1,200, P800, P500, P300 and P100 and are available at Ticketnet outlets at all SM Department Stores and SM Malls and at the Araneta box-office. For reservations at the Hard Rock dinner show, you may call 892-4661 to 64.

The richest rock stars of the year

Now just in case you have been wondering why music stars never cease touring, an article in the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine gives you the answer. Touring is where the money is. Music sales do produce royalties but the big money comes from touring. As proof the article lists down the biggest-earning music acts of the year and their supposed earnings.

Here now are the richest rock stars of the year and how much they have earned so far. Take note, the amounts listed are all in the millions: U2, $154.2-M; The Rolling Stones, $92.5; Eagles, $63.2; Paul McCartney, $56; Elton John, $48.9; Neil Diamond, $44.7; Jimmy Buffett, $44; Rod Stewart, $40.3; Dave Matthews Band, $39.6; Celine Dion, $38.5; Kenny Chesney, $31.5; Green Day, $31; Cold Play, $30.1; Destiny’s Child, $24.8; Diddy, $24.3; Gwen Stefani, $23.9; Toby Keith, $22.2; Motley Crue, $22; 50 Cent, $19.7; Bruce Springsteen, $19.6; Eminem, $17.8; Jay Z, $17.5; Barry Manilow, $17.2; Hilary Duff, $17.1; Kanye West, $16.9; Dr. Dre, $16.9; Rascal Flatts, $16.3; Aerosmith, $16.3; Bon Jovi, $15.8; and Tom Petty, $14.9.

Wow! But this is no invitation for you to go after Bono with your begging bowl. Although these guys earn millions on paper, they also pay taxes, maintain a huge staff, generally spend for fabulous lifestyles and make donations to charity.