Stell Ajero of SB19 was the opening act at David Foster’s “Hitman” show. Images: X/@AranetaCity, @stellajero_
Updated 8:50 P.m.
Stell Ajero of SB19 earned the praise of composer-producer David Foster after performing a rendition of “All By Myself” at the latter’s “Hitman” show, an experience the P-pop artist was grateful for.
Ajero was the opening act at Foster’s “Hitman” show in Quezon City on Tuesday, June 18, where he performed Adele’s “All I Ask,” his debut single “Room,” and “Defying Gravity” from the musical “Wicked.” Also present at the show were Katharine McPhee, Brian McKnight, All-4-One, and Filipino rising stars JV Decena and Joaquin Garcia.
But the highlight of Ajero’s appearance was his rendition of “All By Myself” after being called back onstage by Foster. The track was originally performed by singer-songwriter Eric Carmen in 1975, until it became one of the most notable renditions of Dion in 1996.
Dion’s rendition, which was included in her 1996 album “Falling into You,” was produced by Foster.
“This song [is made known] by Celine [Dion], she claimed really a lot about this very high note, this impossible note to sing, and she hated me. In her book, she [wrote] two pages of how much she hated me that day at the studio,” Foster said of the song. “But we got the job done after a few tries. Tonight, my friend, Stell, you only had one try.”
FULL CIRCLE MOMENT FOR STELL 💙
WATCH: Stell Ajero of SB19 did a rendition of Celine Dion’s hit song “All By Myself,” which is a created by award-winning composer and songwriter David Foster at the latter’s “Hitman” show. @inquirerdotnet pic.twitter.com/iV1OO04k9B
— Hannah Mallorca (@HMallorcaINQ) June 18, 2024
The performance earned Foster’s praise, saying Ajero has a “major career ahead of him.”
“Wow, what a voice. And he’s still very young. He’s got a major career ahead of him… and he’s your very own,” said Foster.
The SB19 member took to his X (formerly Twitter) page to thank God for the opportunity.
“Thank you Lord, the best ka po talaga (Thank you Lord, you’re the best),” he wrote.
Thank you Lord, the best ka po talaga. 😭#StellAtDavidandFriendsTour
— Stell (@stellajero_) June 18, 2024
Ajero previously did a rendition of “All By Myself” on his solo stage at SB19’s “Back in the Zone” online concert in August 2021.
Before Foster, the SB19 member also worked with Louie Ocampo at the group’s “Pagtatag” finale concert and Ryan Cayabyab’s “Gen C” show last May.
Ajero debuted as a solo artist with his single “Room” in June. He is set to release his first EP and embark on a nationwide tour in August.
The SB19 member was announced as the guest of Erik Santos’ “Milestone” tour with stops in the US and Canada in June, and will hold a joint concert with fellow “The Voice Generations” coach Julie Anne San Jose a month later.
Who is David Foster?
With Ajero giving the performance of his life at Foster’s concert, one couldn’t help but take a look-see at the Canadian composer-record producer’s own credentials.
Foster, with more than 50 years of music-making under his belt, is a household name in the Philippines, and is known for producing a string of hit songs throughout his decades-long career. Aside from Dion, he also worked with several music giants such as Whitney Houston, the group Earth, Wind & Fire, Josh Groban, Brian McKnight, and Olivia Newton-John, to name a few.
In his two-hour show last June 18, the hitmaker said he has always been passionate about working with veteran and up-and-coming talents, saying he always kept an eye on emerging artists in multiple industries.
Some of Foster’s hit songs include “You’re the Inspiration,” “After the Love Has Gone,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “To Love You More,” “I Have Nothing,” “The Prayer,” and “Through the Fire.”
The US-based composer is a regular visitor to the Philippines where he performed in several shows in the country.
Foster was also one of the mentors of Jake Zyrus, then known as Charice Pempengco before her transition, performing in many of the songwriter’s shows in the Philippines and abroad. In a 2015 interview, he expressed his support for Zyrus’ coming out story, saying he was “struggling for so many years for an issue” that shouldn’t be considered as one.