Kuya Gary's real name is Edgardo Jose Santiago Valenciano. How did you come up with Gary V? Gary? That's a good question. My parents never really gave me a solid answer. All I know is that they wanted a Spanish name. Because of "Valenciano." It's not Valenciano. It's Valenciano. In Puerto Rican, it's with the "th". And my mom was in love with an actor by the name of Gary Cooper. And did you know that when Kuya Gary was growing up, he was very playful and curious as a kid. I was something else that rhymes with bully. I was naughty. Very, very naughty. Mischievous. I wouldn't drink in school. I wouldn't smoke in school. I wouldn't say bad words. I wouldn't argue with the teachers and all. But, what I do as a kid were quite daring. Growing up, what was your dream? Wow. My dream was everything I am not today. I wanted to be, the typical, doctor, architect. Those were the Top 2. When did you start singing? When I was a kid, my mom already said that I was singing. Because I'd sing whenever a visitor comes to our house. Maybe, I was seven years old. The first song that I ever sang in front of her was the song "I Believe." I believe for every drop of rain that falls... Something like that. And she heard it. That was just nothing yet. But when I sang that song, my mom already said, "He's probably going to end up in entertainment." And the rest is history. That's when I found out I could sing. But I never thought in my life that I'd reach this point. Being 38, 37 years in the industry. How about dancing, Kuya Gary? Okay. You were young too when you discovered you could dance? Yeah, when I was a kid, I wouldn't really say I'm a dancer. But I could move. When I was in high school, I was a senior, I'm with the Kundirana of La Salle Greenhills, Michael Jackson did the moonwalk. And I remember, everyday, I would go to the studio where we rehearse and I would be practicing the moon walk all the time. Until one of my classmates saw it. He said, "Dude, can you do that again?" So I did it again. "A little more." "No, no. You already did it good the first time." So from that time on, I was given those dance moves. But our moves before were simpler. When was the first time you sang on TV? I was in my senior year in high school. Tita Pilita Corrales and Jackie Lou Blanco, there was a television show called, "Pilita and Jackie." So, Kundirana was invited to perform. But after that performance, a few days after, Tita Pilita came to me. I think it was my sister, Diane, and then Tita Pilita said, "Do you think your brother can come back to the show?" "But, as a soloist." I said, "Okay." But still, at that time, that wasn't it. That still wasn't your dream? You still weren't convinced that it's your path? I was a singer, performer- No. It was like, "Okay, fine, I'll perform." Because I liked it. But I never thought it would be my passion. So when did it come out? That it became the passion. This is what I want to do. We didn't have social media before, right? So, it's all word of mouth. "Do you know Gary Valenciano?" "Who's that?" "The one from La Salle." "He's a friend of my friend." "Okay, so, can we invite him to sing in UP, La Salle, and Ateneo?" Campus tour. But I'd have a cassette with me. What songs did you sing that time, Kuya Gary? Michael Jackson? No, I did not have Michael Jackson's because I'd only buy minus one tapes in Unimart. I had a record player and then I'd put it in the cassette. That's it. So I would sing songs of Basil Valdez. So I would sing songs of Ric Segreto. I would do songs of James Ingram. And those were the songs I would do. So what happened was... This was the turning point. I came out in a school called "ICA." Immaculate Conception. And in this school, they wouldn't put me in the opening or closing of the show. I'd be there and-- "Gary, you're going to sing this part 'cause it's going to fit the whole program." For me, there was no such thing. As long as I am there, I'll sing. But this time, they were really saying, "This is the concept of the show." Okay, I stood out there. Idilat ang mga mata. Masdan mo ang mundo. Wala ka bang napapansin sa kapaligiran mo. At that point, no one was cheering. But some people were just listening. And I was singing and I was saying, "Wait. I'm singing." I'm not entertaining anymore. I'm actually able to speak in the form of something harmonious in the form of something melodious. And there I was, creating an impact that I never thought I could do. Because the feeling was different after the performance. It wasn't about the cheering. It was more, wow. And that's what they did. I remember talking to my sister and saying, "Diane, I think this is where I want to go." To being a solo performer. You want to pursue this career? Yeah. That was it. There were offers to be part of a band too. It was supposed to be me, Randy Santiago and Juan Miguel Salvador. We were supposed to make up a band. But that event in ICA changed my whole perspective. And then you were launched on TV. How was Gary V launched? What I remember, clearly, was the one of Martin and Pops. I think it was Penthouse Live. It was so memorable Toni because the first time I stepped out there, I already got fast-paced songs. Songs of Al Jarreau. I went to GMA 7. And Martin Nievera looked at me. "Gary? Okay Gary." "Pops, this guy's going to knock you off your feet." Stuff like that. "We'll going to come back with him in a while..." Then, commercial. While in the commercial, I was standing there. The producer came down, Ronnie Henares. He said, "Gary, right?" I said, "Yeah." "You might want to go upstairs." "Because there seems to be a problem with your open reel." Oh, shocks. So I went upstairs. What happened was... there were only two songs that would come out. Just one side-- Because there's a long process to it. The previous recording on that tape wasn't completely taped over. So it was more complicated. A mess. There were two songs playing at the same time. That's not good to play. Really not. So imagine, I was already standing on stage. I was on standby. Suddenly, "I'm sorry, but you can't perform tonight." "You'll have to come back next week." I said, "What?" "Okay, fine." I was so embarrassed. At that time, At that time, everybody had a crush on Pops Fernandez, including me. So I was there on stage and I saw her. I said, "I'm going to perform this song and there she is." And then I exited and never came back. But, I really believe that God works in mysterious ways. The next week before my return, Juan Miguel, my good friend, called me and said, "Gary, I want you to hear something." He made me listen to something. The original minus one of Al Jarreau's song that I wanted to sing. I said, "How did you get this?" At that time, there was a gadget called, "vocal eliminator." Where you could take out the voice. So he gave me the minus one. So now, I went with the open reel that was correctly recorded. Then I performed. And you know Toni, it was for me, the first time that I was able to let out something I couldn't before. In the beginning of the song, there is... I mean, it just felt like it was me. And I was in a show where I am appreciated for what I do. So Martin was there. Pops was there. And I got to sing the song. And after that, the rest was history, wasn't it? It continued from then on. So at 17 was the first big launch. And 18, word of mouth says you have to hear Gary Valenciano. There's this new young guy who's a great singer. But at 19 years old, something happened that really changed your life. You became a father. I became what people and the media called an "unwed father." I was quite lost as a young boy, rushing to be a young man. Being given all the responsibilities of being the entertainer I was becoming. And it was 2 weeks before my first major concert at the Araneta Coliseum called "A-Live". Gary Valenciano. "Gary V" wasn't a thing yet. Gary Valenciano, A-Live. And I will never forget how the meeting went with me and my management. Because there were tabloids already. "Unwed father, who will it be?" And there are three blurred faces. My face, Raymond Lauchengco's face, - and Martin Nievera's face.
- Like a blind item. Who will it be? And I remember driving to St. Scholastica for a performance with my cassettes. And then a newsboy with tabloids knocked. As if saying, "Is this you?" And I was like that. That's when I experienced my first major hypoglycemic episode because of all the stress that I was getting from the media. And all the media wanted to do was to know the truth. So when we went with my management team... I still remember it. They were talking. And I was just listening to what they're saying. And couple of the plans were, number 1, maybe Angeli can go to Australia and have the child. Let me just name the child, Paolo. Maybe she can just have Paolo there because, he has cousins there. So that Gary's career is preserved. The other one was, "Look, just go to the States." "Gary, your family's there." "You can take Angeli with you and have the child there." "Then you can just come back." But somehow Toni, in me, there was no peace because, "That's my child." "Why am I going to hide?" My son might ask me when he grows up, "Dad, is it true that you wanted to hide me because it was a mistake and you didn't want to face it?" And thank God that didn't happen because I told my team. My sister, Diane, looked back at me and said, "You know, we're talking here." "Why don't we ask Gary what he should do." Because I was having a press conference. And we all know it was going to be brought up. They wouldn't ask about the concert. They will ask about Angeli's pregnancy. And they looked back at me and asked me, "Gary, what do you think you should do?" And I said, "You know, I think we should just tell the public the truth." And let's use the first major concert as a gauge. If it's not filled up, then I get Angeli and let's go to the States. Whatever, it's done. My career is done. And then, here comes the press con. And I'll never forget the late Ricky Lo, "Is it true?" I'm like, "Yeah, it's true." "Aren't you afraid that your fans will leave you?" "Many of them will." And I was saying, "Yeah, we'll see what happens on April 13." Friday the 13th. 1984 So here comes the concert. Of course, it was out in the news. It's Gary Valenciano. He's going to become... And I'll never forget after the prayer, my sister, Gina, comes in to the room. She's crying. I said, "Gina, why are you crying?" "We're sold out." You know, when I heard that, I was like, "We're sold out." Okay, alright. I have to walk all the way up. At that time, whenever the lights close before a concert starts, people would scream and cheer. There was none for this. There was, but it wasn't as loud. Because I think, Toni, a lot watched because they were curious. "Who's this Gary Valenciano they're talking about who's about to become an unwed father?" "He got his girlfriend pregnant." "But he's a good performer they say." "Let's watch him live." So that's why people went. And I went all the way to the top. And the first song was "Brand New Day." "Can you feel a brand new day?" And I remember when I heard the music-- Sorry, my hair's standing. But when I heard the music start, that's when I heard it. Then I came down. I was like, "Everybody look around 'cause there's a reason to rejoice, you see." My opening number had two guests; Sharon Cuneta and Zsa Zsa Padilla. Talk about a brand new day. And from that time on, it continued. What was that feeling like holding Paolo for the very first time? I will never forget that day because I had a concert. He was born sometime in the afternoon. And when I held him, I wanted to go to the media and say, "I know my career may be over." "Maybe I'm done." "Everything you say might be true." "But, do you have this?" "This is my son, Paolo." And then from there, I had to go to the airport and leave. When I got there to Iloilo or Cagayan De Oro, I told them. "I know, you've read all the news but today, my son was born." "My son, Juan Paolo Martin, was born." To hold your son or a child for the very first time, it's beyond proud. Proud is an understatement. It's an overwhelming sense of joy. You have the worries of, "I hope I become a good father." "I hope he makes the right decisions in life later on." But all of that is put aside when you actually feel the warmth of your son, of your child, or your daughter in your arms. And he's your first born. How did you juggle all of that? You're father, a husband, a performer. You know, that's all by God's grace. What happened to me was the total opposite of what the media said would happen to me. Media said that that's the end of my career. No, it actually catapulted because instead of me coming out, "Ah, well, my career is over," I came out and "Come on, let's continue to have fun." Apparently, a lot of people understood our situation too. I mean, there was a time we were just sleeping on mats on the floor. Our curtains were tabloids, old newspapers. That's how we started. That's, what I think, grounded me. What made me realize that, "Look, you have a lovely wife." "You're blessed with a lovely wife." "You have a beautiful son." "That's actually enough already." "So whatever else comes your way, just take it as part of the package." I'm speaking like this, as you notice, I'm not saying anything about God because I did not know Him yet the way that I know Him now. When did you meet God? When was the turning point? It was in 1985. This was the time when a song called "Di Na Natuto" was at its peak. Now, Di Na Natuto was a song written by Danny Javier. That became my first Tagalog single. And for some reason Toni, okay, I have a beautiful boy, a beautiful wife, a good career, but there was something missing here. I would perform. And when I would come home, "Okay, but... what if I return to that venue next week?" "Would that area be able to get a sold out concert too?" "Or, what's my next song going to be like?" "Would it be as strong as my previous one or not?" There was a lot of insecurity. And worry. And one of my biggest insecurities is one of my best friends, Martin Nievera. Everytime he would come up with a new song, I'm like, "That song is beautiful." "It's too good." So I would come and I would try to create some music. "Ikaw ang lahat sa akin..." And I'm like, "The voice!" I can't sound like that. Then, he would come up with "Be My Lady." All of these songs that were just so beautiful. And rightfully so, what an entertainer he was. He could make people laugh. Together with everything else, I realized I wasn't a happy man. I was not being authentic to my audience. After the show, they'd be cheering. "Yeah, good." When you get into the car going home, "Why?" "Why am I feeling that there's something missing?" So one day, November 12 of 1985, I was invited to go to my sister-in-law's house in Makati. And I knew that we'd be talking about the Lord. But people have to understand why I had to refrain from topics about Lord. One, I was an altar boy when I was young. I had a beautiful family that broke apart because of financial problems. My parents separated. And it was a perfect scenario. As in a perfect way of growing up. Until it all shattered. So I was saying, "Wait..." And then the diabetes. At 14? All at the same time. But when I was about 11 or 10 years old, with my uncle beside me, in a beach. And I think the beach was Matabungkay. That was famous before. And I remember seeing his daughter running in the beach. While she was running, there was a nursemaid holding a syringe from the back. So I asked my uncle, "Uncle, why is she running away?" "Why is she screaming?" She was crying and saying, "I don't like." And he said, "Gary, it's because my daughter has a condition known as diabetes." "Everyday, she has to take an injection." "So the nursemaid is running after her with the injection because she has to take it now." I told him, "What?" "You know uncle, that's one thing I never want to have." You were 11? Innocently, I said it. And at the age of 14, my sugar level hit 722. When it's only supposed to be between 80 and 120. Diabetic. Then I came home from the United States. And I'm leading a retreat. Of course at that point, when we say retreat, that's a holy thing. That's knowing each other, self-realization, activities. But, they're all God-centered. And during that retreat, on the last day, or the morning of the last day, my dad came to school to tell me that, "Gary, while you were here, the house burned last night." I said, "You know what, thank you but no thanks." "Bye." To God? Yeah. It was gone. But then, in 1985, with all of these things happening, there was an emptiness. And Angeli wanted me to go to that dinner because she knew that the Lord will be the center of the conversation. She knew I forgot God. Yes. I had no prayers. My brother-in-law, I knew him as a guy who rarely smiles and is not very friendly. That's just the image I had of him. But that night, he talked to me and he said, "Hey Gary, how are you?" And the first question was, "Hey Gary, so I just want to ask you a question." "Do you know who Jesus is?" And as a LaSallian, I said, "Yeah, of course I know who Jesus is." "He's the son of God." "He's the son of Mary." "He died and He rose." "I know..." His name is Vic, my brother-in-law. "Vic, I know." "Ah, that's good." But I noticed Vic's aura. His entire being was different from the Vic I knew before. Until he asked that question. "So Gary, if you die right now, where would you go?" "Don't say that we already know it." "Think about it, because I did." "I thought about it." And then I became serious with Vic and I said, "Vic, look." "I know where you're going with this conversation." "But, I'm not ready for that." "You know, maybe next week, we could talk." "I'll tell my secretary to call you." Imagine me telling my brother-in-law, "I'll tell my secretary." It'd been fine if I just said, "Vic, I'll just call you next week." And Vic responded with, "It's okay." "But what if on your way home, something happens to you?" "And it's over." "Where would you go?" And slowly Toni, I found myself getting more involved in what we were talking about. I wasn't condemned. I wasn't looked down on. Nobody told me, "Oh, you're going to hell because..." No, it was just a calm, genuine care from my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law in talking to me about Jesus. And that night, we said a very simple prayer. No lightning, no thunder, nothing was going on around me. But there were a lot of things going on in me. And that night, I accepted Jesus into my heart as my Lord and my savior. And from that time on, my songs slowly transformed. I don't force myself to write songs like "Take Me Out Of The Dark." or "Gaya Ng Dati." It was actually written for me. Lord, you know, use me like you did before. I'm here again. But I don't force myself to do that. It's just the nature of my heart now. Write music that can speak to people either now, or next year, or in years to come. 2018 2018 was a hard year. It was almost a heartbreaking year for me, literally. April 22 or April 23 of 2018, I was celebrating my anniversary. And I was going to dance with Darren Espanto, Iñigo Pascual, and Gab Valenciano. In the opening of the song, I felt this pain... I was there, "Hey everyone, how are you doing?" "Welcome to ASAP." "Okay, we are going to celebrate here. We'll dance our hearts out!" Dance! Stride! But there was something that's not right. It was scary because I knew there was something wrong. Was it a heart attack I was going through? Was it just muscular pain and all? I had myself checked after. My blood pressure was high. The stress test itself showed... My doctor was out that time. He was in Japan. When I was in the stress test, the paramedics called my doctor already to tell him in Japan, "Doc, the readings don't look good." After the stress test, I performed poorly on that stress test. He called from Japan. And he goes, "Pards, looks like we have a problem with your heart." "I want to see you when I get back." "We'll conduct some tests." So he came back and conducted a test. And that's when he saw it. I remember being on the bed and I look like that. He goes, "You see that?" "That's 95 percent blocked." It is very fortunate Gary that that did not rupture while you were performing. I said, "Okay." "But I cannot do a stent procedure." "I have to open you up and do a bypass." "Sure, it's okay." I'd be sedated then. "Bypass... that's okay." And with the bypass, they don't cut you open. They kind of break you open because it's full of bones. Then they take the heart out. And then I think that they stop the heart. Then they cut me here on the leg to get another artery to make a bypass. That's intense. When I found out what it was... Major operation. Yes. But it's done all the time, And I must say, I had the best doctors with me. So I went in and I'll never forget how I was-- Was it the wheelchair or the bed? And I saw my kids and they all hugged me one by one. It was kind of moving for me but at that point, there was no anger. Okay Lord, you know what's going on. You know what's happening. Peace. There was peace. I found myself in the palms of His hands. And that for me, is the safest place to be. Because safety is not in the absence of danger, it's being in the presence of the hands of the Almighty. So, I was healed. And suddenly, I started to build up fluids in my left lung. Which they say, happens 30% of the time to patients who undergo bypass. So I went to the doctor and the doctor said, "You know what, let's have a CT Scan so we could find out what really happened." They examined the whole upper part of my body. He said that what happened to my left lung was fine, because of the 30% frequency of happening. "But I'm more concerned with what's happening to the right side of your body." And I said, "Why?" "That's your kidney, Gary." I said, "Okay. And?" He goes, "I'm a cardiologist, Gary." "But there are too many diabetics that have come to me after a CT scan with their kidneys looking like yours." "You have cancer in the kidney, Gary." So when you heard that it's cancer? Up to now, Angeli is looking for the right word to describe how I look. It's not scared. I think it was more shock and awe. But when the doctor says you have it, it's different Toni. Again, it's like I went like this. And behind me was His hand again. When I was being rolled in, again, to the same operating room for the kidney... I think this was in May 6 of 2018. This was June 13, Less than a month. No breaks, right? So I went in. I was put in a room where they left me and they prepared everything. And I'm just inside this curtained room. And I remember talking to HIm and I'm saying, "Lord, I'm here again." And it's as if He knew everything I had inside me. And if I can put a picture to it, It's like he sat on my bed, folded His hands, and said, "Yeah." "And I'm here again too." That again, gave me peace. Did you ask why? The "whys" came after. It's not "why" because of the bypass and the kidney, but it was more, "Why do you work this way?" "Why must people go through this in order to learn who you are?" And sometimes, there's no answer Toni. There's no, "Because it's like this..." No, it's more just peace to know, "I know why and you don't have to know why, Gary." "Just trust in me." "But trust in me with all your heart." "Don't lean on your understanding." It's your song. Correct. That's when it becomes so real. That's why everytime I do "Take Me Out Of The Dark," it's never a performance. I'm speaking based on experience. I'm singing based on truth that I want to share with others because it's meant to be true in other people's lives as well. When was the last time you cried? It's been a while. It's been a while since I cried to God. But there was a time I was in this room. I looked at my life and I looked at it from my own eyes. Like looking in the mirror and not liking what you see. That's when I wept here in this room. And I just came down here and I couldn't even talk. There's no, "Lord, forgive me." No, it's more of... You can't say the words anymore and you just weep. That happened in 2019. There were also times when I wept before the Lord. When I would know that my Kiana... My children are open to talking about these things because they know it can help others. But Kiana suffers from depression. And Gab also does. So sometimes, they don't see it. But after they come from here and we talked and all, then I come down here then I think of what they're going through. They live alone. So... I can only imagine what's that like. That really brings me to tears. But, the enemy's alive. And he's meant to steal, to kill, and to destroy. To steal your dreams. To kill your visions. You know, all of these things, he does 24/7. And he always does it here. This is where it all starts. The playground. This is his playground. This is our battlefield. How did pray.com come about? Okay, pray.com was another thing. I'm so thankful because that happened during the pandemic. When ABS-CBN was shut down. There are no more live shows. So you're thinking, "What am I going to do now?" But thank God for technology like what you see here that allows me to reach the world. Like what you're doing now. Then one day, Angeli comes to me and says, "Gary, thank God because the number one bible app in the world, the group called "pray .com", they want you to be part of what they do. I said, "What do they want me to do?" "It's something like what you used to do in the house." "What do you mean?" "The little bible stories that you used to read at home, they want you to do something like that." "Really?" So it's a different me. It's still me, but it's me minus the singing. But it's my voice. And there's also another content that I did call "Morning Gratitude". So you wake up in the morning. And the first thing you do is just thank God for what's about to come. What's about to take place. Yes, we're talking about gratitude. In your 3 decades in the industry, what are you most grateful for? It's one word, but in that word, is everything that has made me who I am that is continuing to make me who I still need to be, but it's in that one word that I should no longer have. Life. It's just that I'm thankful for the life I have today. Toni, when I was diagnosed when I was 14 years old, the doctor told my mother, "Mrs. Valenciano, a type 1 diabetic is given an average lifespan of 30 years from the day of diagnosis." I was 14. So, if you do the math, I should've died at around 44. Or maybe I got to 48, but with eyesight problems, nerve endings and all. I'm 57. And I'm not ashamed to tell people how old I am because I'm not living on borrowed time. I'm living on His time. What you said is very beautiful Kuya Gary. "We are living on His time." So when the time comes that you graduate from earth, and you meet your creator face to face, what do you want to tell Him? Okay, I think I'm going to be speechless. Because it is also written that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those that love Him. But maybe the first thing I'll tell Him is... I'm sorry. That's the first thing I'll probably say to Him. Sorry because of the many times that I could have what I should have. I could have done this but I didn't do it. I should have done this, I should have done that. But I didn't. That's probably the first thing that I'm going to say. I don't need to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Because I don't think I'm there yet. What do you want people to feel when they listen to your songs? It's like an open door in a dark room. That's how I want people to feel. As if they are in their world. They may not even believe that there is a God that exists and loves them. But when they hear my music, I want that door to open up and they see the light, even just a bit. And they're drawn to it. The light not being me. The light being Him. How do you want people to remember you? There was one king in the bible who probably was the most sinful because he was a murderer. And yet among all kings, this is the king that God said, was a man after my own heart. I like to be remembered as, "Gary, he was far from perfect--" "But he pursued the excellence of God." When I'm gone, I'd like the music to continue to reflect not just who I am, but to reflect the desire of people to know who this God is. Who I've spoken of for so long. And I think that that's not an impossibility. But that's how I'd like to be remembered.
