After Engelbert Humperdinck (Sunday, Aug. 19), guess who’s performing next at the Araneta Coliseum — yes, the phenomenal Babyface, set for Oct. 13.
An R ’n B and pop singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, record producer, record company owner, film producer and entrepreneur, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds is responsible for a staggering 119 Top 10 pop hits which include 41 No.1 R ’n B hits, 51 Top 10 pop hits, including 16 No.1 pop hits, amassing sales that exceed 100 million units.
He is behind some of the biggest successes in contemporary music. He wrote and produced Boyz II Men’s End of the Road and I’ll Make Love To You, both of which established records for the longest stay at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He wrote, produced and provided backing vocals on Madonna’s 1995 seven-week No. 1 hit Take a Bow and he shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner Change the World. He produced the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack in 1995, which spawned hits for Whitney Houston, Brandy and Mary J. Blige.
Additionally, he has produced and written music for superstars Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Bobby Brown, Houston, Brandy, Blige, Tamia, Janet Jackson, Dru Hill, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Vanessa Williams, En Vogue, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Pink, Sheena Easton and Phil Collins, among others
Babyface won Producer of the Year for a history-making three years in a row (1995, 1996 and 1997) which still stands as a Grammy record. He likewise founded LaFace Records. Two of the label’s first artists, Toni Braxton and TLC, achieved massive success and sold more than 15 million copies. He was also instrumental in forming the popular late-’90s R ’n B group, Az Yet.
In 1999, a 25-mile (40-km) stretch of Interstate 65 that runs through Indianapolis was renamed Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds Highway.
Babyface has recently signed a new deal with Island Records to release his new album, Playlist, featuring mostly cover songs including James Taylor’s Fire & Rain, Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door, Dan Fogelberg’s Longer, Jim Croce’s Time In A Bottle and Eric Clapton’s Wonderful Tonight.
“These songs came from memories, and these songs helped shape who I am — and they’re still shaping who I am,” Babyface has been quoted as saying about the “beautifully emotional” Playlist which also carries original materials and is scheduled to be released in September in time for his 11-date Asian tour which starts in Manila on Oct. 13. It will be the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records Label.
The Babyface concert in Manila is produced by Renen de Guia’s Ovation Productions and is very much anticipated by R ’n B music lovers; after all, it has been quite a while since another R ’n B singer was in town, Alicia Keys, whose massively successful concert sold out every single seat at the Araneta Coliseum.
(Note: Tickets will be released soon through Ticketnet 911-5555. For sponsorship inquiries and block buying of tickets, call Ovation Productions at 532-8883.)
Iago and Patricia’s hubby winners, too
Two of the Philippine bets at the recently-concluded World Championships Of the Performing Arts (WCOPA) in Hollywood were declared champions: Aria Clemente, Over-All Grand Champion of the World (Junior Division), and Reymond Sajor, Grand Champion of the World (Vocalist, Senior Division).
But another bet, Iago Raterta, isn’t coming home empty-handed.
Iago and USA’s Robert Walcher (better known among Filipinos in San Diego, California, as the chiropractor-husband of sexy actress-singer Patricia Javier) both finished in the Top 6 in the modeling category.
Iago and Rob won their respective age brackets (Iago for 25-29, and Rob for 30 and above), besting several hundreds of modeling contenders from over 50 countries. Iago and Rob then slugged it out with the top winners of the other age brackets as they hit the ramp in casual wear, swimwear and formal wear.
When the smoke cleared during the grand finals on Aug. 4, it was a 17-year-old, six-foot hunk from Canada, Dylan Koroll, who bagged the overall grand prize. There was no ranking of the five runners-up that included Troy James of Canada, Daniel Martinez of USA and Tyrone Davis of Jamaica.
“Parehong crowd favorites sina Rob and Iago,” an excited Patricia told Funfare in a phone interview on their way back from L.A. to their San Diego home. “Napagod nga ako kasi I was cheering for both of them. I even joined the Team Philippines (headed by WCOPA national director for the Philippines Carlo Orosa) instead of the Team USA. Ang saya.”
Patricia also told Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre that Rob, who’s 6’3 tall, and Iago, 6’2 tall, bonded during the week-long event.
Patricia said that Rob admitted, “Honestly, Iago was my best competition. You can see on stage he’s a professional model, he really walked like a model, and he did it effortlessly. He’s a lot more competitive than I had anticipated. He’s also a fine gentleman and many people there found him a real stunner.”
In his bracket, Rob bagged five gold medals (for casual, formal and swimwears, photo and spokesmodeling) and two silvers (for acting and commercial) after hurdling three rounds in each category.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)