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.
The clamor for Hotdog to keep performing continued even after Rene’s passing in 2018 as the band continued to be booked for gigs. Just three days before his demise, an elated Dennis posted on Facebook, “Apparently, people are rediscovering Hotdog. Bookings shooting through the roof. God is good.”
Last year, Rene was honored by the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) with his own commemorative stamp along with Joey “Pepe” Smith and Rico J. Puno. In recognition of their musical legacy, PHLPost chose the three as initial honorees for its recently launched Pinoy Music Icons series of stamps.
In an interview with BusinessMirror following the announcement, Dennis said he is “proud as hell and happy that OPM heroes are finally being honored.”
At the time of his demise, Dennis continues to be busier than ever. Known for playing the bass guitar with Hotdog, he has been getting together with Pinoy Rock legend Wally Gonzalez and has been teasing a possible collaboration between them on his Facebook page.
Last year, Resorts World Manila also announced the holding of auditions for “Bongga Ka Day,” a jukebox musical based on the music of Hotdog that is set to be staged this year. In a subsequent interview, Dennis revealed over 20 songs of the group will be featured in the musical.
Also, last year, “Manila,” considered as Hotdog’s signature song was used in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremonies of the Southeast Asian games (SEA Games) at the Philippine Arena.
Dennis, who also dabbled in advertising and the visual arts said he was very proud and honored with the selection of the song he considers as his personal favorite among the countless hits he has created or co-created for his band.
“Long after I’m gone, I know the song will live on—irreplaceable and a source of pride for all Filipinos as well as for my future grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” he concluded in a separate interview with this writer.