THIS was the question Gary Valenciano asked himself following an open heart surgery and successful battle against kidney cancer last year, which he considers among most challenging chapters in his life.
“I wasn’t asking why it happened, I was asking, ‘What now?’ ‘Where do I go from here?’ I admit I went into a depression that time,” the singer told us at a recent conference.
He continued, “For the first time, I actually didn’t know if I could be able to carry on with my career, to be who I am or somebody else entirely, and it was something that really scared me, because I’ve been doing this all my life.”
The 54-year-old related it got to a point where he actually took time off by himself somewhere to think things over.
“I was alone at a beach somewhere and I was staring at the sea and I laid down my cards to Him. I said, ‘Here I am, tell me what you want me to do,’ and just like that everything, all my fears, all my worries, were lifted off me.”
It is as such that now, Gary is busy as ever opening the second quarter of 2019 with a North American tour simply titled “He’s Back,” which actually coincides with his 35th year in showbiz.
Fans need not worry as Gary is in tip-top shape.
As he said so himself, “My doctors assured me that I could push myself and do more things now so, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
The first leg of the tour happens April 12 in Las Vegas. It will be followed with shows in New York; LA; Seattle; and several more in California.
“I’m very excited about it because it has been awhile since I visited our kababayans in these areas,” Gary said. “And I will have two very talented young divas with me – Jona and Katrina, and I’m positive people will have fun and fall in love with the show that we have prepared for them.”
Apart from the concert tour, Gary is seen regularly on “ASAP Natin ‘To,” “It’s Showtime,” and “World Of Dance (WOD),” which is now down to its climactic last week.
Gary is also busy promoting his advocacy album “Awit At Laro,” which assembles over a hundred local musical and visual artists to promote homegrown Filipino children’s games and songs in partnership with UNICEF, Tukod Foundation, Museo Pambata and Shining Light Foundation.
Gary is also con-currently visiting 35 schools in Luzon in a series called “Face2Face” where he gives inspirational talks and an intimate mini concert to graduating college students sans fee.
“I wish to impart something inspiring and positive to the students who are about to enter a new chapter in their lives,” said Gary adding the venture is close to his heart having jumpstarted his career almost the same way back in the early 80s performing in school events and university fairs.
He’s back, indeed. (NEIL RAMOS)
