Danny Chan
Encyclopedia
Danny Chan Bak-keung was a 1980s cantopop
singer, composer and actor in Hong Kong
with origins in Taishan
, Guangdong
. Chan was of the first generation of pop idols in Hong Kong. He was already an electronic organ
player, a songwriter, an actor and a promising singer at the beginning of his career. He made a name for himself with his debut release, "Tears For You", which established him as a teen idol. Ripple, Just Loving You and What One Wants in Life
are just some of the golden hits written and sung by Chan. He is mostly remembered for his Cantonese romance ballads and high quality compositions. Chan died in 1993 after being in a coma
for 17 months.
Electone
Festival". He held his first music concert in Hong Kong that same year. His first music album, entitled "First Love," was released in 1979.
Chan subsequently signed a music contract with HK EMI
. After spending several years with HK EMI, he signed with HK Warner Brothers where he reached superstar status. In 1985, he signed with DMI, which was a joint venture between EMI and Dickson Poon
. Through EMI, Chan was able to launch several successful albums. He returned to HK Warner Brothers in the late 1980s.
Chan's career peaked in the early 1980s when he joined a music group called Warners and sang a number of hit songs such as Will Always Be Loving You (偏偏喜歡你), Take Care of Yourself Tonight (今宵多珍重) and No (不). Danny Chan was considered a contemporary to Hong Kong cantopop peers like Leslie Cheung
and Alan Tam
.
During the span of his music career, Chan held many music concerts in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Canada and the United States. Chan also participated and represented Hong Kong in song festivals such as the Nagasaki Asia Music Festival in Japan (1988), Peace Music Concert (1988), Tokyo Music Festival
(1989) and the Shanghai Music Festival in China (1991). He was also invited to perform at the Seoul
Korea
1988 Summer Olympics
opening ceremony. In 1988, he performed in the presence of the royal Thai Princess in a Thai Charity Show. In 1991, Chan announced of his decision to leave the Hong Kong music industry. He held a farewell concert in Shanghai in 1992 and subsequently retired from the Cantopop music industry.
as it was unfairly perceived in the press that his career lagged behind that of then Hong Kong cantopop superstars, Alan Tam
and Leslie Cheung
. On 18 May 1992, Chan was found unconscious and he was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. He never regained consciousness from his coma
and died 17 months later at age 35. Immediately after he fell unconscious through his death, there was much public and media speculation over the cause of Chan's condition. There were rumors that he had consumed a mixture of alcohol and drugs which led to his coma. Others speculated that he had overdosed on pills, suffered depression and had attempted suicide.
in commercials for the Tracker Fund
IPO.
A partial list of songs composed and sung by Chan:
Cantopop
Cantopop is a colloquialism for "Cantonese popular music". It is sometimes referred to as HK-pop, short for "Hong Kong popular music". It is categorized as a subgenre of Chinese popular music within C-pop...
singer, composer and actor in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
with origins in Taishan
Taishan
Taishan is a coastal county-level city in Guangdong Province, China. The city is part of the Greater Taishan Region....
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. Chan was of the first generation of pop idols in Hong Kong. He was already an electronic organ
Electronic organ
An electronic organ is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally, it was designed to imitate the sound of pipe organs, theatre organs, band sounds, or orchestral sounds....
player, a songwriter, an actor and a promising singer at the beginning of his career. He made a name for himself with his debut release, "Tears For You", which established him as a teen idol. Ripple, Just Loving You and What One Wants in Life
What One Wants in Life
This article refers to the song sung by Danny Chan. For the Leo Ku song, please see Life Expectations .What One Wants In Life is a song sung by the late Danny Chan in 1989 for the show Looking Back In Anger. The song was popular with Chinese people, so Danny released it as a singles album...
are just some of the golden hits written and sung by Chan. He is mostly remembered for his Cantonese romance ballads and high quality compositions. Chan died in 1993 after being in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
for 17 months.
Career
Chan won third prize at the "HK Pop Song Composition Competition" in 1977. In that same year, he made his acting debut with Hong Kong Television Broadcasts (TVB) through a TV drama called "Sweet Babe". In 1978, he won first prize at the "Hong Kong YamahaYamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
Electone
Electone
Electone is the trademark used for electronic organs produced by Yamaha.-History:After Hammond pioneered the electronic organ in the 1930s, other manufacturers began to market their own versions of the instrument...
Festival". He held his first music concert in Hong Kong that same year. His first music album, entitled "First Love," was released in 1979.
Chan subsequently signed a music contract with HK EMI
Pathé Records (Hong Kong)
Pathé Records is the first major record company in Shanghai, China and later Hong Kong. The company was a subsidiary of the original Pathé Records conglomerate.-History:...
. After spending several years with HK EMI, he signed with HK Warner Brothers where he reached superstar status. In 1985, he signed with DMI, which was a joint venture between EMI and Dickson Poon
Dickson Poon
Dickson Poon, SBS is a Hong Kong businessman in the luxury goods retailing sector. Poon is the executive chairman of his Hong Kong listed vehicle Dickson Concepts , which owns companies including Harvey Nichols and S. T. Dupont...
. Through EMI, Chan was able to launch several successful albums. He returned to HK Warner Brothers in the late 1980s.
Chan's career peaked in the early 1980s when he joined a music group called Warners and sang a number of hit songs such as Will Always Be Loving You (偏偏喜歡你), Take Care of Yourself Tonight (今宵多珍重) and No (不). Danny Chan was considered a contemporary to Hong Kong cantopop peers like Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
and Alan Tam
Alan Tam
Wing Lun Alan Tam, MH is an award-winning Hong Kong Cantopop and English pop singer and actor. During the early 1980s he played a major role in developing the cantopop scene as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. As of 2008, he is still active in the music...
.
During the span of his music career, Chan held many music concerts in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Canada and the United States. Chan also participated and represented Hong Kong in song festivals such as the Nagasaki Asia Music Festival in Japan (1988), Peace Music Concert (1988), Tokyo Music Festival
Tokyo Music Festival
The Tokyo Music Festival was an international music contest that ran from 1972 to 1991. It was organised by the Tokyo Music Festival Association...
(1989) and the Shanghai Music Festival in China (1991). He was also invited to perform at the Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
opening ceremony. In 1988, he performed in the presence of the royal Thai Princess in a Thai Charity Show. In 1991, Chan announced of his decision to leave the Hong Kong music industry. He held a farewell concert in Shanghai in 1992 and subsequently retired from the Cantopop music industry.
Death and speculation
There was speculation in the late 1980s that Chan suffered from alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
as it was unfairly perceived in the press that his career lagged behind that of then Hong Kong cantopop superstars, Alan Tam
Alan Tam
Wing Lun Alan Tam, MH is an award-winning Hong Kong Cantopop and English pop singer and actor. During the early 1980s he played a major role in developing the cantopop scene as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. As of 2008, he is still active in the music...
and Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
. On 18 May 1992, Chan was found unconscious and he was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. He never regained consciousness from his coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
and died 17 months later at age 35. Immediately after he fell unconscious through his death, there was much public and media speculation over the cause of Chan's condition. There were rumors that he had consumed a mixture of alcohol and drugs which led to his coma. Others speculated that he had overdosed on pills, suffered depression and had attempted suicide.
Commemoration
On 8 November 2005, the Hong Kong Post issued a set of special stamps featuring "Hong Kong Pop Singers". This stamp set focused on Hong Kong's popular singers, saluting five pop stars who have left their marks on Cantopop music history. Chan was featured on the HK$1.80 stamp.Discography
Albums
- 1979, "First Love"
- 1980, "No More Tears"
- 1980, "Encore"
- 1981, "Sunflower"
- 1982, "Telling"
- 1983, "I Just Love You"
- 1984, "Picking Out Star"
- 1985, "Deeply In Love With You"
- 1986, "When I Think Of You"
- 1986, "Hoping"
- 1987, "Kittens Are Better Than Dogs"
- 1987, "Dream Person"
- 1987, "Hiding My Love In My Eyes"
- 1988, "Winter Love"
- 1988, "The Wizard Has Migrated"
- 1989, "What You Desire In"
- 1990, "Waiting For You"
- 1991, "Love In L.A"
- 1991, Purple Concert"
- 1992, "Because Love You"
- 1992, "Dear You"
Songs
In 1999, the song Ripples (漣漪) was used by the Hong Kong GovernmentGovernment of Hong Kong
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...
in commercials for the Tracker Fund
Tracker Fund of Hong Kong
Tracker Fund of Hong Kong or TraHK is a unit trust which provides investment results that correspond to the performance of the Hang Seng Index in the Hong Kong stock market.- History :...
IPO.
A partial list of songs composed and sung by Chan:
- Waiting
- One in My Dreams
- I Just Love You
- Ripples
- Listening to Music with Wine
- My Story
- Shedding Tears For You
- Applause
- Hoping for Destiny
- Warm (English song)
- Tell Me What Can I Do (Duet with Crystal GayleCrystal GayleCrystal Gayle is an American country music singer best known for her 1977 country-pop hit, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". An award-winning singer, she accumulated 18 number one country hits during the 1970s and 1980s...
) - What You Desire In Life
- Break Out
Cinematic films
- 1980, Encore (喝采)
- 1981, On Trial (失業生)
- 1984, Merry Christmas (聖誕快樂)
- 1986, My Family (八喜臨門)
- 1987, An Autumn's TaleAn Autumn's TaleAn Autumn's Tale is a 1987 Hong Kong-made romantic drama set in New York City starring Chow Yun-fat, Cherie Chung, and Danny Chan. This is Mabel Cheung second movie as a director after her "migration trilogy."...
(秋天的童話) aka Chou tin dik tong wah (Hong Kong: Cantonese title); aka Liumang daheng (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
TV dramas
- 1977, Sweet Babe (produced by HK TVB)
- 1980, Take Turn (produced by HK TVB)
- 1980, Breakthrough (突破) (produced by HK TVB)
Music
- 1977, Third Prize, "HK Pop Song Compose Competition"
- 1978, First Prize, "Hong Kong Yamaha Organ Competition"
- 1978, Third Prize, "HK Pop Song Compose Competition"
- 1983, Most Popular Singer Award, "AGB Listener's Choice"
- 1988, Third Prize, "Most Popular Male Singer Competition", Hong Kong Commercial Station
- 1989, Third Prize, "Most Popular Male Singer Competition", Hong Kong Commercial Station
- 1989, Third Prize, "Pop Music Most Popular Male Singer", Tokyo Music Festival
- 1991, "Top 10 Most Popular Singer" in Guangzhou, China
- 2009,"Golden Needle Award", Radio Television Hong Kong
Others
- 1981, "Model Youth" from Wong Tai Sin District, Hong Kong
- 1984, "Most Charming Singer" from International Folk Song
- 1987, "Hong Kong Best Dressed Person", Hong Kong Commercial Station
- 1989, "Hong Kong Top 10 Friendly Person", Hong Kong Commercial Station