EDDIE PEREGRINA: THE ORIGINAL "JUKEBOX KING"

The Jukebox King (1969)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Vilma Santos, Edgar Mortiz, Esperanza Fabon, Bebong Osorio/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio

Eddie Peregrina, hailed as the original jukebox king, was only 32 when he died on April 30, 1977 at Polymedic Hospital. The popular singer sustained fatal concussions in his internal organs due to a car accident. He was on his way home from a two-day taping at ABS-CBN, when the car he was driving bumped into a doctor’s car along an underpass in Shaw Boulevard. "Daig pa raw sa sipa ng kabayo ang tumama sa sikmura n’ya," said Lyn [Lyn Salazar-singer/actress].

Eddie died exactly a month and a week later after the accident. "Lumalaban s’ya pero hindi na kaya ng katawan," she said. "He had a major operation almost every week. Our friends said that had he lived, Eddie would have been reduced to a vegetable. He couldn’t even talk because his trachea was perforated. So, even singing would be out of the picture."

Peregrina’s ending was truly ironic for an idol, who practically sang his way to success, winning in amateur singing contests like the DZXL’s "Tita Betty’s Children Show" since he was six.

The next 26 years of his life saw Eddie conquered other national singing contests like the "Tawag ng Tanghalan," worked as a singer in Japan for five years with The Blinkers band, and became the first Jukebox King of his homeland.

During the early 60’s, a singer’s popularity was practically determined by the jukebox, a coin-operated machine that can play specially selected songs from self-contained media. It was a period when fans dropped 20 centavos in a jukebox to listen to Timi Yuro’s "Crazy" or Matt Monro’s "Walk Away" and "Before You Go." Of course, Eddie’s songs like "Together Again," "Two Lovely Flowers," "Mardy" and "I Do Love You" were such national anthems and outdid their foreign counterparts not only in the jukebox market but also on the airwaves, in restaurants and well….. the local cabarets.

Eddie was already famous before Nora Aunor became a superstar. In fact, there was this show on Channel 9 that billed him ahead of Nora, "The Eddie-Nora Show (1970)."

He also did a number of films, like "Mardy" with Vilma Santos, "Memories of our Dreams" with showbiz loveteam Esperanza Fabon and wife, Lyn, "Batul of Mactan" (1974), "Your Love" (1970) and "Dito sa Aking Puso" with Nora (Aunor).

During his prime, Eddie, aside from his television show was doing one record album after another. Among his many popular songs were: "What Am I Living For?," "Don’t Ever Leave Me," "Puppy Love," "The Voice of Love," "Return to Me," "In My Little Room," "The Wonder of You," Mga Bakas ng Lumipas," You Mean Everything to Me" and "Lonely Boy."

From the article:
Eddie Peregrina: Memories of our Dreams
by Gypsy Baldovino
See article

My Darling Eddie (1969)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Vilma Santos, Edgar Mortiz, Esperanza Fabon, Bebong Osorio/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio

Mardy (1969)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Vilma Santos, Esperanza Fabon, Bebong Osorio/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio

Edong (1970)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Bebong Osorio, Esperanza Fabon, Lyn Salazar, Perla Adea, Romy Mallari/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio


I Adore You (1970)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Esperanza Fabon, Romy Mallari, Bebong Osorio/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio

I Do Love You (1970)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Vilma Santos, Esperanza Fabon, Bebong Osorio/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio

Your Love (1970)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Lyn Salazar, Perla Adea, German Moreno, Raul Aragon, Millie Mercado and Ike Lozada/ Directed by Jose de Villa

What Am I Living For (1970)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Esperanza Fabon, Delia Dolor, Bebong Osorio/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio

Songs and Lovers (1970)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Alona Alegre, Vilma Santos, Edgar Mortiz, Esperanza Fabon/ Directed by A. Gregorio

Memories of our Dream (1970)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Esperanza Fabon, Bebong Osorio, Lyn Salazar/ Directed by Consuelo Osorio

Alaala ng Pag-ibig (1971)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Esperanza Fabon and Aurora Salve/ Directed by Ernesto Navoa

Luha sa Bawa't Awit (1971)- Stars Eddie Peregrina, Esperanza Fabon, Perla Adea, Mildred Ortega/ Directed by Ernesto Navoa