i saw Pepe around October last year when i visited a college friend of mine. He was surprisingly down to earth and even offered to sign my guitars next time we bumped into each other. I remember him being slightly annoyed with himself when he "messed up" his signature signing my friend's guitar. My friend and i didn't think it was messed up; maybe that is the artist in him saying so, always searching for that rhythm despite living a chaotic, rock and roll lifestyle. RIP.
Pepe Smith lived near our high school (aka Quazo) and during recess sometimes he would come out of his house to play the guitar at the nearby sari-sari store. Sa katagalan naming makinig nagkalimutan na pumasok sa klase, ayun absent tuloy! JPS was actualy instrumental in convincing my classmate Noel Cabangon to learn the guitar and write his songs. Well, as they say, the rest is history. Thank you for the music Pareng Pepe. Oh, yung gitara mo binigay ke Noel buhay pa rin ngayon...RIP
Pepe Smith, then James Ingram now. Our pop and rock idols of our high school years are going and gone.
