Filipino pop, R&B, and rock singer Charice Pempengco rose to fame on the internet when a video of her talent show performance went viral on YouTube. Her meteoric ascent to popularity is indeed a “rags to riches” tale; after fleeing an abusive father, she and her family endured years of privation, with a young Charice relying on her singing to help her mother out financially. Ultimately, one of her fans took on the role of the Good Samaritan, posting videos of her spirited performances on YouTube and gaining her international acclaim. She soon received an offer to make an album and made guest appearances on American talk shows like “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” David Foster, a producer for celebrities like Whitney Houston, Andrea Bocelli, and Céline Dion—all of whom she looked up to—also served as a mentor to her. None other than Oprah herself praised her as the “Most Talented Girl in the World.” She proceeded to record several albums and give live performances, but her career took a hit when she came out as gay.
Early Life & Childhood of Charice Pempengco
On May 10, 1992, in Cabuyao City, Laguna province, the Philippines, Charice Pempengco was born. Raquel’s mother brought her and her younger brother Carl to live with her grandmother when they were young, leaving her abusive father behind.
When Charice was just four years old, her mother—a former vocalist who worked in a clothing factory—discovered her singing ability. At the age of seven, Charice began competing in local singing competitions, having previously started helping her mother with domestic tasks when she was six.
Her family’s financial difficulties persisted for a few more years, during which time they briefly experienced homelessness. But finally, the money she gained from singing competitions enabled them to move into an apartment where she had a private room.
Career of Charice Pempengco
Charice Pempengco competed in the Philippines’ version of “Little Big Star” in 2005, making it to the finals and taking third place. Two years later, her fan Dave Duenas posted a video of her performance on the YouTube channel “FalseVoice,” which quickly attracted attention from all over the world and catapulted her into stardom.
A Swedish record label called Ten Songs/Productions was among the first to contact her, offering her a demo recording in June 2007. ‘Amazing’, an original song, was among the seven tracks she recorded with the group.
She received an invitation to participate as a foreign act in the South Korean talent program “Star King” on October 13, 2007. Her performance of the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls” song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” went viral on YouTube.
‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ talk show host Ellen DeGeneres called Charice on after being impressed by one of her performances on YouTube. On December 19, 2007, Charice took her mother’s plane to the United States for the first time in order to perform on the show.
She returned to “Star King” on December 28, 2007, this time as the program’s “Most Requested Foreign Act.” She traveled to London, England, in April of the following year to make a guest appearance on an edition of “The Paul O’Grady Show.”
In May 2008, she received her first EP, “Charice,” from Star Records. Six cover songs and six backup tracks made up the EP, which earned a Platinum certification in the Philippines.
She was invited by Oprah Winfrey to participate in the “World’s Smartest Kids” edition of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in May 2008. Following Charice’s captivating performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” Oprah requested David Foster, a Grammy-winning record producer and star-maker, to serve as Charice’s mentor.
At the ‘Hitman: David Foster and Friends’ performance in Las Vegas on May 23, Charice Pempengco shared the stage with Foster. The concert’s vocalist, Andrea Bocelli, extended an invitation to her to come to Italy so they could sing a duet together during his birthday celebration, “The Cinema Tribute,” on July 20.
She made her second appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on September 9, 2008, during the “Dreams Come True” program, where she sang “My Heart Will Go On,” a song by her idol Celine Dion. After her show, Oprah surprised her by setting up a satellite conversation with Dion, inviting her to sing a duet with her on her upcoming “Taking Chances Tour.”
‘My Inspiration’, a full-length studio album that Charice Pempengco exclusively published in the Philippines, was released on May 1, 2009. The album had twelve tracks total, one of which was an original song named “Always You.” It also had a duet in which she performed the Helen Reddy song “You and Me Against the World” with her mother Raquel.
On May 11, 2010, she debuted her first international studio album, “Charice,” on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” She was cast as Sunshine Corazon in the second season of the musical drama series “Glee” as a result of the album’s success.
October 5, 2011, saw the early release of her second international studio album, “Infinity,” in Japan. However, due to different standards, the record was not published in America. She was a judge on the Philippine edition of ‘The X Factor’ in 2012.
On September 6, 2013, the album ‘Chapter 10’—which featured covers of contemporary songs—was published.
She completely altered her style after coming out as a lesbian in 2013 and put out one rock album, “Catharsis,” in October 2016.
Large-scale Works
The most popular record released by Charice Pempengco to date is her self-titled debut album, “Charice.” She became a global celebrity after the album, which was certified Charice Pempengco in the Philippines and Japan.
Honors & Accomplishments
Among her numerous firsts, Charice Pempengco’s album “Charice,” which debuted at No. 8, made her the first Asian artist to enter the top 10 on the Billboard 200. In addition, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame-inspired Eastwood City Walk of Fame.
Individual Life and Heritage
After being stabbed at a grocery shop in October 2011, Ricky Pempengco, the father of Charice Pempengco, passed away. Ricky was a construction worker. Even though she had not seen her father since she was a little child, she expressed her grief over his passing by saying, “He’s still my Dad after all.”
On June 2, 2013, she came out as a lesbian in an interview with Boy Abunda at “The Buzz” in the Philippines. She later adopted a “boyish” appearance with short hair and tattoos, saying that her “soul is male” in an Oprah interview. She is not, however, interested in having surgery to change her gender.
She and her partner Alyssa Quijano have lived together for a considerable amount of time. According to reports, the pair amicably split up in May 2017, which was nearly four years after they made their romance public in June 2013.
Random Facts of Charice Pempengco
Charice Pempengco remembers something from her early years that happened when she was three years old. She saw her father aiming a shotgun at her mother, but they were saved by the neighbors who broke in just in time.
She received a call from the attorney of singing icon Michael Jackson in June 2009, inviting her to join him as a special guest on his tour. She added that she was meant to sing “Billie Jean” with Jackson in two weeks, but sadly, he passed away later that month.
Net worth of Charice Pempengco
The estimated net worth of Charice Pempengco is about $1 million.