Pinoy Kollektor: 124. Up Close and Personal ... JOEY "PEPE" SMITH, Pinoy Rock Legend

Last Sunday, while rummaging through the Bayanihan Collectors Club auction, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of Joey "Pepe" Smith memorabilia. Hidden under a pile of old magazines and photos, I found some rare snapshots of the Pinoy Rock legend. And who sold them to the store? None other than Pepe himself! (Talk about a rockstar selling his own merchandise). I was ecstatic to discover these never-before-seen photos of his family and iconic moments from his musical journey. Not sharing these gems with Pepe's fans would be a disservice to humanity. (Or at least to rock and roll history).

Pepe has lived a charmed life. He’s been married four times and been with the occasional younger companion numerous times, but Pepe has never been one to settle down for too long.

He survived a house fire in the late 1970s that killed three of his in-laws. He spent nearly one-and-a-half years in the Quezon City jail on drug charges in the late 1980s (later dismissed). He walked away with a cracked jaw from a car crash that killed singer Bes’ Pren Diego. And some years ago, in a wrong-place, wrong-time situation, he narrowly escaped becoming the victim of an extrajudicial killing.

Most of all, he has survived an epic rock ’n’ roll lifestyle for over 50 years.

Known for his most enduring songs - “Himig Natin,” “Beep Beep,” “Rak en Rol sa Ulan,” “Mamasyal sa Pilipinas” which became anthems for Pinoy rockers.

Pepe in his baptismal gown

Here are some trivias about Pepe:

Pepe's musical journey began at just 11 years old, when he formed his first band, Blue Jazzers, with his friends and neighbors in Kamuning, Quezon City. He even played for American soldiers during the Vietnam War with his band The Surfer. Despite having an American dad, he's never had the chance to visit the USA and make his childhood dream of touring there a reality.

He grew up with a love for toy planes and a dream of becoming a pilot, but music ended up being his true calling.

OK, hold tight you might break
your neck Joseph !!! (caption at the back)

But despite never making it to the States, Pepe was lucky enough to open for The Beatles during their concert in Manila on July 4, 1966 - talk about a bucket list moment!

Pepe became a member of the iconic Philippine rock band, Juan Dela Cruz, and together they started the Pinoy rock revolution with hits like "Ang Himig Natin" and "Kahit Anong Mangyari."

Unfortunately, he spent six months in Quezon City jail for alleged drug possession in 1993, but with the support of constant visitor Apa Ongpin, he managed to perform a concert inside the jail after his release.

In 2005, Pepe released his solo album, "Idiosyncrasies," which was three years in the making. It was released simultaneously with a three-CD collection from rival record label Vicor Records. Talk about a double dose of Pepe for his fans!

Sources:
https://www.imdb.com

Pepe Smith: 70 years and I’m still rocking by: Eric S. Caruncho