Citizendia

Leslie Cheung

Leslie Cheung at the Cannes Film Festival, 1993
Chinese name張國榮 (Traditional)
Chinese name张国荣 (Simplified)
PinyinZhāng Guó róng (Mandarin)
JyutpingChoeng Gwok Wing (Cantonese)
Birth name張發宗 (Cheung Fat Chung)
AncestryGuangdong
OriginHong Kong
BornSeptember 12, 1956(1956-09-12)
Hong Kong
DiedApril 1, 2003 (aged 46)
Hong Kong
Other name(s)哥哥 (Gor Gor; lit. The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, Guangdong ( EFEO: Kouangtong; Pinyin Guǎngdōng; Postal map spelling: Kwangtung) is a province on the Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Big Brother)[1][2]
OccupationSinger, actor, director, songwriter
Genre(s)Cantopop
Instrument(s)Singing
Label(s)Polydor, Capital Artists, Cinepoly, Rock, Apex Music, Universal
Years active1977 – 2003
ParentsCheung Wut Hoi

Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing (September 12, 1956 – April 1, 2003), nicknamed elder brother (哥哥), [3][4][5][6] was an actor and musician from Hong Kong. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Cantopop (Chinese 粵語流行曲 is a colloquial Portmanteau for " Cantonese popular music ". A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Cinepoly Records was a Hong Kong -based record label founded in 1985. Rock Records is a Taiwanese Record label founded in 1980 by Sam and Johnny Duan (段鍾沂 Universal Music Group (UMG is the largest Business group and family of Record labels in the Recording industry. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Cheung was considered as "One of the founding fathers of Cantopop," and "combining a hugely successful film and music career". Cantopop (Chinese 粵語流行曲 is a colloquial Portmanteau for " Cantonese popular music ". [7]

In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central Television, and voted as The Most Favorite Actor in 100 Years of Chinese Cinema in 2005. China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV ( is the major television broadcaster in Mainland China Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [8][9]

Contents

Childhood and education

Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Kowloon refers to an urban area in Hong Kong made up of Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon, bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders His birth name was Cheung Fat-chung (張發宗), which was later changed to his stage name, Cheung Kwok-Wing. Cheung was the youngest of ten children in a middle-class family. Cheung Wut Hoi - his father was a fairly well-known tailor, whose customers included the American actors William Holden and Cary Grant[10][11][12] His parents divorced when he was quite young. A tailor is a person whose occupation is to sew and scissor menswear style jackets and the skirts or trousers that go with them William Holden ( April 17, 1918 &ndash November 12, 1981) was an Academy Award -winning American film Actor Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. While in Hong Kong, Leslie Cheung attended Rosaryhill School (Stubbs Road, Hong Kong).

At the age of 13, he was sent to England as a boarder at Eccles Hall School and faced racial discrimination at the school. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that He worked as a bartender at his relatives' restaurant and sang during the weekends. A bartender ( barman, barkeeper, barmaid, mixologist, tapster among other names serves Beverages It was around this period that he chose his name, "Leslie". According to Cheung, he chose this name because "I love the film Gone with the Wind. Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American dramatic - romantic - War film adapted from Margaret Mitchell 's 1936 And I like Leslie Howard. Leslie Howard ( April 3, 1893 - June 1, 1943) was an English stage and Academy Award nominated Film The name can be a man's or woman's, it's very unisex, so I like it. "[13]

In several of his interviews, Cheung stated that he had a fairly unhappy childhood. "I didn't have a happy childhood. Arguments, fights and we didn't live together; I was brought up by my granny. " (Time magazine interview with Richard Corliss[14]) "What I would say most affected me as a child, was that my parents were not at home with me. As a young kid, one could not always understand why his parents weren't at home. This made me depressed sometimes. "[15]

Cheung attended the University of Leeds in northern England, where he studied textile management. The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research University in Leeds, West Yorkshire; one of the largest in the United Kingdom with England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland He dropped out of university at the end of his first year, when his father fell ill. After his father's recovery, Cheung did not return to England to complete his studies. [16][17]

Career

Early career

In 1977, Cheung won second prize by singing Don McLean's "American Pie" at the Asian Music Contest held by Rediffusion Television (RTV). Donald McLean (born October 2 1945 in New Rochelle New York) is an American Singer-songwriter. " American Pie " is a Folk rock song by Singer-songwriter Don McLean. Rediffusion Television ( RTV) (zh-t 麗的電視有限公司 was the first Television station in Hong Kong, established in 1957, making He signed a contract with RTV, which subsequently became Asia Television Limited (ATV) and began his career in the entertainment industry. Asia Television Limited ( is one of the two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB He also signed a music contract with Polydor Records, releasing Day Dreaming (1977) and Lover's Arrow (1979). Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group.

The early days of his career were not easy. He was once booed off the stage during a public performance, and his first two albums were not welcomed by the public. He left Polydor Records at the end of his contract. Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Cheung's first film, The Erotic Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓春上春) in 1978 was a soft porn film. Cheung later stated that he was unaware of the sexual nature of the film when he signed the contract[18].

During the 1970s and 1980s, he appeared in a number of TV dramas such as The Young Concubine (我家的女人), Agency 24 (甜甜廿四味), Pairing (對對糊), and The Spirit Of The Sword (浣花洗劍錄). Heritage The Young Concubine (歲月河山：我家的女人 is a 1980 Hong Kong TV drama by RTHK starring Leslie Cheung. These TV dramas helped turn him into a household name in South East Asia.

Ascension to fame

Summer Best Collection - All Because of You, 1985
Summer Best Collection - All Because of You, 1985

In 1982, Cheung joined Capital Artists upon the end of his contract with RTV. It was at Capital Artists that Florence Chan became his music agent and remained as such through his entire career. While at Capital Artists, he also met Anita Mui, another Hong Kong Cantopop idol, starting a long lasting friendship. Anita Mui Yim-fong ( October 10, 1963 - December 30, 2003) was a popular Hong Kong Singer and Actress. Cantopop (Chinese 粵語流行曲 is a colloquial Portmanteau for " Cantonese popular music ". In 1983, Cheung released his first hit song, "The Wind Blows On" (風繼續吹). In 1984, he released his first top ten hit song "Monica", which became the first so-called "fast" song that won the RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award. Radio Television Hong Kong ( RTHK) ( is a Public broadcasting organisation in Hong Kong that is operated as an independent department in the government "Monica" became representative of a new genre of Hong Kong music in the mid 1980s. The Music of Hong Kong is an eclectic mixture of traditional and popular genres Fans began to demand fast and energetic Cantopop songs that would be suitable for both dancing and listening. Other Top Ten Gold Songs released by Cheung through Capital Artists included "Wild Wind" (不羈的風) (album, For Your Love Only, 1985); "Who Can Be With Me" (有誰共鳴) (album, Leslie Cheung: Allure Me, 1986) and "Love in Those Years" (當年情) (theme song for A Better Tomorrow, album Leslie Cheung: Allure Me, 1986). A Better Tomorrow ( Chinese 英雄本色 Pinyin: Yīngxióng běnsè Jyutping: Jing1 hung4 bun2 sik1 literally True Colors of a Hero "Who Can Be With Me" became the Gold of the Gold Songs (Best Song) of the Year for 1986.

Cheung's movie career was a little slower to take off. He appeared in supporting roles in his second and third movies Encore (1980) and On Trial (1981). However, his acting talent was soon recognized with his nomination for the Hong Kong Film Awards' Best Supporting Actor for his role in On Trial. The Hong Kong Film Awards ( HKFA;) founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in China Subsequently after this nomination, he began to star as the leading man in Teenage Dreamers (1982) and has held the lead role in almost every movie he had been in since. From the early 1980s through 1986, most of the movies in which he had starred were teenage movies. Among them, Nomad (1982, directed by Patrick Tam Kar-ming) are widely considered by film critic as the representation of the Hong Kong "New Wave" films. Nomad (烈火青春 is a 1982 Hong Kong film directed by Patrick Tam. Cheung's role as Louis in Nomad won him his first Best Actor nomination of the Hong Kong Film Awards. Later, Cheung stated that he considers Nomad as his first "real" movie. During this period, Cheung continued to act in a number of Television Broadcasts (TVB) dramas, such as Once Upon an Ordinary Girl (儂本多情) and The Fallen Family (武林世家). Television Broadcasts Limited ( commonly known as TVB, was the first over-the-air commercial Television station in Hong Kong.

Stardom and retirement

Leslie Cheung in the Final Encounter of the Legend concert, 1989
Leslie Cheung in the Final Encounter of the Legend concert, 1989

In 1986, he joined Cinepoly Records Hong Kong and released the album Summer Romance in 1987. Cinepoly Records was a Hong Kong -based record label founded in 1985. Summer Romance is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1987 Summer Romance became the Best Selling CD of the Year and IFPI Best Selling Album in Hong Kong. The success of Summer Romance made him one of the top two Cantopop idols at the time (the other was Alan Tam). Alan Tam Wing-Lun, MH is a famous Hong Kong Cantopop singer and film Actor. In 1988, he composed one of his most famous songs "Silence is Golden" (沉默是金). Other popular albums published by Cheung through Cinepoly Records included Hot Summer (1988), Virgin Snow (1988), Leslie '89 (Side face, IFPI Best Album of the Year, 1989), Final Encounter (1989), and Salute (1990). Hot Summer was a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1988 by Hong Kong record company Cinepoly and followed Virgin Snow is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1988. Leslie '89 is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1989 by Cinepoly Records of Hong Kong. Final Encounter Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1989 by Cinepoly Records of Hong Kong. Salute was the first non-profit album released by a superstar in Hong Kong music history that would only compile songs originally performed by other singers. According to Cheung, Salute is his homage to music. For medieval usage see Homage (medieval and Commendation ceremony, or Homage (disambiguation Homage (from the French Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. He donated all the proceeds from the sales of Salute to the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (香港演藝學院), which was named the Leslie Cheung Memorial Scholarship after his death [19]. The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts ( located near the north coast of Wan Chai on the Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong, is both an academic institution

With the popularity of Cheung and Tam, fans of these two stars became increasingly hostile to each other, starting a long-standing conflict that soon put heavy pressure on both singers. In 1988, Alan Tam publicly quit all pop music award ceremonies. In 1989, Cheung announced his intention to retire from his music career as a singer. Cheung then set a record by being the first singer ever in Cantopop history to hold a retirement concert series (Final Encounter of the Legend), which ran for 33 consecutive nights (he was 33 at the time) at Hong Kong Coliseum. In 1990, he left Hong Kong at the peak of his music career and emigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he reportedly "found peace and tranquility. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal "[20] Cheung gained Canadian citizenship in 1992 and returned to Asia full-time in 1995 for his re-emergence in Chinese-language popular music.

From 1986 to 1989, Cheung acted in a number of movies that are considered as Hong Kong classics by film critics and Asian movie fans[21][22]. In 1986, Cheung co-starred with Chow Yun-Fat in A Better Tomorrow (directed by John Woo), which was widely considered as a trend starter for Hong Kong triad movies in the 1980s. Chow Yun-Fat SBS ( born May 18, 1955) is a Chinese Actor. He is one of the most famous actors in Asia and a A Better Tomorrow ( Chinese 英雄本色 Pinyin: Yīngxióng běnsè Jyutping: Jing1 hung4 bun2 sik1 literally True Colors of a Hero John Woo Yu-Sen (born May 1, 1946) is an internationally and critically acclaimed Chinese Film director and producer. Cheung played Kit, a righteous and idealistic young cop. Cheung's role in the movie was widely considered his debut as a serious actor. He also starred in the sequel, A Better Tomorrow II (1987). A Better Tomorrow 2 ( Jyutping: Jing1hung4 bun2sik1 ji6 is a 1987 Hong Kong action film, which is a follow-up to Also in 1987, Cheung starred in Stanley Kwan's Rouge where he played Chen-Pang Chan, an infatuated, opium-smoking playboy and doomed lover of a beautiful prostitute, Fleur (played by Anita Mui). Stanley Kwan ( born October 9, 1957) is a Hong Kong Film director and producer. For the Kieślowski film see Three Colors Red. Rouge ( Jyutping: Jin1zi1 kau3 is a 1987 Anita Mui Yim-fong ( October 10, 1963 - December 30, 2003) was a popular Hong Kong Singer and Actress. Further, in the same year (1987), he appeared in Tsui Hark's A Chinese Ghost Story (directed by Ching Siu-tung). ( 徐) Tsui Hark, born Tsui Man-Kong (徐文光 on February 15, 1950, is a New Wave Film director in Hong Kong A Chinese Ghost Story ( Jyutping: Sin6neoi5 Jau1wan4 literal meaning "The Ethereal Spirit of a Beauty" is a 1987 Hong Kong Cheung played Ling Choi Sin, a well-meaning but cowardly debt collector who had fallen in love with a beautiful ghost (played by Joey Wong). Joey Wong ( born) is a Taiwanese actress Biography Wong was born and raised in Taipei His performance in these movies won him two Best Actor nomination from Hong Kong Film Awards. The Hong Kong Film Awards ( HKFA;) founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in China The success of A Better Tomorrow and A Chinese Ghost Story made his name known in the Japanese and South Korea film markets.

Golden age in film

Leslie Cheung in the movie Days of Being Wild, 1990
Leslie Cheung in the movie Days of Being Wild, 1990

The mid-80s to mid-90s was a golden age in Hong Kong's film industry, which coincided with Cheung's film career. For the song by.And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead see Source Tags & Codes Days of Being Wild ( Pinyin: Ã In 1990, Cheung acted as Yuddy, a handsome, ruthless bad boy, philanderer and narcissist in Wong Kar-wai's movie Days of Being Wild. For the song by.And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead see Source Tags & Codes Days of Being Wild ( Pinyin: Ã His performance in Days of Being Wild won him the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1991 and his first nomination of Best Actor at the Golden Horse Film Festival (Taiwan). The Hong Kong Film Awards ( HKFA;) founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in China The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards ( is a Film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan (the Republic of China) since 1962 He also acted in two other Wong Kar-wai movies. In the 1994 martial arts film, Ashes of Time, he starred as Ouyang Feng, a swordsman and assassin who spent his days in a desert. Ashes of Time ( literally "The Heretic East and the Venomous West" is a 1994 Hong Kong Wuxia film directed by Wong Kar-wai His role as Ouyang won him the Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards. The Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (Traditional Chinese 香港電影評論學會大獎 are an annual award given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong, In 1997's movie Happy Together which centrally depicts a complex relationship between two gay lovers (although Wong insists that it isn't essentially a "gay" film[23]), he played the capricious Ho Po-wing, who goes to Argentina with his lover Lai Yiu-fai (played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai). Happy Together ( traditional Chinese: 春光乍洩 simplified Chinese: 春光乍泄 Pinyin: Chūn guāng zhà xiè Jyutping Tony Leung Chiu-Wai ( born June 27, 1962) is a Cannes Film Festival and 5 times Hong Kong Film Award -winning Hong Kong

In 1992's historical masterpiece Farewell My Concubine (directed by Chen Kaige), Cheung acted as the Peking opera star Dieyi Cheng, a Beijing opera artist who reaches fame with his exquisite performances of female roles. This article is about the film for other media with the same title see Farewell My Concubine. Chen Kaige ( (born August 12, 1952) is a Chinese Film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema. Beijing opera or Peking opera ( is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music vocal performance mime dance and acrobatics Beijing opera or Peking opera ( is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music vocal performance mime dance and acrobatics Farewell My Concubine is the first Chinese film to have won the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival. The Palme d'Or ( English: Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded to competing films at the Cannes Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival (le Festival de Cannes founded in 1946 is one of the world's oldest most influential and prestigious Film festivals alongside Venice, It also won more than twenty other film awards including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film and Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Cinematography. The Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the awards presented at the Golden Globes, an American film awards ceremony The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars handed out annually by the U The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a Cinematographer for work in one particular Motion picture. Cheung's performance in the film won him international fame as a film star and set his steps in the mainland China film industry. In 1996, he worked again with Chen Kaige, playing the role of a misty gigolo, Zhongliang Yu, in Temptress Moon. Temptress Moon is a 1996 Chinese film directed by Chen Kaige. In 1998's A Time to Remember (directed by Yip Ying), he acted as Jin, an underground Chinese Communist leader. His Hong Kong background caused a heated debate at the time, but the film still achieved Box Office success in mainland China and in 2004 won a "Most Popular Foreign Film" Award at the Pyongyang Film Festival. The Pyongyang International Film Festival ] is a biennial cultural exhibition held in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

Other important movies Cheung starred in during this period include The Bride with White Hair (with Brigitte Lin, 1993), He's a Woman, She's a Man (with Anita Yuen, 1994), The Phantom Lover (1995), and Viva Erotica (with Shu Ki, 1996). The Bride with White Hair ( is a 1993 Hong Kong Wuxia Film directed by Ronny Yu. Brigitte Lin ( or Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia (born November 3 1954) is a Taiwanese actress He's a Woman She's a Man (金枝玉葉 or Jīn Zhī Yù Yè is a 1994 Film directed by Peter Chan Ho Sun and written by James Yuen Anita Yuen Wing-Yi is a Hong Kong Film The Phantom Lover (夜半歌聲 is a 1995 Hong Kong film starring Leslie Cheung and Jacqueline Wu. Viva Erotica ( is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Derek Yee and Lo Chi-Leung. Shu Qi ( born April 16, 1976) is the Stage name of a Taiwanese actress born Lin Li-Hui (林立慧 His performance in these movies won him three Best Actor Award nominations at the Hong Kong Film Awards and three Best Actor Award nominations at the Golden Horse Film Festival from 1990 to 1998. The Hong Kong Film Awards ( HKFA;) founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in China The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards ( is a Film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan (the Republic of China) since 1962

As a versatile actor, Cheung also acted in many comedies. In 1991, teamed again with Chow Yun-Fat and Cherie Chung, Cheung played a skillful and charming thief in John Woo's Once A Thief. Chow Yun-Fat SBS ( born May 18, 1955) is a Chinese Actor. He is one of the most famous actors in Asia and a Cherie Chung Chor-hung ( born February 16 1960) is a Hong Kong film actress in the 1980s John Woo Yu-Sen (born May 1, 1946) is an internationally and critically acclaimed Chinese Film director and producer. Once a Thief ( is a 1991 Hong Kong action - Comedy film written and directed by John Woo. In 1992's All's Well, Ends Well, he acted as an effeminate brother who would later realize the meaning of true love. All's Well Ends Well (家有囍事 Jia You Xi Shi is a Hong Kong Comedy film directed by Clifton Ko and released in 1992. Other well-known comedies included The Eagle Shooting Heroes, It's a Wonderful Life, and The Chinese Feast. The Eagle Shooting Heroes ( (Cantonese Se diu ying hung ji dung sing sai jau the on-screen Romanized title is Dong Cheng Xi Jiu abbreviated from the Mandarin The Chinese Feast ( Chinese 金玉滿堂 is a 1995 Hong Kong film co-written produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Cheung was also a box office attraction in Hong Kong; from 1990 to 1998, 13 out of 39 movies in which he starred were listed as yearly top ten box office movies[24].

Although Cheung quit his career as a pop singer from 1989 to 1995, he continued his music career as a composer. He composed more than ten songs during that time. In 1993, he won Best Original Movie Song Award from Golden Horse Film Festival for the theme song Red Cheek, White Hair to the movie The Bride with White Hair (as a composer). The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards ( is a Film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan (the Republic of China) since 1962 In 1995, he composed all three theme songs for the film The Phantom Lover. The Phantom Lover (夜半歌聲 is a 1995 Hong Kong film starring Leslie Cheung and Jacqueline Wu. As a composer, Cheung won four nominations for Best Original Movie Song Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards and two nominations for Best Original Film Song at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Return to music

Album Red, 1996
Album Red, 1996

In 1995, Cheung signed a contract with Rock Records, returning to music as a singer. Red is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1996. Rock Records is a Taiwanese Record label founded in 1980 by Sam and Johnny Duan (段鍾沂 At the same year, he released his first post-"retirement" album, Beloved. Most Beloved or Beloved (宠爱 is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung released in 1995 after a long personal struggle Beloved achieved large market success with the award of IFPI Best Selling Album[25] [26], but it did not receive much acclaim from music critics as it is a collection of Cheung's movie theme songs from 1993 to 1995. In 1996, Cheung released possibly his most highly acclaimed album, Red. Red is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1996. Red was a fusion album, mixing smooth jazz, R&B, trip hop, etc. Red is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1996. , into Cantopop, forming a consistent unique style. Cantopop (Chinese 粵語流行曲 is a colloquial Portmanteau for " Cantonese popular music ". Cheung worked since then on cutting-edge music as well as Cantopop, his new music style being markedly different from before his earlier retirement. In this album, Cheung also composed another important song in his music career, Red. Red is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1996. In 1998, Cheung released his first album in Mandarin (and also the only one originally in the language), Printemps. Printemps (meaning "spring" in French) is a Mandarin album by Leslie Cheung first released in 1998.

In 1997, Cheung held his first post-retirement concert series: World Tour 97, which lasted from Dec. 12, 1996 to June 17, 1997. Like with the refinements to his musical style, Cheung introduced a new image to his audience. The most daring part possibly was the closing dance "Red" where Cheung did a tango duet in a pair of red high-heels with a macho dancer. World Tour 97 included 55 concerts: 24 concerts were held in Hong Kong Coliseum and 31 concerts were held in the cities around the world. Hong Kong Coliseum ( informally 紅磡體育館 香港紅磡體育館 紅館 is a major multi-purpose Indoor arena in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Among them, six concerts were held in Japan and mainland China respectively. World Tour 97 was the first concert series that Cheung held in these two areas.

In 1999, Cheung started a music company, Apex Music, signing a distribution contract with Universal Music Group(UMG). Universal Music Group (UMG is the largest Business group and family of Record labels in the Recording industry. Important albums released via UMG includes Count Down With You (1999), Big Heat (2000), and Untitled (2000). Universal Music Group (UMG is the largest Business group and family of Record labels in the Recording industry. Big Heat is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 2000 The hit songs released by him during this period include Passing-by Dragonfly, the top one hit song, Big Heat, and Left Right Hands, Top Ten Gold Song of the Year (1999). He also composed the song I (first released in album Big Heat), which was considered by him as a song of self-statement. Big Heat is a Cantopop album by Leslie Cheung first released in 2000 In 2000, Cheung was awarded the Golden Needle award (lifetime achievement award in Cantopop music). In the same year, Cheung had been assigned as the "Music Ambassador" of Composors And Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH) until his death. Cheung also composed the theme song Noah's Ark, for the CASH Golden Sail Award.

The later years

Leslie Cheung in Passion Tour, 2001
Leslie Cheung in Passion Tour, 2001

In 2000, Cheung held his last concert series, Passion Tour. Passion Tour included 43 concerts, lasting from July 31, 2000 to April 16, 2001. It was his most disputable, and possibly best concert. Cheung worked at the first time as the art director as well as the singer for the concert. He invited Jean-Paul Gaultier to design all eight costumes for the concert. Jean-Paul Gaultier (born April 24 1952, in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne) is a French Fashion designer and past television However, the costumes, together with his long wig and beard, were criticized bitterly by Hong Kong media at the early stage of the concerts. Cheung later disclosed that Gaultier was very angry about the criticism and claimed in an email (sent to Cheung) that he would never design costumes again for any Asian performer. Despite the early criticisms from the media, Passion Tour achieved huge success. Passion Tour was highly welcomed in Japan and made Cheung hold 10 concerts there. Together with World Tour 97 concerts, Cheung set a record of foreign artists of holding 16 concerts in Japan. In China, Cheung set a record yet to be broken by holding two consecutive night concerts in Shanghai Stadium (capacity of 80,000). He was also awarded the "Grand Salute Award" (2000) by Mingpao Weekly (Hong Kong) and "Music Salute Award" (2000) from Chinese Pop Music Media Association (mainland China) for his work in Passion Tour.

By the end of the 1990s, Cheung had began to focus on acting in non-romance roles. In The Kid (1999, directed by Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung), he starred as a poor single father who fostered an abandoned baby boy. The Kid ( 1999) is a Hong Kong movie starring Leslie Cheung. It also co-stars Yip Tuen Nam, Ti Lung, and Carrie Ng In the action thriller Double Tap (2000, directed by Lo Chi Leung), he played a psycho killer, Rick. Double Tap (槍王 is a 2000 Hong Kong action - Thriller film directed by Bruce Law Chi-Leung In the 2002 psycho thriller Inner Senses (directed by Lo Chi Leung), he played psychologist Dr. Inner Senses ( Traditional Chinese: 異度空間 Cantonese pronunciation Yidou hunggaan) is a Hong Kong Film Awards nominated Law, who discovered his own emotional issues when he tried to treat his patient Yan (Kar Yan Lam). Karena Lam ( Chinese language: 林嘉欣 Cantonese: Làm Gāyān Pinyin: Lín Jiāxīn born August 17, 1978) is a Hong Kong His performance in these films earned him another Best Actor nomination from the Hong Kong Film Awards. He also garnered another two Best Actor Award nominations from Taiwan Film Festival. During this period, Cheung began to try his hand at film direction. In 2000, he directed his first movie, the 45 minutes From Ashes to Ashes. In 2002, he began to film his first regular length movie Stealing Heart. The film was not completed due to the deterioration of his health.

Sexual orientation

Cheung was bisexual and once said in an interview in Time magazine [27]:"It's more appropriate to say I'm bisexual. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation I've had girlfriends. When I was 22 or so, I asked my girlfriend Teresa Mo (his colleague in ATV of the time) to marry me. Teresa Mo Sun-Kwan is a Hong Kong actress She is married to the director Tony Au and has 2 daughters "

Despite numerous tabloid rumors, he denied his homosexual/bi-sexual orientation for the first half of his career, until his stance relaxed considerably after emigrating to Vancouver. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest In the early 1990s he became one of the few Hong Kong actors who dared to play gay characters onscreen.

Cheung's first gay role was Cheng Dieyi in Farewell My Concubine (1993). This article is about the film for other media with the same title see Farewell My Concubine. Cheng Dieyi was a Beijing opera singer or Dan (male actor who plays female roles) who had fallen in love with his male singing partner. Dan ( 旦) is the general name for Female roles in Chinese opera. In Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together (1997), Cheung played another gay role, Ho Po-wing. Happy Together ( traditional Chinese: 春光乍洩 simplified Chinese: 春光乍泄 Pinyin: Chūn guāng zhà xiè Jyutping Happy Together contained graphic sex scenes. Happy Together ( traditional Chinese: 春光乍洩 simplified Chinese: 春光乍泄 Pinyin: Chūn guāng zhà xiè Jyutping He was nominated for the Best Actor Award at the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Happy Together. The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards ( is a Film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan (the Republic of China) since 1962 The Hong Kong Film Awards ( HKFA;) founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in China Happy Together ( traditional Chinese: 春光乍洩 simplified Chinese: 春光乍泄 Pinyin: Chūn guāng zhà xiè Jyutping

In 1995 a Hong Kong tabloid published a photo of Cheung with another man, Daffy Tong Hok-Tak (唐鶴德). In a 1997 concert, Cheung openly revealed that Tong was his "most beloved" after his mother. The Hong Kong media eventually accepted the two men's relationship and the tabloid gave Tong the nickname Tong Tong (in the style of Go Go). After Cheung's death, Cheung's family published a full-page obituary in a Hong Kong newspaper, in which Tong was listed as a surviving spouse (未亡人). Tong, together with Cheung's eldest sister, was also designated as the executor of Cheung's estate.

Death

Leslie Cheung's funeral car (upper) and memorial service (lower)
Leslie Cheung's funeral car (upper) and memorial service (lower)

Cheung committed suicide on April 1, 2003. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. He leapt from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, located in the Central district of Hong Kong Island. The Mandarin Oriental ( is a 5-star Hotel in Hong Kong, the first and flagship hotel of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Hong Kong Island ( is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong, China. [28] He left a suicide note saying that he had been suffering from depression. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression He was 46 years old. [29][30][31][32][33][34]

As one of the most popular performers in Asia, Cheung's death shocked the Asian entertainment industry and Chinese community world-wide. [35][36][37][38][39] [40] Rumors about the cause of his death spread so fast that his family urged tabloids to let Cheung rest in peace, and not to sensationalize his sexual orientation and reasons for suicide. The day after Leslie's death, his long time partner, Tong, confirmed that Cheung suffered from (clinical) depression and had been seeing psychiatrists for treatment for almost a year. He also revealed that Cheung had attempted suicide in 2002. Later at his funeral, Cheung's niece disclosed that her uncle had severe clinical depression and suffered much over the past year (2003).

Despite the risk of infection from SARS and the WHO's warning on travels to Hong Kong, tens of thousands, including celebrities and other fans, many from other parts of the world such as mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia, the United States and Canada attended Cheung's memorial service, which was held for the public, on April 7, 2003. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Cheung's funeral was on April 8, 2003. For almost one month, Cheung's death dominated newspaper headlines in Hong Kong and his songs were constantly on the air.

Cheung's last album Everything Follows the Wind (一切隨風) was released three months after his death.

Extra Information

Achievement lists

Selected awards

Discography

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Info News, 2008/4/3, [1]
  2. ^ Sina Entertainment News, [2]
  3. ^ http://china.org.cn/english/NM-e/91868.htm (this is the English version of one of the biggest Internet news resource of Mainland China)
  4. ^ Leslie Cheung - Biography
  5. ^ Thousands of fans pay tribute to Leslie Cheung
  6. ^ Leslie Cheung - Biography
  7. ^ Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham, "World Music Volume 2: Latin and North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific", P54. All's Well Ends Well (家有囍事 Jia You Xi Shi is a Hong Kong Comedy film directed by Clifton Ko and released in 1992. This article is about the film for other media with the same title see Farewell My Concubine. All's Well Ends Well Too (花田喜事 is a 1993 Hong Kong Comedy film directed by Clifton Ko, and released as comedy fare The Bride with White Hair 2 ( is a 1993 Hong Kong film directed by David Wu and Ronny Yu. The Bride with White Hair ( is a 1993 Hong Kong Wuxia Film directed by Ronny Yu. Ashes of Time ( literally "The Heretic East and the Venomous West" is a 1994 Hong Kong Wuxia film directed by Wong Kar-wai He's a Woman She's a Man (金枝玉葉 or Jīn Zhī Yù Yè is a 1994 Film directed by Peter Chan Ho Sun and written by James Yuen It's a Wonderful Life (大富之家 is a 1994 Hong Kong Film directed by Clifton Ko. The Phantom Lover (夜半歌聲 is a 1995 Hong Kong film starring Leslie Cheung and Jacqueline Wu. The Chinese Feast ( Chinese 金玉滿堂 is a 1995 Hong Kong film co-written produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Temptress Moon is a 1996 Chinese film directed by Chen Kaige. Viva Erotica ( is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Derek Yee and Lo Chi-Leung. Shanghai Grand ( also known as Shanghai Grand 1996 to differentiate this Film from its more illustrious TVB series of the same name Tristar ( Da san yuan - 大三元) is a 1996 Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark. All's Well Ends Well 1997 (97家有囍事 is a 1997 Hong Kong Comedy film directed by Alfred Cheung, starring Stephen Chow Happy Together ( traditional Chinese: 春光乍洩 simplified Chinese: 春光乍泄 Pinyin: Chūn guāng zhà xiè Jyutping Anna Magdalena ( is a 1998 Hong Kong film starring Kelly Chen, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Aaron Kwok. Moonlight Express (星月童話 is a 1999 joint Hong Kong / Japanese film directed by Daniel Lee and starring Leslie Cheung The Kid ( 1999) is a Hong Kong movie starring Leslie Cheung. It also co-stars Yip Tuen Nam, Ti Lung, and Carrie Ng Double Tap (槍王 is a 2000 Hong Kong action - Thriller film directed by Bruce Law Chi-Leung Okinawa Rendezvous ( is a 2000 Hong Kong film produced and directed by Gordon Chan, and starring Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong Inner Senses ( Traditional Chinese: 異度空間 Cantonese pronunciation Yidou hunggaan) is a Hong Kong Film Awards nominated , BBC Radio, ISBN 1-85828-636-0
  8. ^ Cheung Tops Asia's CCTV-MTV Honors [3], AllBusiness. com, Inc.
  9. ^ 'Farewell My Concubine' most appreciated in HK [4], China Daily
  10. ^ Kevin Thomas, "A Career In Full Plumet", Los Angeles Times, June 22, page 6, 1997 [5].
  11. ^ Michel Ciment, Hubert Niogret, "Interview of Leslie Cheung", Positif no. Michel Ciment is a film critic and the editor of the cinema magazine Positif. Positif is a French film magazine founded in 1952 by Bernard Chardère 455/1999, Berlin, conducted on 21 February 1998
  12. ^ Chitose Shima, "Leslie Cheung Interview", All About Leslie, P25-40, Saangyo Henshu Center Co. , Ltd. , Tokyo, Japan, 1999, ISBN 4-916199-10-3
  13. ^ Richard Corliss, "Forever Leslie", Time Asia, vol. 157, No. 18, May, 2001, [6]
  14. ^ Richard Corliss, "Forever Leslie", Time Asia, vol. 157, No. 18, May, 2001, [7]
  15. ^ Leslie Cheung, "Leslie Cheung Autobiography", Commercial Radio Hong Kong, 1985, (also collected in Album Collection History-His Story by Capital Artist, 2004), an English translation can be found in [8]
  16. ^ Michel Ciment, Hubert Niogret, "Interview of Leslie Cheung", Positif no. Michel Ciment is a film critic and the editor of the cinema magazine Positif. Positif is a French film magazine founded in 1952 by Bernard Chardère 455/1999, Berlin, conducted on 21 February 1998
  17. ^ Chitose Shima, "Leslie Cheung Interview", All About Leslie, P25-40, Sangyo Henshu Center Co. , Ltd. , Tokyo, Japan, 1999, ISBN 4-916199-10-3
  18. ^ Leslie Cheung, "Leslie Cheung Autobiography", Commercial Radio Hong Kong, 1985, (also collected in Album Collection History-His Story by Capital Artist, 2004), an English translation can be found in [9]
  19. ^ Leslie Cheung Memorial Scholarship: [10]
  20. ^ "The rise and tragic fall of a Canto-pop king", Asian Pacific Post, 2003-04-10. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Retrieved on 2008-02-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland  
  21. ^ The Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures, [11]
  22. ^ "A Better Tomorrow" [12]
  23. ^ Khoi Lebinh and David Eng "Interview with Wong Kar-wai", conducted October 27, 1997 for WBAI, 1999. 5, New York, conducted (see discussion page for exact quote)
  24. ^ "1990-99 Box Office Ranking for Chinese Movies in Hong Kong" ("1990-99年历年华语片票房排名") [13]
  25. ^ Leslie Cheung's Beloved are sold more than 300,000, Min Pao Weekly, Oct. 28, 1995, see[14]
  26. ^ Achievements of Leslie Cheung, [15]
  27. ^ Corliss, R. (2001). "Forever Leslie", Time Magazine Asia Edition. [16], Retrieved December 17, 2005,
  28. ^ Corliss, R. (2003). That old feeling: Days of being Leslie. Time Magazine Asia Edition. Retrieved December 17, 2005, from [17]
  29. ^ Stephen Kelly, ""WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS?" Leslie Cheung, 1956-2003", [18], 8 May 2003
  30. ^ "Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing commits suicide. ", Hong Kong Entertainment News in Review (2003), [19], Retrieved December 17, 2005
  31. ^ "Actor Leslie Cheung 'found dead'", BBC, Apr. 1, 2003, [20]
  32. ^ "Activities to Commemorate Leslie Cheung", Xinhua, Apr. 2, 2005, [21]
  33. ^ Yu Sen-lun, "The Leslie Cheung Legend Lives on", TaiPei Times, Apr. 10, 2003, [22]
  34. ^ Bruce Einhorn, "Hong Kong: A City in Mourning", BusinessWeek, Apr. 14, 2003, [23]
  35. ^ Stephen Kelly, ""WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS?" Leslie Cheung, 1956-2003", [24], 8 May 2003
  36. ^ "Leslie Cheung, Larger Than Life" [25]
  37. ^ Jonathan Crow, "Leslie Cheung", AOL All Movie Guide[26]
  38. ^ "Leslie Cheung's Suicide" Gothamist, [27], April,3rd. 2003
  39. ^ "Life In Legacy - Week of April 5, 2003"[28]
  40. ^ "Forty Thousands Fans Farewell Leslie Cheung in the Raining Night", Modern Business News, Apr. 4, 2003, [29]
  41. ^ Chitose Shima, "Time of Leslie Cheung",
  42. ^ "Susan Hwang Revealed that Leslie Cheung Called Daffy Tong Gorgor", Siyin Li, Wenweipo, Hong Kong, Apr. 2, 2008, [30]
  43. ^ "Carina Lau Made a Mistake on Leslie Cheung's Nickname"Info news, April 3, 2008, [31]
  44. ^ Leslie Cheung Biography[32]
  45. ^ Cheung Tops Asia's CCTV-MTV Honors [33], AllBusiness. com, Inc.
  46. ^ 'Farewell My Concubine' most appreciated in HK [34], China Daily
  47. ^ 'Farewell My Concubine' most appreciated in HK [35], China Daily
  48. ^ WHAT THEY ARE SAYING[36], China Daily
  49. ^ HK's Madame Tussauds Unveils Wax Figure of Leslie Cheung [37]
  50. ^ P. Yip, K. Fu, K. Yang, B. Ip, C. Chan, E. Chen, D. Lee, F. Law, K. Hawton, "The effects of a celebrity suicide on suicide rates in Hong Kong. " Journal of Affective Disorders, Volume 93, Issue 1-3, Pages 245-252. [38]
  51. ^ Leslie Cheung - Larger Than Life [39]

Further reading

See also

External links

Awards
Preceded by
—		Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Actor
1991
for Days of Being Wild		Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
Anita Mui		Golden Needle Award of RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award
1999		Succeeded by
Jacky Cheung
The Hong Kong Film Awards ( HKFA;) founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in China For the song by.And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead see Source Tags & Codes Days of Being Wild ( Pinyin: Ã Anita Mui Yim-fong ( October 10, 1963 - December 30, 2003) was a popular Hong Kong Singer and Actress. Radio Television Hong Kong ( RTHK) ( is a Public broadcasting organisation in Hong Kong that is operated as an independent department in the government Jacky Cheung Hok-Yau is a Hong Kong Singer and Actor from the mid-1980s to the present
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