Danny Javier

Danny Javier
Javier in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Daniel Morales Javier
Born	(1947-08-06)August 6, 1947 Abuyog, Leyte, Philippines
Died	October 31, 2022(2022-10-31) (aged 75) Quezon City, Philippines^[1]
Genres	Pop OPM
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, actor, television host, and businessman
Years active	1969–2018

Daniel Morales Javier (August 6, 1947 – October 31, 2022), better known simply as Danny Javier (Tagalog: [ˈdanɪ ˈhabɪjɛɾ]), was a Filipino singer, composer, actor, television host and businessman. He was known as one of the members and lead vocalist of the popular musical trio APO Hiking Society along with Boboy Garrovillo and Jim Paredes, wherein he was the oldest of the group. He is regarded as one of the pillars and icons of Original Pilipino Music (OPM).^[2]

Javier coined the term "OPM" (Original Pinoy Music, Original Philippine Music, Original Pilipino Music), originally referring to the Music of the Philippines and Philippine pop songs, particularly ballads, and any musical composition created by a Filipino that became popular in the Philippines during the late '70s. The term continued to be used in following decades to refer to Filipino music popular in those decades.^[3]^[4]

Javier’s compositions include "Show Me A Smile" (1976), "Pag-ibig" (1978), "Lumang Tugtugin" (1978), "Pumapatak ang Ulan" (1978), "Kaibigan" (1978), "Doo Bidoo" (1978), "Kabilugan ng Buwan" (1980), "Princesa" (1980), "Blue Jeans" (1981), "Salawikain" (1982), "Kumot At Unan" (1983), "Di Na Natuto" (1985), "Awit ng Barkada" (1991), "Just A Smile Away" (1992),^[5] "Isang Dangkal" (1999), and his last composition, "Lahat Tayo" (2022).^[6]

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Career

Javier began his musical career in the late ’60s. He was already dabbling in performing solo and with other groups when he enrolled at the Ateneo de Manila University for college. He became part of a singing group named Danny, Mandy, and Alice, with Mandy Marquez and Alice Zerrudo. In 1970, Javier met Jim Paredes, Boboy Garrovillo, Ric Segreto, and 9 other original members of the Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society or known today as APO Hiking Society. Although he was a latecomer to the group, remember the members had been together since high school and in some cases, even grade school, Danny instantly became the lead vocalist.^[7] The group was formed and had its fledgling beginnings in 1969 at the Ateneo de Manila High School. After graduation, the majority of its members left to pursue individual careers, with only three members remaining, made up of Javier, Paredes, and Garrovillo.

In the span of their professional career, APO Hiking Society emerged as a principal adherent of the musical movement termed Original Pilipino Music (OPM), a term coined by Javier,^[8] a milieu in which their original musical contributions and cultural influence became essential. He became involved in record production, talent management and organizing artists under the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (O.P.M., acronym translation: "Organization of Philippine Singers/musicians"). The group expanded its activities into establishing and furthering the careers of new OPM artists in the Philippines.

As a television actor, Javier was part of different shows and movies such as Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising (1977), Kakabakaba Ka Ba? (1980), Blue Jeans (1981),^[9] and I Do Bidoo Bidoo: Heto nAPO Sila! (2012).^[10] Javier, with Paredes and Garrovillo, managed to host their own shows such as Sa Linggo nAPO Sila (They Are Now On Sunday), a Philippine musical-variety show that aired on ABS-CBN from December 3, 1989, to January 29, 1995, replaced by the first Talent Singing competition show Tawag ng Tanghalan from 1987–1989, and 'Sang Linggo nAPO Sila (They Are Now On All Week), a Philippine daily noon-time variety show of ABS-CBN that aired from January 28, 1995, to November 28, 1998, replacement of Eat Bulaga! and followed by Magandang Tanghali Bayan or MTB.

To date, the APO Hiking Society has released 27 albums and hundreds of songs over a career spanning four decades. Two hugely successful tribute albums were produced in 2006 and 2007 by its management group, featuring numerous young bands reinterpreting APO's expansive repertoire,^[11] included many hit songs such as "When I Met You", "Panalangin", "Batang-Bata Ka Pa", "Yakap Sa Dilim", "Pumapatak Ang Ulan", "Ewan", "Handong Ng Pilipino Sa Mundo", "Awit Ng Barkada", "Mahirap Magmahal Ng Syota Ng Iba", "Paano", "Pag-ibig", "Nakapagtataka", "Di Na Natuto", "Show Me A Smile", "Blue Jeans", "Tuyo Na'ng Damdamin", "Kumot At Unan", "Kaibigan", "Sa'n Na Nga Ba'ng Barkada Ngayon", "Bawat Bata", "Princesa", "American Junk", "Lumang Tugtugin", "Salawikain", "Doo Bidoo", and many among others.^[12]

In 2010, the APO Hiking Society, composed of Javier, Paredes, and Garrovillo decided to retire as a group after 41 years of activity. They performed a series of farewell concerts that started on February 14, 2010, and ended in May, just in time for the elections.^[13] In 2018, He retired from both singing and acting.

Personal life and death

Born in Abuyog, Leyte, Javier was the son of Leonardo "Andok" Javier Sr. of Leyte and brother of comedian George "Dyords" Javier, former actor turned photographer and government official Jimmy Javier, and former Javier, Leyte mayor and incumbent Leyte vice governor Leonardo "Sandy" Javier Jr., who also owns the Andok's Litson Corporation food chain.^[14] He attended San Beda University and Ateneo de Manila University.^[15] Singer-actress Mica Javier is his niece. Javier's siblings ex housemate from Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition 4 Nikka, Jobim, worked as a radio DJ at Jam 88.3 and as a stage theatre actor who was part of Eto Na! Musikal nAPO, a musical adaptation based on the first tribute album Kami nAPO Muna.^[16]

Javier also ventured in a T-shirt business called Pidro: Ang Saplot Ng Bayan, based on Pidro, a character he created about a man from the rural areas of the Philippines who came to Manila seeking good fortune.^[17] Pidro was selected as the official shirt of the Philippine Centennial celebrations in 1998.^[18]

After APO disbanded in 2010, Javier resided in General Santos and had been visiting the United States on a regular basis.^[19] Javier had a near-death experience in 2011 and was a survivor of kidney failure, pneumonia, emphysema, heart failure, hepatitis, diabetes and sepsis.^[20] He later became an advocate of moringa as a traditional and alternative medicine.^[21]

Javier openly supported the candidacy of Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 Philippine presidential election while he supported Leni Robredo in the 2022 Philippine presidential election.^[4]

Javier died of complications due to a prolonged illness at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute on October 31, 2022, at the age of 75, as confirmed by his daughter Justine.^[17]^[22]^[1]

Discography

Original songs by Danny Javier

American Junk (Original composed by Jim Paredes
Ang Nobyang Kong Sexy (Original composed by Jose Mari Chan)

List of Songs originally composed by Former APO Member Danny Javier

Awit Ng Barkada
Blue Jeans (Co composer with APO member Jim Paredes)
Di Na Natuto (Original by Gary V. Then also covered by APO & Noel Cabangon)
Doo Bi Doo
Isang Dangal
Just A Smile Away (Original by Jaime Gatchitorena & Danny's 2nd & last English song composition)
Kaibigan
Kumot At Unan (Also Covered by Richard Poon)
Lahat Tayo (Danny's last song composition before he died in 2022)
Lata Ang Aming Tambol (Danny's 1st original Tagalog Christmas song)
Lumang Tugtugin
Pag Ibig
Princes
Pumapatak Ang Ulan
Salawikain
Show Me A Smile (Danny Javier's 1st Original English Song Composition)
Suntok Sa Buwan