Christian 1st Pinoy singer to perform at US 85-year-old outdoor

MANILA, Philippines - Christian Bautista (far right) marked a musical milestone last Oct. 23 when he performed in Houston, Texas’ most prestigious open theater, The Miller Outdoor Theater (right), making him the first Filipino singer to do a full show in the 85-year-old venue.

The venue’s managing director Cissy Segall Davis with the help of KMPArtists agents Kristopher Mcdowell and Andrew Delicata, scouted many acts this year to celebrate the theater’s 85th anniversary and selected Christian who headlined an evening of romantic ballads and Original Pilipino Music (OPM).

What made the concert extra-special for Christian was that he was backed up by some of the best American musicians: Tommy King from Maroon 5, Renee Olstead’s husband and keyboard player for Renee Olstead; Jelando Johnson, bass player for George Duke, Marion Medows and Kim Waters; Robert Perkins, drummer for Michael Bublé, Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman and Toni Braxton; Greg Petito, lead guitarist for Katherine McPhee, Chita Rivera and Andy Bell; Peter Smith, keyboard player for Molly Ringwald and Natalie Cole.

Christian performed for a full house that evening, singing his pop OPM ballads with a mix of American covers and Indonesian songs.