Pilita Corrales: A million thanks to you

Pilita Corrales. Image: Instagram/@pilitacorrales

An epitome of grace, artistry and beauty, Pilita Corrales indeed touched the lives of audiences and celebrities alike during her career that spanned seven decades.

Beyond the songs she produced, the trademark backbend pose, the bouffant hairdo and shimmery ensembles she is known for, Pilita had the heart that made her one of the beloved showbiz personalities that old and new generations look up to.

Pilita was born as Pilar Garrido Corrales in August 1939 in Cebu to a Spanish-Filipino businessman father and a Spanish emigrant mother. She attended college in Cebu, then flew to Spain where she was sent to a finishing school.

Pilita later returned to the Philippines, prompted by the death of her father. She then started banking on her powerful vocals that landed her minor singing stints, until she met American magician John Calvert.

Pilita joined Calvert as his assistant and their group embarked on a journey on a yacht in 1959. This journey met a shipwreck off Arnhem Land in Australia, which made headlines in the country. While her initial features were unfortunate, this marked the beginning of Pilita making waves in the Australian media industry.

Pilita later became prominent for her distinct singing chops and conquered stages in Victoria, Australia. Pilita was respected and very much admired in the country that a street in Australia was named after her.

The Filipino-Spanish singer also made a name as the first female recording artist to land the Australian pop charts with her single “Come Closer to Me.” Pilita produced three long-playing records while in Australia in the late 1950s to early 1960s — namely “Pilita Tells the Story of Love, I’ll Take Romance,” “This Is Pilita,” and “Pilita Tells the Story of Love” — and became one of the pioneering female artists in the country.

During the mid-1960s, Pilita flew back home to the Philippines where she took on the hosting role in the Spanish radio show “La Taverna.” She captured hearts not only with her natural hosting skills but also with her performance of Spanish songs with guitar accompaniment.

Included in her musical portfolio are the 135 albums she recorded using Spanish, English, Tagalog and Cebuano languages. Her classic hit “A Million Thanks to You,” composed by Filipino musician Alice Doria-Gamilla, was translated into seven languages. She later released several more hits such as “Kapantay ay Langit,” “Dahil sa Iyo” and “Ikaw Na Lamang,” among many others.

Pilita was also a regular performer at the Clover Theater and the Manila Grand Opera House, all while staging international performances with Hollywood musical artists Sammy Davis Jr., Bob Hope, Pat Boone, Frank Sinatra and Julie Andrews, among others. She opened for the Beatles as well in the iconic rock band’s Philippine concert.

Pilita marked her film debut in the 1968 film “Miss Wawaw” and had since headlined a handful of movies. She delved into the small screen through the TV show “Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino” as well as her own program “An Evening with Pilita,” which ran from 1965 to 1972.

Pilita achieved feats including the Best Performer Award at the Tokyo Music Festival in 1972 — which made her the first Filipino to be recognized in an international music festival, a Merit Award from the FAMAS Awards, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI).

These are just a few of the numerous accolades she was honored with, proving her deserving of the moniker “Asia’s Queen of Songs.”

“As long as there are people who want to listen to me, and as long as the Lord gives me good health, I will continue,” Pilita said in a 2017 interview, underscoring how she never considered performing as a chore.

“The passion has to be there, always. Because otherwise, you won’t be able to deliver as you should,” she remarked.

But aside from the many hats she juggled as a showbiz personality, Pilita was a dear mom to her children Jackie Lou Blanco and Ramon Christopher Gutierrez, and a loving grandmother to her celebrity grandchildren including Janine Gutierrez and Arabella Davao.

Pilita Corrales (left), Ramon “Monching” Christopher Gutierrez and Jackie Lou Blanco | Image: Instagram/@jackielou.blanco

“Coming kami from a Spanish family pero very down to earth ‘yung mom ko. My mom started young. She worked her way to where she was pero never niya kaming pinalaki na maging mayabang,” Blanco said in a 2024 interview.

“I think ang blessing siguro for me was my mom… Survivor kasi ‘yung mom ko. She’s gone through so much,” she continued. “So that’s something that I remember na parang naging gabay ko whenever I would go through something difficult in my life.”

Janine, who admires and holds her “Mamita” in high regard, has, meanwhile, co-produced a documentary on the veteran singer’s life. Details about the project, including its release date, have yet to be made public as of this writing.

“I’ve always felt a deep responsibility to help preserve Mamita’s amazing legacy and I hope this project becomes another way for younger generations to learn about her story—not just as a legendary performer, but as a woman who defied expectations and truly paved the way,” the younger actress said.

Corrales’ death was announced by her family on Saturday, April 12. She was 85.