Jackie Lou Blanco: 10 things you didn’t know about Pilita Corrales
Pilar Garrido Corrales, better known to us as Pilita Corrales, has been in show business for the last 66 years. She started singing at a radio station in Cebu, where she would sing Spanish songs with her guitar.
But it was when she won as Miss Philippines in 1957 that there was no stopping her success as a singer. She then became part of a magic show that travelled on a ship, which took them to Australia.
It was in Australia where she was noticed and eventually made a name for herself as a singer. Not long after, Pilita became the first female artist to reach number one on the Australian pop charts with her single Come Closer to Me. She was so loved and adored that they named one of their streets in Victoria, Australia, after her.
Pilita was not only a beauty titleholder but an actress, singer. comedian and songwriter. She became an international star, having performed with the likes of The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Julie Andrews, Bob Hope and Sammy Davis, who paved the way for Pilita to be the first Filipino artist to sing at the Caesar’s Palace. Pilita was a notch above the rest because she would sing to her audience in Spanish, Cebuano, English and Tagalog at Caesar’s Palace.
Having seen her perform, I can say that Pilita is still one of the most beautiful and talented actresses in our country today.
We asked her eldest daughter, Jackie Lou Blanco, about her mom’s beauty secret. “Mom keeps her regimen simple, still removes her makeup with baby oil or mineral oil. She walks a bit with my stepdad (Carlos Lopez), but I believe what makes her beautiful and ageless is her being positive in life.”
Jackie shares with us that Pilita is basically a happy person. She doesn’t worry too much and will always tell them that problems will always be there. Sometimes solutions are instant and sometimes they take time.
Pilita has two children: Jackie, with her husband, the late Gonzalo Blanco, a Spanish businessman, and seven years later, Ramon Christopher Gutierrez with actor Eddie Gutierrez. She has been happily married to Carlos Lopez and has five siblings: Maria, Rafael, Ines, Ramon and Rosa. The first three have passed away.
We asked Jackie to tell us stories about her mom, Pilita.
1. My Mom’s real name is Pilar. Pilita is her nickname.
2. She loves snacks like corniks, kiamoy, champoy. Even in her car she has these.
3. She loves jellybeans. For as long as I can remember I would always see this on top of her room refrigerator.
4. She doesn’t like any noodles that are slimy like sotanghon.
5. My mom plays the piano and guitar — oido, meaning just by listening. She never read notes. She really is just so musical and has a good ear.
6. She was very naughty in school. She would be chewing gum in the line to the classroom and would eat manggang hilaw with bagoong inside the classroom. The teacher would say, “Corrales, out! In finishing school in Spain, in their baking class, the nun would say, ‘Put one cup of sugar,’ she would make it two or three. She would pull up her skirt from the waist to make her school skirt shorter.
7. One of her favorite songs is What I Did for Love. She would always say, even if she had many mistakes, it was always for love.
8. She is always a performer. My Lolo would put her on top of the table when she was a child and she would sing at their parties.
9. Sundays at her home would always be endless chikahan (pleasantries) and she loves to play the piano and any of her grandchildren would sing.
10. My mom always tries to be strong for us. She would always hold her emotions. One of the rare times I saw her cry was when her brother, her manager, also passed away.
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