Early life
Born in Hong Kong on 26 April 1966 as the eldest of three children, Sandy Lam spent her early years in North Point. Music had always been a major part of the Lam family. Her father, emigrated from Shanghai, was a professional Erhu musician with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and her mother performed Yue opera at local venues.A DJ and an actress
In 1982, while still a secondary school student at Marymount Secondary School, Sandy was asked by a classmate to audition for a disc jockey position at the Commercial Radio Hong Kong. Soon after, she started working as a part-time DJ at Commercial Radio 2 with a stage name "611". In 1984, she became a full-time DJ and was spotted by Tony Lee of CBS/Sony Records for her talent during an outdoor performance singing '' Crying in the Rain''. She was signed to CBS/Sony in 1985 and released her debut album in 1986. Meanwhile, Sandy acted in the movies ''Merry Christmas'' "聖誕快樂" (1984) and ''The Intellectual Trio'' "龍鳳智多星" (1985) and played the role of a nurse in a RTHK television series "左鄰右里" (1985).Musical career
Sandy's musical career was not a breakout success. Her first Cantonese language album and corresponding imagery was heavily influenced by the Japanese idol craze. Yet despite the popularity of this style in Hong Kong, Sandy failed to strike a chord with the general public. It was not until her album '' Grey'' "灰色" (1987) that the locals started taking the former DJ seriously as a singer. Both the title song "灰色" and a cover version of''City Rhythm''
At this make-or-break stage of her career, it was the ''City Rhythm'' "都市觸覺" series that really launched her into the big leagues, where she has remained ever since. A trilogy of records released between 1988 and 1990, ''City Rhythm'' gave Hong Kongers a taste of her true musical and conceptual capabilities, going platinum in the process. Serving as Executive Producer, the albums were filled with glossy dance-pop bops and ballads originally recorded by Western artists. ''City Rhythm'' was the first successful execution of a concept record in Cantopop. Lyrically daring, the series was profoundly feminist; representing the female experience of life and love on the busy Hong Kong streets, and embodied a woman who refused to compromise her aims and desires, with each song taking on a specific aspect of life. The song selection was also interesting: Sandy covered the songs of artists such as Martika and Taylor Dayne, positioning her as a fresh and youthful artist. Through this series, Sandy was not only able to encapsulate the glitz and glamour of 1980s Hong Kong and golden-era Cantopop, but also embody its youthfulness and ambition. A collection of corresponding remix records solidified her as Hong Kong's dancing queen.''Wildflower''
In 1991, Sandy worked with Singaporean songwriter Dick Lee and released the coming-of-age album '' Wildflower'' "野花". With wildflowers being a metaphorical representation of the mental journey of a modern Asian woman, ''Wildflower'' was a stunning collection of contemporary east-meets-west music. Marrying traditional themes and western jazz influences, ''Wildflower'' not only made people recognize the versatility and artistic talent of Sandy, but initiated the ‘Unplugged’ craze of early 90s Cantonese music – the creation of authentic and raw musical products that connected with the listener more intimately. Although reception was at first lukewarm, it was eventually recognized as a pioneering work in the Cantonese musical canon, and is now rightly regarded as one of the most important and culturally defining albums of Cantopop.''Home Again Without You''
Simultaneously, Sandy was also developing her Taiwanese market and establishing herself in the world of''Love, Sandy''
In 1995 she paired up with Taiwanese music producer Jonathan Lee and released her fourth Mandarin album '' Love, Sandy''. A ten-track collection of ballads, love songs and R&B-inspired pop, the album was a commercial blockbuster selling 800,000 copies in Taiwan and 3 million across Asia, cementing her in new markets including Singapore and Mainland China. Almost every song became a hit record, with many becoming KTV standards. To date it remains one of the best-selling albums in Mandopop history. Upon release of 14th Cantopop album ''Feeling Perfect'' "感覺完美" (1996), Sandy spent most of her time in Taiwan, China, and Japan. Sandy made a brief foray onto the stage in 1997 when she was cast as the female lead in Hong Kong's biggest musical '' Snow.Wolf.Lake'' "雪·狼·湖", the production went on to play 42 consecutive sold out performances in the Hong Kong Coliseum which remains the record today.''At Least I Still Have You''
After a hiatus lasting years following the birth of her daughter, she re-emerged and released a steady stream of Mandarin albums into the mid-00s, honing her capabilities and continuing to push herself creatively. Works during this time included ''Clang Rose'' "鏗鏘玫瑰" (1999), critically praised for being avant-garde yet commercially viable, and ''Sandy Lam's'' "林憶蓮’S" (2000) which included mega-hit ''At Least I Still Have You'' "至少還有你". A Korean remake of the song, sung by Super Junior-M, a sub-group of the''Gaia''
In 2012 Sandy released ''Gaia'' "蓋亞". Titled after the Goddess of earth in''Re: Workz'' and ''In Search of Lost Time''
She returned to Cantopop briefly, harking back to her early days by releasing two albums of cover songs from 1980s Hong Kong, namely ''Re: Workz'' (2014) and ''In Search of Lost Time'' "陪著我走" (2016), rearranging and adapting the songs to different styles and genres.Singer 2017
In January 2017, Sandy joined Hunan Television's show '' Singer 2017'', as one of the eight initial singers (contestants who entered the competition on the first week with exemption in the Breakout round). She was declared the winner in the final on 15 April 2017.''0''
In 2018, Sandy released her 12th Mandarin album ''0'' under negligible promotional-fanfare. Three years in the making, ''0'' continued Sandy's path of challenging herself musically. Releasing her first single "Core", for the second time collaborate with Mayday's main vocalist Ashin. A deeply emotional yet analytical affair, ''0'' is a record that tries to understand and explain the many concepts of zero, including the idea of beginnings and endings. Sandy won "Best Mandarin Female Singer" and "Best Recording Vocal Album" awards for this album at the 30th Golden Melody Awards in 2019.Personal life
Sandy married Taiwanese singer-songwriter and producer Jonathan Lee in 1998. They have a daughter together, Renee (李喜兒), born on 17 May 1998. Sandy and Jonathan Lee divorced in 2004. Sandy was in an eight-year relationship with the drummer-songwriter Jun Kung from 2011 to 2019.Discography
Cantonese albums
*'' Sandy Lam'' ( 林憶蓮) (1985) *'' Self-Indulgence'' ( 放縱) (1986) *'' Sandy'' ( 憶蓮) (1987) *'' Grey'' ( 灰色) (1987) *'' Ready'' (1988) *'' City Rhythm I'' ( 都市觸覺 Part I City Rhythm) (1988) *''City Rhythm II'' ( 都市觸覺 Part II 逃離鋼筋森林) (1989) *''Part III - Faces And Places'' ( 都市觸覺 Part III Faces And Places) (1990) *''Drifting'' ( 夢了、瘋了、倦了) (1991) *'' Wildflower'' ( 野花) (1991) *''Come Back To Love'' ( 回來愛的身邊) (1992) *''Begin Again'' ( 不如重新開始) (1993) *''Sandy '94'' (1994) *''Feeling Perfect'' ( 感覺完美) (1996) *''S/L'' ( 本色) (2005) *''Re: Workz'' (2014) *''In Search of Lost Time'' ( 陪著我走) (2016)Mandarin albums
*''Home Again Without You'' ( 愛上一個不回家的人) (1990) *''City Heart'' ( 都市心) (1991) *''Doesn't Matter Who I Am'' ( 不必在乎我是誰) (1993) *''Love, Sandy'' (1995) *''Night's Too Dark'' ( 夜太黑) (1996) *''Clang Rose'' ( 鏗鏘玫瑰) (1999) *''Sandy Lam's'' ( 林憶蓮's) (2000) *''2001 Sandy'' ( 2001蓮) (2000) *''Truly...'' ( 原來…) (2001) *''Breathe Me'' ( 呼吸) (2006) *''Gaia'' ( 蓋亞) (2012) *''0'' ( 0) (2018)Japanese albums
*''Simple'' (1994) *''Open Up'' (1995)English albums
*''I Swear'' (愛是唯一) (1996) *''Wonderful World'' (美妙世界) (1997)Filmography
Motion pictures
Television
Major awards
Published work
References
External links