Why FPJ urged Gabby Concepcion to try singing

Gabby Concepcion — GMA ENTERTAINMENT.

Singing in front of people was something Gabby Concepcion never thought he would do when he first entered show biz.

But that changed after one memorable conversation with the late National Artist Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ) in the 1980s.

His career was at its peak, and his phenomenal love team with Sharon Cuneta drew throngs of adoring fans wherever they went.

A simple song, the movie legend told Gabby, is one way to reciprocate the people’s love and support.

“I have always loved music and I did sing back then, but only when I was alone. FPJ suggested that I learn even just one song: ‘Para sa mga fans mo. Para kapag hinilingan ka nila, ‘di mo sila bibiguin,’” the actor recalled in a recent group interview.

Gabby took his advice to heart. After that exchange, he went on and practiced Rey Valera’s “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako.”

“From that one song, my mindset evolved. I began looking for other songs until my repertoire grew. I called Louie Heredia to ask if I could sing some of his hits. I especially loved the one that goes, ‘Araw-araw na lang/Ay naghihintay sa ‘yo,’” he said, breaking into the ballad, “Nag-iisang Ikaw.”

Limitations

While Gabby is always aware of his limitations, he gives it his best nonetheless.

“The simpler the song, the better for me. Whether English or Tagalog, just sing what you’re comfortable with. My other favorites are ‘Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko,’ ‘Init sa Magdamag’ and ‘Iisa Pa Lamang.”

“My father (the late Rolly Concepcion) would also tell me, ‘Andyan na rin lang, galingan mo na.’”

Later in his career, Gabby grew confident with his singing, enough to record music albums and even hold big concerts, like the successful “Dear Heart” reunion with Sharon last year.

“The kilig is different when you’re up onstage. The fans are there for you because they love you. And sometimes, that’s something you don’t really get from the people around you. When you see them smiling as they watch you, ang sarap ng feeling,” he said of the undying support of fans of the ex-couple.

The demand was so great that Gabby and Sharon did a repeat show in Cebu. This October and November, “Dear Heart” will go on a United States-Canada tour, according to Nancy Yang of NY Entourage Productions. The series will kick off on Oct. 26 in Southern California, and culminate on Nov. 29 in British Columbia, Canada.

For someone who didn’t even want to be an actor in the first place, Gabby considers himself lucky that show biz has been nothing but kind to him. Growing up, he wanted to become a pilot, a dentist or work in real estate (which he did at one point).

But it was the industry that “gave me life.” The least he could do, he said, is to show love to the people that brought him to where he is now.

“My father would tell me, ‘What did you do to make them love you? You did movies, but the fans were the ones who watched and loved you. Whatever their reason was, it was their reason,’” related Gabby, who never imagined getting a second wind in show biz after moving to the United States in the 1990s.

Grateful

“I didn’t think I would be able to come back. I didn’t even yearn for it. But the fans brought me back. How then can you not love the people who love you? I’m grateful to them for supporting me and my projects,” he said.

Gabby will turn 60 on Nov. 5—a senior citizen, we teased him. “Is that so?” he retorted before jokingly clearing his throat. “I used to count my birthday every year, but starting last year, when I turned 32, 33, I stopped counting!”

He doesn’t look like it anyway. Well, it’s in the genes for starters. “I can’t deny it! I have to give it to my parents and grandparents,” he said.

But more than working out or any fitness regimen, it’s his frequent visits to the beach that keep Gabby feeling young. “Whenever I’m on a beach, I remember the times I had with my father there. I stand on the sand and look at the waves, and suddenly, I’m 14 all over again,” he said.