POPS FERNANDEZ & THE HITMAKERS WITH THEIR PRODUCER PIA AMORE-LEGASPIPOPS FERNANDEZ is so happy to be performing with Hitmakers Hajji Alejandro, Marco Sison, Nonoy Zuniga and Rey Valera in a concert tour in the U.S. produced by Amore Productions of Ms. Pia Amore-Legaspi.
“I haven’t really worked with them except for Marco when I was still new and we did a musical, “Sarong Banggi’, for the Metropolitan Theatre 40 years ago,” she says at the show’s presscon.
“So I’m really excited to work with all of them. We wil have numbers where we’ll be performing together. Now I can say nakatrabaho ko rin sila now that I’m 30 years old at bago ko mag-retire.”
Nonoy says they were all wondering who’s a female performer can they team up with in their first tour after the pandemic.
“When her name came up, tuwang-tuwa kami talagang lahat,” he adds. “Matagal na kasi kaming walang nakakasamang mas bata-bata sa amin. Usually mga ka-edad lang namin.”
Their tours before usually included the late Rico J. Puno. Do they miss him?
“Of course, we miss him,” says Nonoy. “Matagal ko na siyang kakilala and he always gives me advice.
"Sabi niya, Nonoy, yang tungkod mo, wag mong bibitawan yan dahil pag binitawan mo yan, matutumba ka. He’s a natural comedian and I miss his kind of humor.”
“Naturally, we’ll miss him kasi matagal namin siyang nakasama in so many shows,” says Marco.
“Up to now, ginagamit namin some of his green jokes. Pinakamagaling dyan, si Rey Valera.”
“I will never forget Rico kasi the first song I did, I wrote it for him, ‘Ako si Superman’,” says Rey.
“Malaki ang naging influence niya sa akin. We’re very close and we miss his sense of humor.
"Kapag nilalagyan ako ng make up, sasabihin niya, para lang daw ako natutulog. So when he passed and I saw him in his coffin, sabi ko, ikaw ang para lang natutulog.”
"I'm a fan of Rico J," says Pops. "Lalo ng song niyang 'Namamasyal pa sa Luneta'.
"Manghang-mangha ako when I first met him. He was at his peak then. He sang to me sa 'Eat Bulaga' then binigyan niya ako ng gold bracelet.
"I'll never forget that."
Their tour will start at the Northern California Graton Bay Area Resort & Casino on June 25, Saban Theater at Beverly Hills on June 26, Sahara Event Center at Las Vegas on July 1, Bally’s Casino at Lake Tahoe on July 3, Bally’s at Atlantic City on July 9, Copernicus Center in Chicago on July 10, Double Tree Hotel in Portland Oregon on July 15 and Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu on July 17.