Three months after he collapsed and slipped into a coma following a performance in Baguio City, singer Arthur Manuntag, passed away on Monday.
This was revealed on his Facebook page by his one of his children, who posted, “I’m all out of words. My father has joined our Creator. I know Heaven is filled with the most beautiful music, and tonight they just welcomed one of the greatest singers in the world. Please keep him in your prayers. God bless.”
Manuntag is survived by his wife Kathryn and children Sean Paolo and daughter Jacques Murielle.
Dubbed as Mr. Crooner and the Philippines’ own “King of Swing,” Manuntag is best known for his renditions of standards by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. But he first rose to prominence in the 1990s as vocalist of the jazz showband Second Wind.
He recorded several albums, two of which, “Mga Awit ng Puso,” and “My Kind of Christmas is You” (also available on Spotify), are available on iTunes. Last year, he also released the single, “Sana Muli Mapaibig Ka.”
One of the biggest highlights of Manuntag’s career came in December 2015 when he performed as the lone Asian representative at the Sinatrology grand concert at the Smetana Hall in Prague, Czech Republic. Manuntag was hailed for his performance in the concert that celebrated Frank Sinatra’s 100th birthday.
“It was yet another triumphant gig for the veteran balladeer whose self-assurance on any stage is built on years of impressing audiences with his powerful voice, pluperfect styling, charming deportment and easy-does-it wherewithal. Heavily built and at six feet tall, the pony-tailed, chinky-eyed Art Manuntag melts the hearts of audiences with what has been described as a powerful but soft and deep voice,” wrote award-winning writer Alfred “Krip” Yuson in his Philippine Star column in January, 2016.