TRIVIA: How Cherie Gil ended up singing this touching Jose Mari Chan song
We all know Cherie Gil as a great actress. Her name alone is enough to intimidate and excite young stars, who grew up watching Cherie in movies and TV series.
Cherie, needless to say, is in a league of her own when it comes to portraying villain and non-kontrabida roles.
But did you know that Cherie Gil can also sing?
Back in the '80s, Cherie dabbled in acting and singing, and even had a hit song in “I Love You, Boy.”
One song that is also associated with Cherie is the poignant song “Sing Me Your Song Again, Daddy” written by singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan.
In an interview with GMANetwork.com, Jose Mari vividly narrated how the song came to life.
“Cherie Gil and I were doing a back-to-back concert, I think that was in Cebu,” the prolific singer-songwriter recalled.
“During the intermission, we sat down and we began to talk about our lives. She was relating to me her relationship with her father [singer-actor Eddie Mesa]. She was special to her dad.”
Jose Mari remembered listening intently and being enthralled by Cherie's stories about her father.
“The story inspired me,” Jose Mari said.
“I told her, 'Cherie, you inspired me so much with your story about you and your father. I think I will write a song about that and maybe you could sing it.'”
Cherie, Jose Mari felt, was caught by surprise and probably didn't give much thought to his proposal.
“How will you compose a song dedicated to your father 'di ba? It's not enough to say [in a song], 'Daddy, I love you. You love me,'” Jose Mari mused.
But if there's someone suited to do the job, it's no other than Jose Mari, whose hits at the time include “Tell Me Your Name” and “Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile.”
“I was inspired that I was able to complete the song in two to three days,” he said.
It was now time to follow up on his promise to Cherie once he got back in Manila.
Jose Mari called Cherie and asked to meet her at the Santuario de San Jose Parish in Greenhills.
Armed with the lyrics, Jose Mari proudly showed Cherie the words to the song “Sing Me Your Song Again, Daddy.”
“Nagkita kami inside the church. We sat down together and I said, 'Look at these lyrics. What do you think of these lyrics?' Sabi niya, 'Wow, it's so touching. This is what I would say to my father,'” Jose Mari looked back.
Repeating the words he told Cherie back in Cebu, Jose Mari asked the actress-singer to sing and record the song.
“We recorded it and it became part of Constant Change, and it was perfect,” smiled Jose Mari.
“Sing Me Your Song Again, Daddy” would join the songs “Beautiful Girl,” “Please Be Careful with My Heart,” and “Can't We Start All Over Again” in the Constant Change album released in May 1989.
Constant Change would become the second biggest-selling album in the Philippines with more than 800,000 album sales.
It trails behind another Jose Mari Chan album, Christmas in Our Hearts, released in 1990.
Take a look at Cherie Gils “unkontrabida” moments in this gallery: