Deaths lead to 'My Way' being banned from Philippine bars

The Frank Sinatra classic has been banned from many bars across the Philippines after its blamed for at least six killings

Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
(Image credit: Rex Features)

The Frank Sinatra classic has been banned from many bars across the Philippines after its blamed for at least six killings

A spate of murders across the Philippines have been dubbed ‘the My Way killings' as the famous Frank Sinatra ballad is blamed for rising violence triggered by the songs arrogant lyrics.

The deaths have led to many bars in the karaoke-obsessed country removing the song from their playlists, believing it fuels egotism and aggressive behaviour.

In most cases, the killings occurred when the singer sang out of tune and crowds jeered for them to get off stage.

Romy Baligula, 29, was famously shot dead in the city of San Mateoin in 2007 halfway through his rendition of My Way after a security guard yelled at him for singing flat. Baligula refused to take the hint and carried on regardless, only to be shot in the chest with a revolver.

The Philippines has more than one million illegally carried guns, but it's not the only Asian country blighted by karaoke killings.

Two years ago, a man shot eight of his neighbours in Thailand after they repeatedly sang John Denver's Take Me Home. They were all killed.

Rodolfo Gregorio, 63, a karaoke singer in the Philippine city of General Santos, said: The trouble with My way is that everyone knows it and everyone has an opinion. You can get killed.'

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