Pepe Smith, the inimitable icon of Filipino rock 'n' roll, passed away today at 71 years old.
Part of the iconic Juan dela Cruz band, together with Wally Gonzalez and Mike Hanopol, he leaves behind a catalogue of unforgettable anthems, including “Himig Natin,” “Titser's Enemy No. 1,” “Beep Beep,” and more.
In an interview with Esquire Philippines, Smith detailed how he came up with the lyrics of “Himig Natin,” writing down the words on packs of Malboro, inside the ladies room, while dashed on acid. “So I wrote it down there and just put it in front of my microphone. So we sang it the whole night and everybody liked that song,” he said.
Smith released his only solo album in 2015, a set that he publicly decried, telling people not to buy it (so we won't mention it here), and yet we're sure fans would love to get their hands on it just to listen to his voice once again.
Now that Smith has moved on to rock 'n' roll heaven, we are left with songs and stories of a life that can only be described as well-lived.
Also, we have images on- and off-stage, including this pair of unseen portraits by veteran photographer Tom Epperson.
