OPM icon Danny Javier passed away Oct. 31, Monday.
He was 75.
According to his family, the singer-songwriter, one-third of the famed pop group Apo Hiking Society, succumbed to “complications due to his prolonged illnesses.”
His daughter, Justine Javier Long posted on social media: “In life, as in his death, our Pop never stopped fighting for what he loved, what he believed in and what he was passionate about.
“He left this world with his passion and strength of will intact and we know he would not have it any other way.
“Our family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love, prayers and condolences at this difficult time.”
Former actor George Javier, Danny’s brother, told media he died at the National Kidney Transplant Institute where he was confined for some time prior to his death.
Apo bandmate Jim Paredes related he had visited Danny there.
“We were able to talk for 45 minutes. He was getting better until this happened.”
Actor Buboy Garrovillo, also a member of Apo, shared on Facebook: “Just feeling the loss of an old faithful friend who knew what love is although sometimes it just doesn’t show.”
Danny, Jim and Buboy retired the Apo Hiking Society in 2010.
A year later, on June 11, 2011, Danny was in the hospital.
In an interview on “Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho” in 2016, Danny explained “One thing led to another. Na-food poisoning ako, akala nila asthma. I was told I had kidney failure. I had liver collapse. I had emphysema. I had pneumonia, hepatitis-A, congestive heart failure, and I might have skipped something else, sepsis…”
At the time, he had what he described as a “white light” experience.
“Ang feeling ko, kung saan-saan ako nagpupunta. Pumunta akong langit, purgatoryo at saka impiyerno,” he shared.
“Pagdating ko sa impiyerno, ang daming tao, nakapila. Lahat, mga kaibigan ko. So (sabi ko) at home na at home ako (dito),” he added in jest.
In the same interview, Danny made clear he is not afraid of death or dying.
“If it is my time to go, it’s my time to go,” he said. “I have never been afraid of death. Kung hindi ka mamamatay, hindi ka nabuhay. di ba? ‘Yun talaga ang destination mo, e.”
Danny was actually aiming to make a comeback as songwriter, looking forward to working with the likes of Ely Buendia and Chito Miranda.
Not long before his passing, Danny wrote and recorded “Lahat Tayo” with long time collaborator, Lorrie Ilustre.
The song has Danny contemplating his own mortality.
Part of the lyrics went: “Lahat tayo’y mamatay, gusto mo bang makisabay? Saan mo nais humimlay? Pag nawalan ka ng malay…”
Watch his interview with Jessica Soho here:
