Editor’s Note (12 April 2025): We are deeply saddened by the passing of Pilita Corrales, Asia’s Queen of Songs, at the age of 87. This article was originally published in 2015 and remains on our website to honour her legacy and enduring impact on both Filipino and Australian audiences.
Asia’s Queen of Song, Pilita Corrales, was renowned for her stardom in the Philippines with several hits including ‘A Million Thanks To You’, ‘Kapantay Ay Langit’, and ‘Ang Pipit’. She was known to be witty, warm, enthusiastic and entertaining, having appeared in various films, as well as shows such as ‘An Evening With Pilita’ ‘Ang Bagong Kampeon’, and as judge on the talent shows ‘Philippine Idol’ and ‘X-Factor Philippines’. Prior to her success in the Philippines, however, her career actually began in Melbourne, where she shot to fame between 1959-1963.
After completing music studies in Spain and a radio stint in Manila, Pilita met American actor and magician John Calvert, who would become her manager. It was in 1959 when the then 21-year-old Pilita joined John with his troupe of performers on his yacht, setting sail for Singapore and Australia. During their voyage, they were shipwrecked off the coast of the Northern Territory, leaving them stranded, which made headlines across Australia. Located by the RAAF after a four-day search, they were taken to Darwin by the Australian Navy. Soon after, they performed in Sydney, and then Melbourne, where they were received with fanfare.
The young Cebuana was first introduced as the magician’s assistant, but became quickly known for her individuality and charm as a singer. She was featured on the popular TV shows ‘Club 7’, and ‘In Melbourne Tonight’ (hosted by the King of Australian TV, Graham Kennedy and Bert Newton), where she eventually had a regular appearance. She captured the attention of Australians interested in the attractive foreign performer with an intimate, romantic and delicate voice who would perform in English, Spanish and Filipino.
Local record producing company, Astor Records’ first ever pressed records were the single ‘Speak Low’ and the album ‘Pilita Tells The Story Of Love’ in late 1959. Pilita’s music became a hit on the airwaves when she became the first female recording artist in Australia to score a hit with the single ‘Come Closer To Me’. Aside from Melbourne, she made appearances in Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide and in regional Victoria. Pilita was regarded as the most popular vocalist to appear on live TV in Melbourne in 1960, and TV stations Channel 7 and 9 battled to have the performer on their programs throughout the week. She has been dubbed as one of the ‘Great Dames of Victorian Radio and Television’ and has also had a street named after her in Forest Hill in Melbourne’s east. Pilita returned to the Philippines in 1963, after her family, who had migrated to Australia, decided to move back home. To this day, older generation Australians still recall Pilita as a star of their youth.
Pilita’s trademark backend – swaying hips, remarkable singing voice, and glittered dresses – continued to appeal to audiences throughout her career spanning six decades.
Pilita Corrales performed in Melbourne on 15 August 2015, in a sold-out concert produced by Oyster Productions at the Village Green Hotel in Mulgrave. It was one of several shows she held in Australia over the years, warmly embraced by Filipino-Australian audiences. Pilita performed her single Come Closer To Me (Acércate Más) live especially for her Melbourne audience at this concert: