HOW AI-AI AND ARNELL'S SING-ALONG DAYS LED TO LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP

THERE'S NO CHANCE OF feeling blue whenever Ai-Ai delas Alas and Arnell Ignacio are around. Ai-Ai and Arnell appeared on "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" a couple of days ago for "The Talk" segment.

- BOY ABUNDA

As expected, they had everyone in stitches as soon as they began reminiscing about the days working as sing-along masters in the mid-80s at the Music Box in Quezon City. Music Box was owned by the late Wowie de Dios who saw great potential in Arnell and Ai-Ai the first time they set foot inside the place as "customers-cum-artista hopefuls."

The sing-along bar was then frequented by many celebrities, and film and TV production people in the local entertainment scene.

Between Arnell and Ai-Ai, the former was hired as a sing-along master first.

"(Director) Roni Bertubin brought me there. He said that many artists and directors go there. Therefore, there was great potential for me to start a (showbiz) career," Arnell began ruminating.

"Ako naman, naniwala pero hindi naman ako umiinom talaga kaya sa nerbyos ko lumaklak ako ng isang bote ng beer. Nalasing ako kaya nag-perform ako, gumagapang ako sa stage. Wowie, the owner, was impressed, so he got me in as sing-along master," he added.

Ai-Ai, on the other hand, tagged along with her friends to the Music Box after running away from home. She was not also a drinker, so the first time she did, Ai-Ai got drunk easily, and there, she began singing on stage and dancing with one hand swaying beside her face.

"She was confident that she was doing a good performance that time, that's why people started enjoying it," Arnell said with a chuckle.