My Compadre Joey

MANILA, Philippines - I only know of one person who could write songs, poetry, scripts and newspaper columns; paint; act on TV and movies; direct TV shows and movies and yet he only learned to text two years ago. That’s my compadre Joey de Leon.

I met Joey back in the late ’60s when we were both struggling deejays. After a brief stint at the network I worked with, he transferred to ABS-CBN. I saw less of Joey when he left but we maintained contact throughout the ’70s as both of us got involved with the OPM revolution writing songs and performing live on top of our regular DJ jobs. Joey wrote songs for VST & Co., Hagibis among others and did TV/movie stints with partners Tito and Vic Sotto forming the TVJ troika while I concentrated on DJ work and recording/producing albums and commercial jingles with my partner Henry Toribio.

At the height of Joey’s movie career in the ’80s (Starzan movie series, Elvis & James series, Long Ranger & Tonton, etc.), we started working together on several TV projects like Starzan the TV series, Stay Awake, Mr. DJ, etc. Working with Joey gave me a clear insight of his boundless talent in the arts. When we shot Starzan the TV series, we didn’t have a real script, except a short story outline written at the back of a cigaret foil sans any dialogue and yet majority of the scenes we shot were in one take as if there was a full script. Starzan the TV series was on the Top 5 in TV ratings.

Joey was a pioneer of Channel 5 when it reopened in the late ’80s. When it returned to the airwaves, I produced and directed a talk show loaded with fun called Stay Awake with him and Jimmy Santos. The show ran for years and offered us the opportunity to travel everywhere, from China to the US, and shoot footage. In between, we enjoyed the stuff we loved the most like traveling, dining and the adventure of visiting new places. Three decades later, Joey still works like a horse with more weekly TV shows, writes for The Philippine STAR, paints and what have you but anytime there is an opportunity, traveling and dining are on top of his leisure list with lovely Eileen and the kids. 

That’s my compadre — the legendary Joey de Leon who is celebrating his birthday tomorrow, Oct. 14. Happy birthday, compadre. May you have a hundred more to share with us.