Jim Brickman on his ‘virtual collaboration’ with Daryl Ong, love affair with PH

Once in a while, when he feels like watching his music videos, Jim Brickman logs on to YouTube and types in his name. But the thing is, it’s not his own videos that come up first in the search results, but covers of his songs recorded by singers around the world.

Daryl Ong

And one that caught Jim’s attention was Filipino R&B singer Daryl Ong’s duet with Korean singer Wonji on the song “Destiny.” Jim was impressed by the “topnotch” rendition—so much so that he decided to have the two featured on his recent Facebook concert, which he dedicated to his Southeast Asian fans.

“I couldn’t believe how many views Daryl had. It was incredible. And I also didn’t realize how popular the song ‘Destiny’ was in the Philippines. He sounded great. That was one of the reasons I decided to invite him to my online show,” Jim told the Inquirer in a recent interview.

“I also wanted to share with the world how well-loved my songs are in the Philippines. That was really cool,” said Jim, who had nothing but kind words for both Daryl and Wonji, whom he also praised for putting their own flavor into the song. “I appreciated that … They’re great singers.”

To this day, the American pianist-songwriter—the man behind such hit 1990s ballads as “By Heart,” “Valentine,” “Your Love” and “The Gift”—gets surprised by the fact that his work still resonate with singers and listeners of different backgrounds.

“It’s amazing when people cover my songs, especially when English isn’t necessarily their first language. Sometimes, I can’t imagine how the song finds its way around the world,” he said.

“I think what makes the songs enduring is that the subject of love is timeless, a great melody is timeless,” Jim added. “Romance will always be there. The beauty of these things, of ideal love and relationship, I think that’s the reason.”

In his “long-distance,” “virtual collaboration” with Daryl, Jim had the former singing another fan favorite, “Beautiful (As You)” as he played the piano. Will he be open to doing more projects with Daryl in the future?

“Of course, I would love to collaborate with him and more Filipino music artists. I have worked with Erik Santos, Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez and Regine Velasquez. I would like to continue doing that,” said the two-time Grammy nominee.

After all, the Philippines has always had a special spot in his heart. “I have been there about 20 times. I have fond memories of my friends there. My favorite thing to bring back home are dried mangoes,” he related. “Everyone out there is so kind and romantic. It’s beautiful.”

Jim Brickman

The 58-year-old musician started out as a commercial jingle writer for various companies and brands like McDonald’s, Cheerios, Pontiac and General Electric. Little did he know that he would end up being in mainstream pop, churning out hit piano instrumentals and vocal collaborations and selling millions of albums.

“I had no plans of becoming a performer, or a recording artist. It was something I had never imagined back when I was a jingle writer,” he pointed out. “For some, this is something they planned to do in their lives. For me, it just evolved that way.”

Jim is celebrating his 25th anniversary on the music scene this year, which he commemorated by releasing a compilation album of his greatest hits. This time, with reworked versions featuring his own vocals.

Asked what he would consider his career highlights are, Jim said it was having the opportunity to work with renowned music artists such as Olivia Newton- John, Donny Osmond, Michael Bolton, Richard Marx, Martina McBride, Lady Antebellum, Johnny Mathis and Kenny Rogers. “It still surprises me … the career it turned out to be,” he said.

Another thing that has been keeping Jim busy recently is his “Soothe Daily” music series on Instagram—a fitting project given the current situation people are in because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s something that provides an escape for a few minutes a day; a time to be calm and relax. It’s for people who want to have a three-minute break from all the chaos in the world,” Jim said, adding that he’s also thankful for the various online platforms that allow him to interact with his fans. “It’s amazing … I certainly wouldn’t have been able to continue my connection with my Filipino audience if it weren’t for online platforms.”

Now, Jim is maximizing his time at home by creating new music. “I record and write almost every day. It’s hard to be off the road, because I’m used to traveling a lot and being out and about. But I’m trying to discover ways to stay healthy and eat healthy,” he said.