Addicted to music and foot massage

John Ford Coley (below, with former First Lady Imelda Marcos and the author) will have his share of foot massages and his fans, a taste of his music when he embarks on his second Asian tour starting June 11 at the Heritage Hotel Ballroom

MANILA, Philippines – “Yes I admit I’m addicted and it’s all Steve O’ Neal’s fault” — John Ford Coley

Before you get any funny ideas, John Ford Coley’s addiction is not to drugs or substances but to “foot massages.” The pleasant addiction began when we went on an Asian tour called Love Is The Answer last year. The schedule was so hectic I had to think of a way to alleviate his stress and anxiety. And what better way to remedy it but with a good foot massage? It eases tension, relaxes the body and promotes blood circulation.

When I broached the idea to John, he showed some reluctance. But once he got a taste of it, that all changed. In fact by his third foot massage, he was already looking forward to it as early as breakfast time. I would even swear it made his singing better. The first massage he had was at Mall of Asia, then Singapore, then Kuala Lumpur. By the time we got to Bangkok, he was having it twice a day. In Hong Kong and Xiamen, he made sure he got his dose, too. At the end of the tour, he intimated that he would go through foot massage withdrawal because it wasn’t popular in his hometown in Tennessee. I swore that he would return in 2009 for another tour of foot massage salons and maybe some concerts on the side.

Because last year’s performances in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Davao, Tacloban and Cebu were sold out, we decided to do an encore of the tour. This June, John will have his share of foot massages and his fans, a taste of his wonderful music when he embarks on his second Asian tour. John is already excited about the tour because besides the foot massages, he will be interacting with several popular artists like Julienne Taylor, a popular Celtic singer from Scotland; Susan Wong, Hong Kong’s hit star and our very own Olivia and Faith Cuneta.

Also on this tour, John will pay tribute to his singing partner England Danny Seals who recently passed away.

Included in his repertoire are the hits Just Tell Me You love Me, Sad To Belong, I’d Really Like To See You Tonight, We’ll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again, Love Is The Answer, Nights Are Forever, Love Is The Answer, Soldier In The Rain, Part Of Me Part Of You, What Can I Do With This Broken Heart plus solo efforts like Longer, Leader Of The Band, Sometimes When We Touch and more

Catch John Ford Coley Live at the Heritage Hotel Ballroom on June 11; Subic Bay Convention Center, June 12; Pagcor Tagaytay, June 13; and Ynares Sports Arena Pasig, June 26. Tickets are available from Ticketworld (Heritage hotel show) and Ticketnet (Ynares Sports Arena show).

The concert is presented by Steve O’ Neal productions in cooperation with Manila Bulletin, Heritage Hotel — the official residence, PCSO, SBMA, Venezia Hotel Subic, Pagcor Venezia, Business Mirror, Face & Figure Centre Manila, Hard Rock Café, Hub Executive Lounge, Perez Optical, ABS Virgin Coconut Oil and RJ100FM.