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JOEY "PEPE" SMITH
25 December 1947 to 28 January 2019
Joey "Pepe" Smith was acknowledged as the father of Philippine Rock.
“Pepe” Smith, was born to an American father and Filipina mother and as a singer and songwriter he introduced a genre of music that swept the Philippines during the ‘70s. His Juan dela Cruz Band was instrumental is revolutionizing the way Philippines viewed and appreciated rock music.
Smith and his band was one of very few Filipino performers who did opening acts during the 4 July 1966 historic and controversial first and only concert of the Beatles in Philippines. His admiration of the Beatles further strengthened his love for music.
His first album with Juan Dela Cruz band is "Up in Arms" which was released in 1972. All songs in the album were in English. It was not until the following year that "Ang Himig Natin" (Our Sound) started the Filipino rock revolution.
The band's last hit was "Kahit Anong Mangyari" in 1981. He and his band was part of the first open field rock festival in the Philippines which was held in Antipolo in 1970. In 2005 his very first solo album titled Idiosyncrasies was released. The 14-track album was three-years in the making; he started recording the album in 2002.
National Stamp Collecting Month: Pinoy Music Icons #xxx, 11 Nov 2019
circular stamp, part of a se-tenant block of 3
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