Charice Pempengco is a vocalist from the Philippines known for singing on The Ellen Degeneres Show and other famous TV shows, as well as being a guest on various talk shows in the United States. Known for her smash hits like Pyramid and Louder, not many people know about her life story that begins with humble beginnings.
Charice was a girl who always had a beautiful voice. She joined contests constantly from the age of 7 to 13. The only difference between Charice and many other singers was the simple fact that she was not as beautiful as many other Filipinos. One of the hardest times for her would be when she would lose to other singers in local contests who were never really good but won because of her looks.
One of the most popular times this happened was when he joined the famous talent search show in the Philippines, titled “Little Big Star”. She offered young children and teenagers in the Philippines the opportunity to showcase their vocal skills and make their mark in this industry. When she first joined the show, she was kicked out at the audition entrance (without singing) simply because she “didn’t have the look they were looking for”. After negotiating, she was given the chance to audition for the show. After a lot of luck, she was able to take home third place, but the sad fact is that the winner was simply a dance singer who she won because of her charming looks.
After only two years of losing in that competition, she appeared as a guest on The Ellen Degeneres Show, and later found success with guest appearances on Oprah and a wide variety of other shows in the US.
However, it was not just his appearance that caused him problems and difficulties in the music industry; it was also the cause of having an abusive father while he was growing up. Her father abused her mother until she was three years old, and it was during this time that they moved out. With the money and fortune taken from her father, they were left penniless, having to live with Charice’s grandmother and later having to stay in a much smaller house. This was one of the biggest obstacles for Charice, her mother and her little brother Carl. Charice sang to earn money for her family where she entered contests for cash prizes, which in turn would help pay for food and lodging. It wasn’t until Charice joined big contests like Batang Kampeon (Children’s Champion) along with Little Big Star, where she would provide her little family with enough money to survive.
Charice’s story remains one of the most inspiring for me because it speaks of passion, love, power and how hard work with perseverance will pay off even when your country decides not to support you. While she is highly honored in the Philippines now that she is so successful, she only got noticed due to the success and fame of her founding in the United States. Her incredible voice is without a doubt captivating and one of the best you will ever hear. It’s good to know that she now earns millions of dollars every year from her albums and hit shows all over the world.
