Filipino-born singer, actor and TV star Jake Zyrus was known as Charice Pempengco before 2017 when he transitioned to the male gender. Like Charice, he released a self-titled studio album Charice in 2010 which was his first international album. The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and in doing so, it became the first album by an Asian solo singer to break into the Top 10 of the chart.
His second international album Infini was released in 2011 with the collaboration of several world famous musical artists. Also an actor, Pempengco had a role in the hit comedy series Glee. She has also served as a judge in the Filipino version of The X Factor as well as other talent competitions.
Charice Pempengco (Jake Zyrus) Biography
Jake Zyrus was born Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco on May 10, 1992. He was born and raised in Cabuyao, Laguna Province in the Philippines. He was raised by his mother Racquel. His father was Ricky Pempengco. Growing up as Charice, she took an early interest in music and entered as many singing contests as she showed up. She participated in one such Little Big Star contest in 2005 where she reached the show finals and eventually finished as 2nd runner-up. She became very famous after her successful release on Little Big Star and she appeared in several TV shows and local commercials afterwards.
Charice Pempengco became an internet sensation and also rose to international prominence in 2007 when a series of her performances posted on YouTube garnered no less than 15 million views. Her online fame has opened a wider door for her as she has been invited to perform on several notable platforms even beyond the shores of her home country. She has performed on the South Korean talent show Star King, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America as well as in The Paul O’Grady Show in London. She also performed for the President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Their debut EP Charice was released in May 2008 and commercial success was huge as the company achieved platinum certification in the Philippines less than a year after its release. Similarly, his 12-track studio album My Inspiration was released in May 2009 and it was certified platinum in December of the same year. This was followed by his international debut album Charice which was released in May 2010. The album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 8 and as a result, Charice became the first Asian artist to have a song in the top 10 of the table.
Charice Pempengco released a Christmas EP Adult Christmas List in November 2010. Her second international album Infinite was released in October 2011 and featured contributions from international music stars such as Bruno Mars, Nick Jonas and Jason Derulo. She also released 2 other albums Chapter 10 and Catharsis in September 2013 and October 2016 respectively.
All about the Filipino singer
Charice Pempengco grew up belonging to the Iglesia ni Cristo Christian organization, however, she was baptized into the Roman Catholic religion after she turned 18 in 2010. She had over 40 godparents when she was baptized, including Filipino celebrities such as Charo Santos-Concio, Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino.
His father Ricky Pempengco died aged 40 in October 2011 after being stabbed by a drunken man. Although they were separated during her lifetime, Pempengco mourned her death and canceled a planned concert in Singapore.
Pempengco was reportedly the first to release a lesbian on her 21st birthday in a Filipino newspaper. She officially came out of the closet on June 2, 2013 during an interview with Boy Abunda on the Sunday talk show. The hum. She also reiterated this fact about her personal life during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2014.
The singer started embracing a masculine hairstyle and fashion sense in March 2012. However, she initially denied rumors that she was considering continuing the gender transition. The singer debuted a much edgier look in March 2014 when she got a much shorter haircut and more tattoos on her body.
In June 2017, Charice Pempengco opened up about her transgender identity and also announced that she was adopting a new name, ‘Jake Zyrus’. He also announced that he had his breast removed and also started hormone replacement therapy. Her first television appearance after transitioning between the genders was featured on the Filipino primetime television show Tonight with Boy Abunda