Do You Remember Spanky Rigor of VST & Co.? Where Is He Now?

One of the founding members of the iconic band VST & Co., Spanky Rigor, is now living a simple life in the United States and work as a baggage handler. The former artist is based in the US for three decades and work as a baggage handler at San Francisco International Airport. In 1988, Rigor left the group and his family started migrating to the US prior to that to pursue the “American Dream,” including his wife who went to the US in 1981.

According to a documentary by nephew Albert Samaha titled “My Uncle Spanky,” Rigor shared about his simple life after leaving the limelight.

“Sometimes they would tell me, ‘What the hell were you thinking about? You practically had it made here’,” he said.

“It was going to another dimension, another world,” he added

“Everything I see — ‘Wow, beautiful.’ I couldn’t see the dregs of life. I couldn’t even see garbage. I couldn’t even see homelessness. All I saw was, ‘Wow, what a beautiful place.'”

Spanky and his wife decided to live in Vallejo, California for good. However, the couple faced challenges due to the high unemployment at that time in the US. Thankfully, a Filipino friend helped them get a job at the airport, loading carts for airplane kitchens.

“I mean, I’m working here? I don’t even know what a kitchen looks like. And it’s dirty, cluttered, it’s a lot of people. Wow. I said, Well I’ll give it a try,” he recalled.

He also recalled nearly falling asleep as his job requires a 50-mile drive

“I nearly fell asleep at the wheel,” he said.

“Sometimes while driving I’d think, ‘Why am I doing this? I’m not supposed to be doing this but I’m doing it,'” he added.

He also admitted that going back to the Philippines cross his mind. However,

“there was a small voice in the back of my head that said, ‘You can do it, you lazy bum. It’s about time you work’.”

Rigor has no regrets in choosing a life away from the limelight and living a simple life.

“Whatever successes you do in the Philippines there’s always a price to pay,” he said.

“Whereas here in the States? At least they leave you alone to do your thing to the best of your ability,” he added.

VST & Company, popularly known as VST, is a Filipino band that was formed back in 1977. The original line up in 1978 was Monet Gaskell, Val Sotto, Spanky Rigor, Jun Medina, Celso Llarina, Roger Rigor, and Male Rigor. The group was conceptualized by comedian and senator Tito Sotto. VST & Co. is hailed as one of the most successful bands in the 1970s and considered an advocate of OPM (Original Pilipino Music). The band is known for this hit song “Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko,” “Rock Baby Rock”, “Swing It Baby”, “Disco Fever”, “Magsayawan”, “Kiss, Kiss”, “Magnifica”, and “Step No, Step
Yes.”

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