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Pepe Smith

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Feliciano and the surname or paternal family name is Smith.
Pepe Smith
Smith in 2008
Smith in 2008
Background information
Birth nameJoseph William Feliciano Smith
Also known asJoey Smith
Pepe Smith
Born(1947-12-25)December 25, 1947
Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines
DiedJanuary 28, 2019(2019-01-28) (aged 71)
Cainta, Rizal, Philippines
GenresPinoy rock
OccupationsMusician, songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, drums
Years active1958–2019
Formerly of

Joseph William Feliciano Smith (December 25, 1947 – January 28, 2019) was a Filipino-American singer-songwriter, drummer and guitarist. Known by his stage names Joey Smith and Pepe Smith, he gained prominence as drummer / lead vocalist of Speed, Glue & Shinki from Japan, and drummer / co-lead vocalist of Juan de la Cruz Band from The Philippines, which became pioneering figures in original Filipino rock music or "Pinoy rock".[1]

Early life

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Smith was born on December 25, 1947, to Edgar William Smith, a U.S. serviceman; and Conchita Feliciano, a native of Angeles, Pampanga where Clark Air Force base was then located.[2]

When he was eight years old, his parents separated, and his mother died from hepatitis. Smith and his younger brother Raymond went to live with their grandmother, Concordia Go, in Kamuning, Quezon City.[3]

Early career

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Smith learned to play the drums by about age 9, and formed his first rock band at age 11, in 1959. This group, composed of friends from the Kamuning district, was first called the Blue Jazzers, later the Villains, then the Surfers. As the Surfers, they got a 6-month gig in Vietnam in the early 1960s. A few years later, Smith became a rock sensation in Manila as the drummer and lead vocal of D’Downbeats band, imitating Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, which earned him the title "Mick Jagger of the Philippines".[4][5]

The Downbeats, managed by the Reyes clan of Pasig, owners of RCR Productions, appeared in contemporary TV specials and movies. Eddie Reyes and The Downbeats opened for the Beatles at their concert of July 4, 1966, at the Rizal Memorial Stadium with Orlando Muñoz in Manila, performing "Get Off Of My Cloud", originally by the Rolling Stones. The Downbeats was the highest paid international band in Hong Kong during their time.[6]

Smith then played drums and sang for the Japanese rock trio, Speed, Glue & Shinki. An interest in amphetamines was the attribution for his "Speed" moniker in the name of the band.[7]

Prior to forming Speed, Glue & Shinki in Japan in 1970, Smith formed an embryonic early version of the seminal Pinoy rock group Juan de la Cruz Band back home in the Philippines in 1968. In 1969 along with Mike Hanopol and Wally Gonzalez (who had a close friend & Japanese contact living in Tokyo, Japan) sailed on President Lines to Japan and shortly after arriving formed Zero History. After impressing a Shinjuku nightclub owner who gave the new band a nightly live gig residency the band also branched out to play nightclubs and shopping malls in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Zero History and Juan de la Cruz Band core members were Smith, with Wally Gonzalez (guitar) and Mike Hanopol (bass). Pepe Smith was discovered by Shinki Chen (ex The Midnight Blues Band, The Bebes, Powerhouse, Foodbrain, & Shinki Chen & Friends) and Ikuzo Orita (Polydor Records Japan & Atlantic Records Japan) in 1970 and along with Masayoshi Kabe (ex The Golden Cups) was subsequently headhunted to join a new Japanese supergroup which became known as Speed, Glue & Shinki.

Subsequently, Wally Gonzalez sailed home to form the first version proper of Juan de la Cruz Band which released their debut studio album “Up In Arms” in 1972. After releasing Speed, Glue & Shinki debut studio album “Eve” released in June 1971, bassist Masayoshi Kabe left the group to be replaced by Mike Hanopol. The new lineup released Speed, Glue & Shinki final studio album in 1972. After a trip to England where he performed and hung out with members of Free (including the current Free & future Faces Japanese bassist Tetsu Yamauchi) Pepe Smith’s Japanese passport had expired and after renewing his passport en route to outgoing flight back to Japan Pepe was notified he wouldn’t be permited to leave the country as a result of martial law in the Philippines in September 1972.

With Pepe Smith now a permanent resident of his home country again he rejoined Juan de la Cruz Band in 1973 and the group downsized to a power trio playing once again with Wally Gonzalez and Mike Hanopol. Juan de la Cruz Band was signed to Orlando P. Muñoz Management. "Juan dela Cruz" is a Filipino term for "everyman" similar to "Joe Blow" in the USA. The band had some earlier lineups, but this trio was the classic one. It became a quartet a few years later with the addition of Edmond "Bosyo" Fortuno from D’Swooners on drums, when Smith decided to play guitar instead.[8]

Among their first gigs was the 1970 Antipolo Rock Music Festival, an open-field concert similar to Woodstock, attended by thousands. Juan de la Cruz arguably invented the Pinoy rock genre, focusing on original songwriting in Tagalog, instead of covers of foreign hit songs in English. It made superstars of all four members.[9][10][11][12]

Smith composed Juan de la Cruz's arguably most classic song "Himig Natin" backstage in a ladies' toilet (he said the door to the men's toilet was busted) in 1972, while waiting for his turn to play in a concert called "Himig Natin" at the Rizal Park grounds in Manila.[13][14][15][16]

Although "Himig Natin" and many others of the Juan de la Cruz songs have become rock anthems in the Philippines, none of the group members profited from the recordings. The rights to the whole catalog had been sold in perpetuity to Vicor Music from the very beginning of the band, a practice that might today be regarded as exploitative, but was apparently commonplace during the era. The band members were paid monthly stipends and other fees for live appearances and recording dates.

Smith and the late Fortuno were lifelong friends and frequent bandmates; in fact, Fortuno was Smith's drum teacher and mentor. Smith's other nickname was "Kalabog" from "Kalabog en Bosyo", the long-running Larry Alcala comic strip (1947–1995) about two dimwitted detectives, one tall, the other short, like Smith and Fortuno.[17]

During a hiatus of Juan de la Cruz, Smith formed his own band, The Airwaves c. 1976. The members were Smith (vocals/dobro/drums), Jun Lopito (guitar), Gary Perez, formerly of Sampaguita (guitar), Gil Cruz (bass) and Edmond Fortuno (drums).[18]

Later career

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On October 5, 1991, Smith was arrested in his home in Quezon City for illegal possession of methamphetamine (locally known as "shabu").[19] He was jailed for 19 months for alleged drug trafficking beginning in 1992. His constant jail visitor in the Quezon City Jail was Apa Ongpin, who, with Pepito Bosch and other friends, mounted a legal defense for him. He was eventually released for lack of evidence.[20]

In 1994, he survived a car accident that damaged his jaw, and put him out of action for some months.[21]

Smith released his first solo album, Idiosyncrasies, on Alpha Records in 2005. The 14-track album was three-years in the making; the recording project had started in 2002. The album was released simultaneously with the Juan dela Cruz three-CD collection from rival Vicor Music. In the late 2000s, Smith played a comedic role on an ABS-CBN sitcom entitled The Smiths, a funky reality show about his unconventional family and starring himself and three of his five children.[22]

Journalist Howie Severino produced and directed a documentary on Smith's life titled, Pepe's Myth. It aired on GMA Network on April 24, 2006. The raw footage consisted of several days of interviews with Smith, his friends and family, and included a poignant concert at the Quezon City Jail, organized by Severino, 12 years after Smith's release from the facility.[23]

Smith played as one of the two main characters in the 2014 movie, Above the Clouds, directed by Pepe Diokno,[24] the movie also uses some of his songs.

Reunion concert

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During the first Juan de la Cruz reunion concert in 1998, the band members appeared one by one on stage, adding one instrument at a time, building to a dramatic crescendo accompanied by fog and light effects.[25]

Awards

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Year Award Giving Body Category Nominated Work Results
1994 NU Rock Awards Rock Legend Award — Won

Personal life

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Smith had been associated with several women over the course of his life, and had five children. It has been rumored that his eldest, Queenie, born 1976, also a rock singer, is the daughter of noted artist, Agnes Arellano. But Agnes Arellano categorically denies this: "Joey and I never had a child; I am not the mother of Queenie. The only issue that came out of our short wedded life was the song Ang Himig Natin. I didn't help him write it but we were together when he did".[26] She is followed by former MYX VJ Sanya Smith, born 1985, Beebop, born 1989, Desiderata (Daisy), born 1991 and Delta, born 1992. The final three children being born from his wife Rosuela Cruz.

Death

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Pepe Smith on a 2019 stamp of the Philippines in the series "Pinoy Music Icons"

He had suffered his third stroke in 2017, with the first leaving him with a speech impediment.[27] Smith died on January 28, 2019, at the Arnaiz Hospital at age 71, after being rushed to the hospital after he complained of chest pain while practicing playing the guitar that day in Cainta, Rizal. He died of cardiac arrest.[28][29][30] Smith was laid to rest at the Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque.[31]

Discography

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Speed, Glue & Shinki

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  • 1971: Eve
  • 1972: Speed, Glue & Shinki

Juan de la Cruz Band albums with Joey "Pepe" Smith

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  • 1973: Himig Natin (translation: "Our Music" {Hymn})
  • 1974: Maskara (trans.: "Mask")
  • 1975: Super Session
  • 1981: Kahit Anong Mangyari (trans.: "Whatever Happens")

Solo Album

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  • 2005: Idiosyncrasies

References

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  1. ^ Concepcion, Pocholo (August 12, 2000). "Pepe Smith and other rock icons at the crossroads". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. E8. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  2. ^ Gil, Baby A. "Pepe Smith goes to rock 'n roll heaven". Philstar.com. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  3. ^ "zepol's Site - zepol's Blog". January 25, 2010. Archived from the original on January 25, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  4. ^ Sallan, Edwin P. ""We will never see another Pepe Smith"". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Pepe Smith story. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Gil, Baby A. "Pepe Smith goes to rock 'n roll heaven". Philstar.com. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  7. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Biography: Speed, Glue & Shinki". Allmusic. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  8. ^ "Rock legend Joey Pepe Smith, 71". BusinessWorld Online. January 28, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Olivares, Rick. "OPM rock history: 50 years of Anak Bayan". Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Arceo-Dumlao, Tina (July 28, 2021). Himig at Titik: A Tribute to OPM Songwriters. Inquirer Books. ISBN 978-971-8935-41-5. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  11. ^ Fernandez, Darwin (October 21, 2018). "Juan de la Cruz and OPM". BusinessMirror. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  12. ^ Gil, Baby A. "Ugat, a Pinoy folk rock anthology". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  13. ^ Olivares, Rick. "OPM rock history: 50 years of Anak Bayan". Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  14. ^ Arceo-Dumlao, Tina (July 28, 2021). Himig at Titik: A Tribute to OPM Songwriters. Inquirer Books. ISBN 978-971-8935-41-5. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  15. ^ Fernandez, Darwin (October 21, 2018). "Juan de la Cruz and OPM". BusinessMirror. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Gil, Baby A. "Ugat, a Pinoy folk rock anthology". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  17. ^ SUSAN CLAIRE, AGBAYANI (October 22, 2017). "What you should know about the performers at Full Blast Pinoy Super Bands". RAPPLER. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  18. ^ Sallan, Edwin. ""We will never see another Pepe Smith"". ANC. ABS CBN. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  19. ^ Mahilum, Ed (October 6, 1991). "Ex-rock star in drug bust". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corp. p. 13. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  20. ^ "Pepe da Hepe". Inquirer Lifestyle. February 2, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  21. ^ "Pepe Smith, rock legend; 71". Inquirer Lifestyle. January 28, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  22. ^ "Pepe Smith: 70 years and I'm still rocking". Inquirer Lifestyle. November 11, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  23. ^ Ongpin, Rafael A. S. G. ""Huwag mo kaming bugbugin. Si Pepe Smith ako, pare!"". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  24. ^ "27th Tokyo International Film Festival｜Above the Clouds – 10/27 20:50- – 10/30 10:25-". 2014.tiff-jp.net. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  25. ^ "Fil-Am Rock Group RUBBERBAND opened for Juan Dela Cruz' "PAGABABALIK" reunion!". Commongate.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  26. ^ "Archived copy". Facebook. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ^ "Pinoy rock icon Pepe Smith dies". Gmanetwork.com. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  28. ^ Concepcion, Pocholo (January 29, 2019). "Pepe Smith's text: 'Help, SOS! I'm sinking!!!'". Entertainment.inquirer.net. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  29. ^ Concepcion, Pocholo, Aguilar, Krissy (January 28, 2019). "BREAKING: Pinoy rock pioneer Joey 'Pepe' Smith dies at 71". Entertainment.inquirer.net. Retrieved January 28, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ Ghaz, Sandy (January 29, 2019). "Pepe Smith's Cause of Death Revealed, Public Mourns Rock Icon's Death". Philnews.ph. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  31. ^ Concepcion, Pocholo (February 3, 2019). "Pepe de Hepe". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 26, 2019.

Sources

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pepe Smith.
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