The night Martin rubbed elbows with Hollywood’s brightest stars

First, a clarification: Martin Nievera didn’t host the 2005 World Music Awards held several days ago at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, as Funfare wrongly reported. What Martin did was cover the event for On Tour, a Fox-produced show which features important entertainment events. For five hours, Martin stood on the red carpet interviewing – and rubbing elbows – with the likes of Carmen Electra, Ricky Martin, Desperate Housewives star James Denton, Carlos Santana, Kelly Monaco, top model Victoria Silvstedt, Anna Kournikova, Kid Rock, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Jennifer Tilly, Toni Braxton, Eric Roberts (brother of Julia Roberts), Antonio Sabato Jr., Nick Lachay, Snoop Dog, Rachel Hunter, Melissa Etheridge, Bai Ling (who posed nude for a recent issue of Playboy), Magic Johnson and Darryl Hannah.

Martin impressed the Fox bigwigs when he guested on two episodes of a Fox show to promote his recent concert, Unforgettable, in Las Vegas, so they asked him to host On Tour at the 2005 World Music Awards.

"What a night it was!" Martin told Funfare. "Carmen Electra stood so close to me that our colognes almost collided. She was very nice, very giving. Ricky Martin was delighted to know that I was Filipino and that we shared the same percussionist. He lingered with me and had to be dragged away while still talking. He managed to say, ‘Kumusta ka?’ Bon Jovi was the epitome of cool, just like Santana.

"I learned so much from that experience. I even watched the show (the World Music Awards) from backstage and I realized that the (Hollywood) industry is so much like ours. The same very long awards show and the same chaos backstage, with production people and the stars running here and there. Paula Abdul and I got to know each other backstage in the midst of the chaos."

After the awards ceremonies, Martin attended the victory cast party at the poolside of the famous Roosevelt Hotel also in Hollywood.

Next stop? Yes, the Fox people have invited Martin to cover, also for On Tour, the Grammy Awards in February next year.

Martin should be back any day now. On Sept. 10, Saturday, he’ll have a show at the SM Southmall. Then, he’ll fly to Guam for a show at the University of Guam on Sept. 17. He’s also in the ABS-CBN entourage which is staging ASAP in Japan on Sept. 25.

Then, what?

"I go back to the States for my ‘up close and personal’ US concert tour produced by MaxiMedia International."

He’s not busy, is he?

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