Leslie Cheung

Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing (Template:Zh-tspw) (September 12, 1956 - April 1, 2003) was a highly successful Cantopop singer and the star of several Hong Kong movies. His fans passionately called him Gor-gor (哥哥, "elder brother" in Cantonese), started by Joey Wong when they co-starred in A Chinese Ghost Story.

He was born the youngest of 10 children; his father was a fairly well-known tailor for William Holden. His parents divorced when he was quite young. He studied at Leeds University in northern England although he never graduated from Leeds University as he was forced to return to Hong Kong after a family mishap. In 1976 he took second prize at ATV Asian Music Contest. He signed on at the Rediffusion Television (then also known as RTV, now known as Asia Television, ATV) and his career took off. In a self-confessed statement made in a radio broadcast of an autobiography of himself made in 1985 he admitted that he had a reasonably tough childhood.

Contents

1 Beginning of Career 2 Ascension to Fame 3 Retirement and Come-back 4 Death 5 Sexual Orientation 6 Achievements 7 Discography 8 Filmography 9 External links

Beginning of Career

During the early days of his career, he was first booed off the stage when he first appeared in the public and his first ever film was a low-point of his career as his role in that film was one associated with explicit sexual content which was not his choice, The Erotic Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓春上春), in 1978. In a conservative Chinese society like in Hong Kong, such an appearance would not entail favorable accolades, much less guarantee him a long-standing position to be respected as an international artiste. Despite such an early dent on his prospective career, he endured hardships such as these with hard work and charisma and did not take long to recapture the fame that has previously eluded him. During these times, he appeared in a number of TVB serials, such as Once Upon an Ordinary Girl (儂本多情) and The Fallen Family (武林世家).

Ascension to Fame

The turning point of his career was when he signed for Cinepoly Records Hong Kong in 1986 and left the company Capital Artists. The new trend of Hong Kong in the mid 1980s has demanded for fast and energetic Cantopop songs that would be both suitable for dancing and for listening or for the singing enthusiast, the karaoke hits that the Cantopop fan could sing along to. He did not disappoint his fans at that point, blending some of his own compositions as well as Japanese hits of the day to create an embodiment of his own personal style. His musical success could only be equalled by the talented Alan Tam and his close friend Anita Mui. It was even reported that his fans had a long-standing conflict with fans of Alan Tam over the issue of bragging rights in Hong Kong due to the phenomenal success of both these artistes. His successful albums include The Wind Blows On (1983) Monica (1984) Summer Romance (1987) Hot Summer (1988) Virgin Snow (1988) Leslie '89 (1989) Final Encounter (1989) Most Beloved (1995) Red (1996) Printemps (1997) and High Heat (2000). All along, he was very good friends with another Cantopop idol, Anita Mui and have teamed up with her in a number of movies as well as an earlier duet, Destiny (缘分). He was also very good friends with Samuel Hui, with whom he wrote his hit song Silence is Golden (沉默是金) and even co-starred with him in the action movie Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit (新最佳拍擋) as well as attending Samuel Hui's first retirement concert where they performed a duet of 'Silence is Golden'.

Together with Chow Yun-Fat, he starred in John Woo's action movie A Better Tomorrow (1986) and made his mark as Kit Sung, a righteous young cop tortured by his brother's crime boss background. In Stanley Kwan's Rouge (1987), he played an opium-smoking playboy against Anita Mui's courtesan Fleur. The film supposedly cemented his life-long friendship with his fellow pop star. Leslie teamed up with Woo and Chow Yun-Fat again in Once a Thief (1991) as Jim, a "brother" of Chow's Joe. In the 1991 Hong Kong Film Awards, he won a Best Actor Award for his performance as Yuddy in the Wong Kar-wai-directed Days of Being Wild (1990).

Retirement and Come-back

He left the music business in 1990 and immigrated to British Columbia, Canada at the peak of his career after he had finally reached superstar status in Hong Kong. He was the first person ever in Cantopop history to have a retirement concert series, which ran for 33 consecutive nights (as he was 33 at the time) at Hong Kong Coliseum, although he continued to act. In 1992, he gained Canadian citizenship and soon returned to Hong Kong and his film career after the long hiatus. After much deliberation, in 1995 he finally recorded his first post-"retirement" album, "Most Beloved", which was released by Rock Records, signalling a tenative return to the music industry (as it only had songs from movie soundtracks). A number of Cantopop celebrities were against his return and many fans overseas felt betrayed that he had reneged on his retirement vow: they had wholeheartedly spent a great deal of money to witness his farewell concert back in 1989. His 1997 album "Red", however, was the true "point of no return", after which he released a few more successful albums and held two more series of concerts.

Some of his later films didn't appeal to the general Chinese entertainment world as they are unconventional, as well as uncharacteristically daring, in terms of flamboyance. Films like Temptress Moon are also severely criticised by film enthusiasts and it was even disapproved of at the Cannes Film Festival, despite his powerful performance.

Death

He committed suicide in Hong Kong on April 1, 2003 by jumping from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. He was 46 years old. He left a note saying he had been suffering from depression, the causes of which are unknown. In that note, he began by stating that he was depressed followed by conferring his gratitude to his friends Lydia Shum among others as well as thanking his fans before ending on a plaintive mood stating that he has done no wrong in this lifetime, and that he was disappointed that his life should have to end like this.

Despite the scare of SARS, many of Cheung's fans from around the world flew to Hong Kong to attend his memorial service on April 5, 2003. Cheung's family urged the tabloids to let Cheung rest in peace by not sensationalising reports of his sexual orientation and to create unrealistic theories as to the cause of his suicide. His last album was 'Traversing the Breeze Together' (一切隨風) was released about a month after his shocking death. The songs in that album were not yet released by his recording company Universal Music Group at the time he died and were mostly written by himself not long before his death but did not hint at suicide as a last solution.

Sexual Orientation

During Cheung's twenty-six year career, the tabloids had reported numerous rumors about his sexual orientation and he had pretty much denied everything at the beginning of his career. After his immigration to Canada, however, his stance relaxed considerably and he began to accept gay roles. In fact, he was one of the few Hong Kong actors who was willing to accept such roles as early as the 1990s.

He was well known for his portrayal of Cheng Diyi, a character in Farewell, My Concubine (1993) (the film shared the Palme d'Or with The Piano in 1993 in the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film). The character Cheng Diyi was a Dan (one who plays female roles) Beijing opera singer who falls in love with his male singing partner. In Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together (1997), Leslie played another gay role, Ho Po-wing, which got him nominations for the Best Actor Award in both the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

The tabloids renewed their fervor in reporting rumours about him, however, after one of the tabloids caught a snapshot in 1995 of his holding hands with another man, Daffy Tong Hok-Tak (唐鶴德), who was later revealed to be Cheung's partner since the 1980s. In a 1997 concert, Cheung decided to brave the rumours and said that Tong was his "most beloved" after his mother. In a 2001 interview with TIME magazine's Asia edition, he came out as bisexual. The Hong Kong media eventually accepted the two men's relationship and gave Tong the nickname "Tong Tong" (in the style of "Gor Gor"). After Cheung's death, Tong took a page out in the Hong Kong newspapers for obituaries, in which he was listed as a surviving spouse (未亡人), and was named the executor of Cheung's estate.

Achievements

• RTV Asian Song Contest Runners-up with the song "American Pie" 1977
• RTHK 7th edition Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with the song Monica 1984
• TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with song Monica 1984
• Commercial Radio 5th Chinese Pop Songs Award winner 1984
• RTHK 8th edition Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with song 不羈的風 1985
• TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with song 不羈的風 1985
• Commercial Radio 6th Chinese Pop Songs Award winner 1985
• RTHK 9th edition Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with song 當年情 1986
• TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with songs 有誰共鳴 and 當年情 1986
• Commercial Radio 7th Chinese Pop Songs Award winner 1986
• RTHK 10th ed. Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award 無心睡眠 ，Summer Romance is also the Best Selling CD of the year and IFPI Best Selling Album in 1987
• TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner 無心睡眠 and Summer Romance CD
• RTHK 11th ed. Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with songs 沉默是金 and 無需要太多 1988
• TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner and Most Popular Male Singer 1988
• Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Male Gold Award winner 1988
• TVB Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Award winner with 由零開始，and also winner of theMost Popular Male Singer 1988 1989
• Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Male Gold Award 1989 winner LESLIE 側面 album is also theIFPI Best Album of the Year 1989
• RTHK Millennium Gold Song Award for MONICA 1999
• RTHK 23rd edition Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award winner with song 左右手 2000
• Commercial Radio Ultimate Song Chart Gold Song of the Year winner with song 左右手 2000
• Metro Radio Song Chart of the Year and Gold Song of the Year winner with 左右手 2000
• Mingpao Weekly Outstanding Male Singer Award winner 2000
• Joint Award by RTHK, CR, TVB & Metro Radio for the Best Album of the Year winner with album Untitled 2001
• China's Original Music Award 發燒 winner 2001
• HK Film Awards winner Best Actor for Days of Being Wild 1991
• Japanese Critic Society Best Actor Award (Foreign Movie) for Farewell to My Concubine 1994
• Winner of HK Film Critic Society Best Actor Award for Ashes of Time 1994

Discography

• I Like Dreamin' (白版碟) 1977
• Day Dreamin' 1977
• 情人箭 ('Lover's Arrow') 1979
• 風繼續吹 ('The Wind Blows On') 1983
• 一片痴 ('Craziness') 1983
• 張國榮 Leslie (Monica) 1984
• 為你鍾情 ('For Your Love Only') 1985
• Stand Up 1986
• 張國榮 (當年情) ('The Past Love') 1986
• 愛慕 (國語) ('Admire') 1987
• Summer Romance 1987
• Hot Summer 1988
• Virgin Snow 1988
• Leslie '89 張國榮 (側面) ('Side Face') 1989
• Salute 1989
• Final Encounter 1989
• Dreaming 1990
• 寵愛 (Most Beloved) 1995
• 紅 ('Red') 1996
• FROM NOW ON (single) 1996
• Printemps 1998
• 這些年來 (EP) ('All These Years') 1998
• 大熱 ('High Heat') 2000
• Leslie Untitled (EP) 2000
• Leslie Forever 2001
• Crossover 2002
• 一切隨風 ('Traversing the Breeze Together') 2003

Filmography

• Inner Senses (異度空間 2002)
• From Ashes to Ashes (煙飛煙滅 2000)
• Okinawa Rendez-vous (戀戰沖繩 2000)
• And I Hate You So (小亲亲 2000)
• Double Tap (槍王 2000)
• The Kid (流星語 1999)
• Moonlight Express (星月童話 1999)
• Anna Magdalena (安娜瑪德蓮娜 1998)
• A Time to Remember (紅色戀人 1998)
• Ninth Happiness (九星報喜 1998)
• Knock Off (1998)
• Happy Together (春光乍泄 1997)
• All's Well, Ends Well (97家有喜事 1997)
• Tristar (大三元 1996)
• Who's the Man, Who's the Woman (金枝玉葉 II 1996)
• Shanghai Grand (新上海灘 1996)
• Viva Erotica (色情男女 1996)
• Yang Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema (1996)
• Temptress Moon (風月 1996)
• The Chinese Feast (金玉滿堂 also known as: 滿漢全席 1995)
• The Phantom Lover (夜半歌聲 1995)
• It's a Wonderful Life (大富之家 1994)
• He's a Woman, She's a Man (金枝玉葉 1994)
• Over the Rainbow Under the Skirt (記得……香蕉成熟時 II：初戀情人 1994)
• Long and Winding Road (錦繡前程 1994)
• Ashes of Time (東邪西毒 1994)
• The Bride with White Hair (白髮魔女傳 1993)
• The Bride with White Hair 2 (白髮魔女傳 II 1993)
• All's Well, Ends Well Too (花田喜事 1993)
• Dong Cheng Xi Jiu (射雕英雄傳之東成西就 1993)
• Farewell My Concubine (霸王別姬 1993)
• All's Well, Ends Well (家有喜事 1992)
• Nam Kong Legend: Anti-Punk Squad (藍江傳之反飛組風云 1992)
• Party of a Wealthy Family (豪門夜宴 1991)
• Days of Being Wild (阿飛正傳 1991)
• Once a Thief (縱橫四海 1991)
• A Chinese Ghost Story Part II (倩女幽魂 II：人間道 1990)
• Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit (新最佳拍檔 1989)
• Fatal love (殺之戀 1988)
• Dragon family (龍之家族 1988)
• A Chinese Ghost Story (倩女幽魂 1987)
• A Better Tomorrow II (英雄本色 II 1987)
• Rouge (胭脂扣 1987)
• A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色 1986)
• Last Song in Paris (偶然 1986, 1982?)
• For Your Heart Only (為你鐘情 1985)
• Intellectual Trio (龍鳳智多星 1984)
• Fate (緣份 1984)
• Double Decker (三文治 1984)
• Merry Christmas (聖誕快樂 1984)
• First time (第一次 1983)
• Little Dragon maid (楊過與小龍女 1983)
• Drummer, the (鼓手 1983)
• Nomad (烈火青春 1982)
• Teenage Dreamers (檸檬可樂 1982)
• Crazy Romance (求愛反斗星 1982)
• Energetic 21 (沖激２１ 1982)
• On Trial (失業生 1981)
• Salute (喝采 1980)
• Erotic Dreams of the Red Chamber (紅樓春上春 1978)

See also: Cinema of Hong Kong

External links

• IMDB - Leslie Cheung (http://us.imdb.com/Name?Cheung,%20Leslie)
• Leslie Cheung Cyberworld (http://www.lesliecheung.cc)fr:Leslie Cheung

ko:장궈룽 ja:レスリー・チャン zh:张国荣