MAKE A MEMORY WITH AMERICAN SINGER-ACTOR REX SMITH By Henrylito D. Tacio In 2000, when pop singer Rex Smith first came to Manila for his debut concert at the Araneta Coliseum on Valentine’s Day, he never imagined that it would mark the beginning of a beautiful and lasting love affair with thousands of Filipino music fans and enthusiasts. In 2008, Smith came back to another series of concert. As it was successful, he returned the following year and performed at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City and other parts of the country. This year, he will set to mesmerize the audience who will see him live in Tagum City for the Mindanao-leg of his Philippine Tour 2014 on February 13. The pre-Valentine’s Day concert will be held at the grand ballroom of Big 8 Corporate Hotel. Tickets are available at P1,200, P750, and P450. Entitled “Simply Jessie” (probably taken from one of his greatest hits), the concert will be one of a kind. He is expected to rekindle that old romantic feeling among the audience as he performs a string of popular love songs, such as “Simply Jessie,” “Forever,” “You Take My Breath Away,” “Let’s Make A Memory,” “Foolish Heart,” “Everlasting Love.” “Could It Be Magic,” “Speechless,” “Everybody Have Fun,” and many more. Who knows, Smith may also treat his fans to excerpts from hit Broadway musicals like “Phantom of The Opera,” “West Side Story” and “Grease!” A native of Jacksonville, Florida, he is the youngest of four brothers, all of whom have careers in the music industry. Paul Evan (Evan) is a road manager; Michael was the lead singer in the band, Starz; and Webster Smith is a pianist. Smith had a hit single in 1979 from the television movie Sooner or Later, entitled “You Take My Breath Away,” which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1981, he hit the top 40 again with a remake of “Everlasting Love,” in a duet with singer Rachel Sweet. His latest album was released in 2000 and entitled “Simply...Rex.” It was re-released in 2006 and re-titled “You Take My Breath Away.” Smith was not only a singer but also an actor. In television, he is best known for his role as motorcycle police officer Jesse Mach in the short-running 1985 television series “Street Hawk.” He also did guest appearances on a variety of television shows, including “The Love Boat,” “Baywatch,” and “Caroline in the City.” In 1989, he played Daredevil a.k.a. Matt Murdock in the television movie, “The Trial of the Incredible Hulk.” But it is on stage that Smith performed well. He made his Broadway debut in “Grease” (1978). Since then, he has appeared in various productions, including “The Pirates of Penzance,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Grand Hotel,” “The Human Comedy,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Kiss Me, Kate.” His most recent stage role was in 2010 as the Captain in “The Sound of Music.” “I’ve really been lucky,” Smith was quoted as saying. “I’ve had a huge amount of time on stage performing in musicals. It would be very hard for a person starting out today to get the same experience.” Smith is a person who easily falls in love. In fact, he has been married four times. His first marriage was to a Playboy bunny named Lois in the late 1970s. They were married only briefly. His second wife was Jamie Buell, whom he married in 1987 and divorced in 1995. The couple had two daughters, Meagan Elizabeth and Madison Marie. Smith has a son (Gatsby) and daughter (Savannah) with his third wife, Courtney Schrag. His fourth wife is Dr. Tracy Lin, whom married on September 28, 2009. Will he ever get tired of touring and doing concert? In an interview with Jonathan Frank, Smith disclosed, “I’m a road guy, though. Maybe it’s because of my rock-and-roll background, but I like to move around; I’m just used to it and it’s part of my nature. I would be quite happy to continue touring shows and taking them out.” This means that we can expect to see him again after his concert in Tagum City. But where and when, no one knows. In the meantime, bring your loved ones when you troop to the Big 8 Hotel this coming February 13. See you there! – ###
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 08:04:00 +0000
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