Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tells audiences at a forum that she once had a crush on 1950s singer Fabian.

MANILA - He may not be as famous now, but American singer Fabian can still count U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as one of his biggest admirers.

In a dialogue held at the University of Santo Tomas on Friday morning, Clinton answered questions from Filipino students nationwide - including queries about her love life.

Asked whether she has a crush other than her husband, former president Bill Clinton, she replied: "Yes. But I don't think I can go any further."

Well, she eventually did.

"Many, many, many years ago, when I was young, there was a singer in the United States whose name was Fabian. Some of you who are my age remember," Clinton told audiences at "The Manila Forum", which capped Clinton's 2-day visit to the Philippines to boost US-RP relations.

America's highest-ranking Cabinet member added that she was once the "president of the Fabian fan club."

"There were 3 of us in it. But we took it very seriously," she said.

Who is Fabian?

Singer Fabian Forte. Photo taken from his official website.

A teenaged Fabian (born Fabiano Anthony Forte) shot to fame in the 1950s to the early 1960s with chart-topping songs like "Hound Dog Man", "Turn Me Loose," and "Tiger."

He was reportedly discovered by music executives who wanted a good-looking, talented teenager from Philadelphia.

In 1958, when Clinton was aged 11, a 15-year-old Fabian won the Silver Award for "Most Promising Male Vocalist of 1958."

His singing career ended in the 1960s, however, when his record company was accused of doctoring Fabian records to make his voice sound better than it did.

Despite the setback, Fabian appeared in a series of films throughout the 1960s, and even posed for Playgirl magazine in the 1970s.

Clinton, meanwhile, went on to have a successful political career after graduating from the Yale Law School. She was the US First lady from 1993 to 2001, and was a Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009.

In 2008, she campaigned for a Democratic Party nomination as president of the United States, but lost to current US President Barack Obama. She was sworn in as Secretary of State last January. She handles foreign affairs.

'Light questions' slammed

Activist groups who held protests outside the university while the "Manila Forum" was ongoing, criticized the type of questions asked of Clinton, saying there are heavier issues at stake than her crushes or favorite sports teams.

At the dialogue, Clinton was asked a variety of questions, from human rights issues to health care, and even her bet for the upcoming boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.

Terry Ridon, secretary-general of the League of Filipino Students, said that although "light" questions serve to humanize Clinton, crucial issues like the US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement were not addressed fully.

Clinton started her diplomatic visit to the Philippines by visiting typhoon victims in Marikina and meeting with senior Philippine officials. (see a map of Clinton's international travels here)

Her last visit to the country was in 1996, when she accompanied then president Bill Clinton on a state visit. Photo from the official Fabian Forte website www.fabianforte.net.