Background
Mercado was born on August 20, 1938.
Mercado was born on August 20, 1938.
Known for his signature voice, he earned himself the title, "Frank Sinatra of the Philippines". One of the earliest shows that Mercado hosted and for which he gained fame and popularity was the Darigold Jamboree (1969) Bulilit Contest on Channel 11 which he co-hosted with Leila Benitez. During his time, Mercado was the most sought-after host of beauty contests and other big events in the country.
Before he became sick, he was the regular host of Pagcor shows and big bingo events.
Richard Merk, to whom he gave a show business break, organized a fund raising concert for Mercado, held at Merk"s Bar Bistro, to support an operation to remove part of his scalp. He appeared on television shows like Pasikatan Sa 13 in 1990s.
His final television appearance was Wish Ko Language in 2006. He died at around 3:30 pm on September 18, 2006, at the Parañaque Medical Center following multiple organ failure.