Rex Smith: Great singer, wonderful father

MANILA, Philippines - “Hello Rex, I’d like to have your autograph and pose for a picture with you. My name is Brandon, 21 years of age, and I’m a big fan. By the way, I’m also the son you never met.” Rex Smith’s jaws dropped and there was a silent moment. After recovering from the initial shock, Rex stared at Brandon and he realized it was like looking at his mirror image. There was no doubt this kid was his son. This happened in Canada in 1997 after performing in the Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway musical Sunset Boulevard where he got the usual nightly standing ovation.

Since the ’70s, Rex has been busy as a bee starting as a teen idol, then as a platinum recording artist for CBS Records (now Sony/BMG Records) where he recorded 10 best-selling albums, then as a TV host for the hit series Solid Gold with Marilyn McCoo, then as superhero as Daredevil, then having his own TV series Street Hawk that’s still being replayed in syndication nowadays. When Rex took a sabbatical from his TV and recording career, he invaded the world of Broadway musicals which decades later he alternates with his concert tours. No other Broadway actor has performed as many lead roles as Rex has. He played Danny Zuko in Grease (John Travolta played the role in the movie version), Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar, Tony in West Side Story, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance opposite Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline, Captain Von Trapp in Sound of Music, Phantom in Phantom of the Opera and a host of other Broadway musicals.

What a lot of people don’t know about Rex is that he is a wonderful father as well. Rex has been married four times. First to Playboy bunny Lois in the late ’70s, then stayed eight years with second wife Jamie with whom he has two lovely daughters Meagan and Madison, briefly with third wife Courtney with whom he has two kids Gatsby and Savannah, and in 2009 to Dr. Tracy Lin who is one of my dear friends and health advisers. In total, Rex has five kids, including Brandon whom he brought to the Philippines in his 2006 concert tour. Brandon is married to a half-Filipina beauty queen from Vancouver.

Although separated from wife Courtney for a few years now, Rex takes good care of his two young kids, Gatsby and Savannah, like they never separated. He takes them to school and participates in almost all parental activities when not working. In fact, he builds most of his work schedule around the kids’ requirements. I’m a personal witness to this as he always advises me not to book him around summer time and Christmas vacation when he spends quality time with them. The wonderful thing about his new wife, Dr. Tracy, is that she looks after the kids like they are her own and is even more hands-on at times than daddy Rex.

For his Asian tour this month, Rex made sure he will be back in time for the kids’ summer vacation. Rex will be performing his big hits You Take My Breath Away, Simply Jesse, Everlasting Love, Forever, Let’s Make A Memory, Speechless, Don’t Give Up On Us, together with excerpts from the Broadway musicals Phantom of the Opera, Grease and Sound of Music, on June 18 at the Isla Grand Ballroom of the EDSA Shangri-La, on June 22 at the University of Baguio Gym and on June 23 at the new Widus Convention Center in Clark Pampanga. Special guest is Hollywood singing sensation Kyle Vincent who has fronted for lots of artists like Barry Manilow, Bay City Rollers, the Heywoods, etc.

Concert tickets are available at all SM Ticket outlets, Ticketworld, National bookstores, Ayala Malls, Robinsons and the concierge at EDSA Shangri-La.