An afternoon with the music legends

MANILA, Philippines - With heavy jet lag affecting my brain, I sluggishly approached the entrance of the Hollywood celebrity show and a sudden rush of adrenalin hit my nerves. Inside the hall were music and movie legends I’ve only seen in the movies or listened to in records and CDs. John Claude Gummoe of the Cascades, smiling from ear to ear, welcomed me with an embrace to the event. Celebrity shows and conventions are held all over the US for the industry and the public. It’s in these events that the celebrities get to meet producers, promoters and fans. First celebrity I saw was a good friend who the Beatles (yes John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) opened for in their early days — Chris Montez. Still slim and good-looking in his black outfit, he asked me when I would bring him back to Manila (Chris performed in Manila back in 2005). I smiled and replied “Soon my friend.” Chris made popular the ’60s and ’70s hits Let’s Dance, The More I See You, Call Me, La Bamba, There Will Never Be Another You, etc. He handed me his new CD as I said farewell and moved into the crowd.

A few feet from Chris was another friend Dennis Tufano who was the Buckingham’s original lead singer. As a Buckingham, Dennis sang the hits Don’t You Care, Hey Baby, Susan, Mercy Mercy Mercy, Kind of a Drag, etc. Nowadays, Dennis performs a classy Bobby Darin tribute show. When he was in Manila in 2008, he recorded a couple of songs on Ramon “RJ” Jacinto’s best-selling Duets album. As we mingled, Gummoe asked me if I know who Ted Neely is. “Of course,” was my reply. I’m a big Ted Neely fan and have kept some of his recordings. Ted played Jesus Christ in the ’70s blockbuster movie Jesus Christ Superstar. I’ve also watched him several times as Jesus Christ in the Broadway musical. For three decades, he played JC all over the world. Ted originally auditioned to play Judas but landed the superstar spot. He also appeared in other rock musicals and played lead role in the Who’s Tommy, as cast member in the Beatles’ Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and of late, a cameo in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 movie Django Unchained. I expected him to be taller but he was inches shorter in real life. I also met Barry Dennen who portrayed Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Popular heartthrob Kyle Vincent who is a big hit in Japan, Europe and US handed me his new CD and DVD. Kyle has opened for dozens of superstars in the music industry. He is the favorite of Barry Manilow. Seventy-five years old, still buff and good-looking was Ron Ely the original Tarzan. He had a good sense of humor and seemed to wow a lot of the ladies in the show. Some Hollywood celebrities I also said “hi” to were Tippi Hedren who played lead role in the Alfred Hitchcock movies The Birds and Marnie; ’70s pin up celebrity and TV/movie actress Loni Anderson who looked like she had a lot of cosmetic procedures; Golden Globe’s Best Actress sexy Nastassja Kinski for the movie Tess and TV’s Policewoman Angie Dickinson. I was introduced to deep-tanned Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders. He asked me if he is known in the Philippines to which I nodded affirmatively. Mark sang the hits Just Like Me, Kicks, Arizona and the double platinum hit Indian Reservation.

The highlight of my afternoon was meeting rock legends Spencer Davis and Denny Laine. Spencer Davis was the leader of ’60s rock band Spencer Davis Group that recorded the classics Gimme Some Lovin, Keep On Runnin and I’m A Man which was revived by Chicago. Stevie Winwood was lead singer of the group before he formed rock band Traffic. Denny Laine started as a Moody Blues front man before being replaced by Justin Hayward. In 1971, he joined McCartney’s Wings and sang lead vocals, played lead and rhythm guitar, bass, woodwinds and keyboards with Paul and Linda McCartney. He co-wrote with Paul and one of Wing’s biggest hits Mull of Kyntire. Laine stayed with Wings until it disbanded in 1981. I spent an extra two hours checking out the other celebrities. I found out from Vincent that Ron Dante (Sugar Sugar), Gummoe, Dennis Tufano, Laine, Rex Smith, Chris Montez and a host of other music legends had a concert jam the previous night at the hotel ballroom. I was so overwhelmed meeting the celebrities that my jet lag disappeared and got pumped-up to dance Gangnam Style.