(Eagle News) — Filipino singer and OPM legend Rico Puno passed away Tuesday morning, Oct. 30, at the age of 65.
Puno underwent open heart surgery in 2015, and underwent angioplasty in December last year.
His sister-in-law, Anna Puno, expressed her grief in an Instagram post.
“Numbed with grief, I would like to call on all entertainers in the OPM Industry as well as his worldwide fans to stop for a moment and say a prayer to one of the most respected singers in the country,” she said in her post.
“I cannot help but say it was serendipitous that Starmedia prepared a solo 40th Anniversary concert for him and a US tour with the OPM stalwarts and colleagues just recently. Little did I know that this is his Final Bow in the live entertainment world. We will forever miss the TOTAL ENTERTAINER…but his songs will forever cherish in our hearts,” she said.
Various celebrities expressed their shock and sadness on social media with the passing away of the singer who had his own rendition of “The Way We Were” incorporating Tagalog lyrics in the song, and popularized songs like Macho Guapito, May Bukas Pa, among others.