t 24, Jay-R is on top of the world. Since he launched his career in the Philippines two years ago, the local Prince of R&B has been in great demand not only as a concert performer but also as a product endorser (Suncell, Bench), and his first local album, Gameface , with the hit song “Bakit Pa Ba?,” was a chartbuster.

Born and raised in the United States , Jay-R (real name: Gaudencio Sillona III) comes from a musically inclined family. “Minsan nga, my mom sings while my dad plays the piano for hours,” he says. His three older siblings are also into music. Jay-R himself was already a full-fledged performer before he entered his teen years.

“When I was 10, I was already singing with a group and doing it professionally, like getting paid for shows. At around 13, I fell off for a year. Siyempre, you're going through your teenage years and you don't know what you want. But at 14, I got back in talaga, and I just went for it.”

When he got an offer for a network deal from GMA-7 and a recording contract from Universal Records, Jay-R jumped at the chance, even though it meant being separated from his family. “You've got to leave home to grow,” he philosophizes, “so that's what I did.”

His family, obviously, was ecstatic for their bunso. “They'd just been waiting for something like that. They were real proud. They were happy.”

When Jay-R moved from his plush condo unit in Greenhills and bought a house in the quiet community of New Manila in Quezon City , music was also an important consideration: “I got a house where I could build recording studios so I could just work at home. It's more convenient.”

The house also provides him with a little privacy. His fans had been able to locate his Greenhills condo and would often knock on his door: “Humihingi ng autograph, mga pictures.”

The title that has been bestowed on him by publicists and the press—local Prince of R&B, which would make him the Philippine version of Usher, the multi-awarded American performer—is a big load on his shoulders, according to Jay-R. “It's quite a heavy responsibility. Siyempre sa States, si Usher , we call him the Prince of R&B. I'm nothing compared to him, so parang mahirap din.”

On top of everything, JR has also appeared on two television shows, Narito ang Puso Ko and Love to Love. He was also cast as Kris Aquino's husband in last year's Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Happy Together.

And he hopes to venture into other fields! For this, his partners are friends Jimmy Muna and Christopher Lawrence, who live in this same New Manila home.

“They're really into furniture designing. Maybe we'll go into clothing. There are other things also na I wanna get into. I wanna start my own record label. I wanna buy houses! Ang dami pa!”

Then he adds with a laugh, “And I wanna have a million dollars!”

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The image of a typical bachelor's pad is one that's cluttered and messy. Jay-R's new place is not typical in that respect. The living room, for instance, has very few accessories. The only big pieces here are an L-shaped, cream-colored sofa and a leather-and-pinewood rocking chair. “I like a lot of space, so that when we throw a party, everyone's gonna fit,” says Jay-R. “I don't like it when you come into houses, parang sobrang furniture sa loob.”

Sorry to disappoint the ladies, but this much-sought-after single guy is too busy for a relationship these days. “I've got a lot of stuff going on. And there are no plans of getting married yet. Siguro later, when I'm 30 or something, I can't really say.”

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“Less is more” is again the operative principle in the dining area. The only furniture here is a glass-top round table, with matching leather chairs, and mini-bar cabinet. The singer confesses that he's not picky when it comes to food: “I eat anything. Pero I love beefsteak, kare-kare, sinigang.” It turns out that his mom Amparo cooks Pinoy meals for her family even in the States.

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On one side of the living room is Jay-R's huge Samsung television set and a display shelf for his collection of DVDs. A framed photo of his family and his two favorite caps are also showcased on the top shelf.

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In the foyer, Jay-R's numerous musical awards—including the Most Promising Male Singer trophy given by the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation last year—are displayed atop his Yamaha piano.

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Like the rest of the house, Jay-R's bedroom is very neat and clutter-free. Partly, that's because Jay-R and his housemates are all used to look after themselves. “Sa L.A., we do everything—clean, wash our cars, vacuum, sweep, clean the bathroom, wash the dishes. We're not messy or anything. We're always cleaning up after ourselves.”

In Manila , however, as Jay-R's himself concedes, he's pampered by a household staff of two. “They do our laundry, they cook for us, they wash our dishes, so we're kinda spoiled already,” he laughs.

Jay-R's taste for American furniture is reflected in his colonial-style four-poster bed with a lace canopy—something that local fans might not imagine for a singer of rhythm and blues.

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Jimmy Muna, Jay-R' friends for eight years now, occupies this bedroom. Just like Jay-R's room, it's almost bare, except for a lampshade and an aquarium placed near the bed.

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The dressing room reveals Jay-R's appreciation for leather and wooden furniture. He admits that he didn't have a concept in mind when he bought most of his things around the house.

“I just walked around and looked at the stuff that I like.”

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Undoubtedly Jay-R's favorite area is the recording studio, where Jimmy Muna and Christopher Lawrence, spend most of their free time. “We used to be in a group called FI, First Impression,” Jay-R explains. “Now we've become a production team. We just make music together.”

The studio is part of Jay-R's daily routine when he's at home: “Pag walang work, I usually wake up around 11, kain muna, then go straight to the studio, ‘tapos start making music.”

He had the studio padded: “It's pang-soundproof, kasi we don't wanna bug the neighbors.
We're here sometimes hanggang four a.m. with really loud music.”

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The hip performer's other interests are basketball and fixing cars. No wonder he go this huge F150 XLT sports utility vehicle from Ford. And take note: he purchased this vehicle from the States and had it shipped here. As you can see, it's special feature is it ultra-cool vertical doors, named after the Lamborghini sportscar.

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On the second floor is a well-equipped gym that Jay-R uses only once a month! “I work out just to gain a little muscle,” he reveals. He had the gym made because “it looks cool.” So how else does he keep fit? “When I'm onstage, I like to do fast songs, and it's parang cardio exercise already. “I'm always dancing and moving constantly.” - -