Hotdog founding member and OPM icon Dennis Garcia passes away

Barely two years after music fans were shocked by the untimely demise of OPM icon Rene Garcia of the band Hotdog, his older brother and musical collaborator Dennis Garcia passed away on Saturday. Garcia, 69 is survived by his wife Pam and their three children Angela, Paolo and Isa.
Garcia’s youngest daughter Isa posted the news about his passing but did not reveal the cause of death.
Comprising the band’s formidable 1-2 punch, Rene and Dennis Garcia collaborated in writing most of Hotdog’s biggest hits like “Ikaw ang Miss Universe ng Buhay Ko,” “Manila,” “Annie Batungbakal,” “Bongga Ka, Day,” “Langit na Naman” and “Beh Buti Nga.”
Garcia or Mr. D as he is often fondly referred to also co-wrote the song, “Pers Lab” with original Hotdog bandmate, Mon Torralba. On his own, he wrote “O Lumapit Ka,” a solo hit for Hotdog’s female singer, Ella del Rosario and “Ikaw Pa Rin,” a Tagalog adaptation of Chris Montez’s 1966 hit, “There Will Never Be Another You” that was a smash for Tito Mina.
Hotdog was a big part of what is considered as the golden age of Original Pilipino Music as they pioneered a sub-genre called the Manila Sound which initially consisted of syrupy love songs that appealed to young music fans during the mid-1970s. Refusing to be pigeonholed, Hotdog’s sound evolved over the years as the Garcia brothers began to embrace other emerging genres including Pinoy Rock (with the song, “Bandang Pinoy”), disco (with “Annie Batungbakal,” “Meowww,” and “Bongga Ka Day”) and even new wave (“Beh Buti Nga”).
The band underwent several line-up changes but the core duo of Rene and Dennis remained as its nucleus. Even when their hitmaking days were already behind them, Hotdog remained a sought after act in the live circuit. Over the last 10 years, the band headlined well-received and often sold out “reunion” concerts.

By
Edwin P. Sallan Business Mirror