Oskee Salazar died on the 6th December 1999 after prolonged illness.
Oskee was a much respected figure within showbiz circles. As columnist and radio show host he was very popular and outspoken. I was fortunate enough to meet him on a number of occasions during my visits to the Philippines, and he always made a positive impression on me. He was polite, attentive, and always put a lot of thought into everything he said.
Press
conferences were never dull with Oskee around! He often managed to take centre stage -
sometimes commanding more attention than the stars who's press conference we were there to
cover. He was a master at summing up situations, and he was never afraid to ask the
questions that others only dare think about.
Did Oskee really make such an impression at these press conferences? Well, he was the only member of the press that I went out of my way to photograph during one. To see Oskee in full flow was something to behold, and I felt I just had to capture one of those moments as one of the memories of my trip I wanted to treasure. I didn't know then that only a few months later I would be sharing them on my web pages as a tribute to his memory.
Here Oskee shows me the art of dipping your bread into your coffee - he had a sharp sense of humour, so I wasn't sure at the time just how serious he was being when he told me that was a common Filipino trait ;)
below is a picture I took of Oskee with Pilar, one of his many colleagues who were also close friends. He was well-loved by everyone who knew him, and the world of showbiz will be poorer now that he has gone.
