Billy Crawford: Coming home to host PDA Season 2

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BY JOSEPH PIMENTEL
ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

STUDIO CITY, California – It’s 1:15 p.m. when Fil-Am singer Billy Crawford, driving in his white BMW SUV rolled into the Marie et Cie coffee house parking lot. He arrived Filipino time – over an hour late for our scheduled interview.

Dressed in an apple lime green sweatshirt and matching shoes, Crawford looked every bit a young, hip superstar living in Los Angeles. Sporting a clean cut chinstrap, he wore a long piece of bling - a silver chain with a large cross that draped to his stomach, black shades covering his eyes, and a black baseball cap tilted sideways. His every movement exuded coolness.

“I’m sorry we’re late,” said Crawford jokingly pointing a finger at his manager Arnold Vegafria. “We got stuck in traffic. We came from Anaheim,” said Vegafria.

Fans hope there won’t be any delay when Pinoy pop star Crawford is scheduled to head back to the Philippines on May 27. In the next few months, he’s tapped to host three of ABS-CBN’s most popular shows, including Pinoy Dream Academy, ASAP, and Your Song.

ABS-CBN’s North America News Bureau sat down with the 26-year-old singer, who just celebrated his birthday less than a week ago. Crawford opened up about his new hosting gigs for ABS-CBN, current contract issues, romantic involvements, living in Los Angeles, the future of his music career, and more.

L.A. life

For the past two years, Crawford has been living in Los Angeles to pursue his music career and to be closer to his parents in Texas. After five years of living and recording music in France and 10-years in New York prior to that, he was homesick and decided to change locations.   “My parents aren’t getting any younger,” he said. “I moved here so I could be closer to them. Los Angeles, Texas, and New York – my parent’s are right in the middle.”

With his birthday passing, he admits this is a real big year for him.   Crawford said he’s just excited to go back home and work in the Philippines. “First of all it’s my pleasure to go back to the Philippines,” he said. “I’m excited to go back to the Philippines to be honest with you. No matter what I do as long as I’m back in the Philippines working – it’s all good to me. It’s a blessing.”

Crawford said he looks forward to hosting the shows. He admits to not having seen an episode of Pinoy Dream Academy and that he’s inexperienced at hosting a television show but it’s certainly a challenge he’s willing to face.  “Hosting is actually a new thing for me,” said Crawford. “I haven’t really hosted since I did my own TV show (MOVE). But it’s going to be fun. I think the most important thing is to come back to the Philippines and touch base, touch roots with the fans and the people who support me the most no matter where I am and what I do in the world.”

Besides hosting, he is working on an album (distributed by ABS-CBN and Universal) to be released worldwide some time in December, and perhaps perform with Sarah Geronimo in a concert at the Araneta Coliseum in the fall.

As to what fans should expect from Crawford’s when they see him on air, he said, “Expect a better Billy Crawford and a lot of fun times on TV. You’ll be seeing me do my thing as usual – dancing, singing and hosting. These three or four months I’m going to be in the Philippines is going to be very, very busy for me.”

But once Crawford lands in the Philippines, speculations about his contract situation will certainly arise. He’s a well-known GMA star, hosting on rival ABS-CBN shows. He is sure to add fuel to the two rival networks' battle for talent.

“I have so many things going on,” said Crawford, a bit bothered by the question. “So to come back home to the Philippines and to hear about all these contracts… you know what, God will guide me. He will bless me wherever I need to go and this is the route and the road I have to go to now so I’m excited. I’m excited to come back but the contract thing, that’s between my management and everybody else. So I can’t really add anymore input into that.”

No time for love

Crawford also dismisses rumors regarding his split with former manager German Moreno. “Kuya Germs was never my manager,” he said. “He’s been more of a guidance  for me since I was young but never did he manage me.”

Crawford did not want to discuss anything else regarding Moreno saying, “I have to speak to Kuya Germs first.”

He said he’s happy with the current state of his career and looking forward to working with superstars like Sarah Geronimo, Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis, Kim Chui, Iya Villania, and Angel Locsin at the Kapamilya network.

Crawford also knows that once he arrives in the Philippines the tabloids are going to have a field day about possible romantic involvements during his short stay. This is after all a guy who once went out with Mandy Moore.

“Not right now,” he said about current romances. “No. I’m just roaming around doing my thing. I’m just really enjoying my life right now.”  He said it’s tough to balance the rigors of his music career with a romantic relationship. “If you really care enough for that person you want to give them the time,” he said. “This business right now it’s hard to find time but it’s not that hard…I’m just way too young to be in something serious right now.”

Crawford maintains he’s just way too focused on his career to be sidetracked. He’s reached musical success in France and other parts of Europe, however, fame in the Greater UK and US have so far eluded him. His goal is to penetrate those markets.

The US is one of the hardest places to penetrate because of all the homegrown talent it produces, he said.

With all the success he’s reaped so far, expect Crawford to soon one day hit mainstream popularity all around the world especially in the US.  “I’m just going to make the best of everything we do.”