Alan Tam Wing-lun (; born 23 August 1950) is a

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

singer and actor. He played a major role in developing the

Cantopop Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") is a genre of pop music sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production and consumption. The genre began in the 1970s and became associated with Hon ...

scene in the 1980s as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. From 1983 to 1987, Alan Tam received numerous music awards and won Most Popular Male Artist and IFPI Award for successive four years, which made him the most famous superstar singer of Hong Kong in 1980s. In early 1988, he publicly quit all pop music award ceremonies and put most efforts in searching new direction for Cantopop music. Today, he is still active in the music and film industry, releasing new albums on a regular basis. Since the late 1980s, he has served as a mentor for the cantopop music industry, earning the

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

the "Principal" or "Principal Tam". Today he is regularly seen across the media in Hong Kong,

mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

, and various parts of East Asia participating in all types of entertainment-related events and charity activities. As of 2013, Alan Tam has launched a total of 115 solo albums and has sold over 35 million records worldwide; he also holds the record for having held the most concerts in Hong Kong as a solo artist. 20 of his albums have been certified platinum by the

IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1 ...

Hong Kong.

Biography

Early life

Tam was born on 23 August 1950 at Healthy Village in

North Point North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island, the area is named after a cape between Causeway Bay and Tsat Tsz Mui that projects ...

. He is son of football player Tam Kong-pak, who represented the

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

national team during the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

. He attended Shau Kei Wan Government Secondary School and

Chi Lin Buddhist Secondary School __NOTOC__ Chi may refer to: __NOTOC__ Greek *Chi (letter) (Χ or χ), the twenty-second letter of the Greek alphabet Chinese * ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter *Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon * Chi (surname) ...

. Then, he majored in Economics while attending Ngee Ann Technical College in Singapore.

Personal life

Tam married Sally Yeung Kit-mei in 1981. They have no children. Tam met his partner Wendy Chu in 1991; a son was born to them in 1995.

Career

Early years

Tam developed a passion for music in his secondary school years in Hong Kong. He formed a band called "The Wynners" () with his friends. They subsequently entered an amateur singing contest and took the first prize to begin a career in the entertainment industry, appearing in a number of

TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...

variety shows Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a compè ...

. The group disbanded, and he later reformed into the band

The Wynners The Wynners are a Hong Kong pop band formed in the 1970s. The group consists of Alan Tam (lead vocals), Kenny Bee (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Bennett Pang (lead guitar), Danny Yip (bass), and Anthony Chan (drums). History Beginni ...

with

Kenny Bee Chung Chun-to (born 23 February 1953), also known by his stage name Kenny Bee, is a Hong Kong singer, musician and actor. He is best known as the singer of the group the Wynners, and as a solo artist who has been active in the Hong Kong ent ...

in 1973. The Wynners performed mostly in English. Tam was one of the two lead singers in the band until it split in 1978. His first album as a solo artist was 'Naughty Boy' () in 1979. An early success was the song 'Love in Autumn' (), first performed in 1984.

As a solo singer

Tam's first album as a solo artist was "Naughty Boy" () in 1979. He later releases such as ''"Love in Autumn"'' () in 1984 or ''"Embrace''" (), ''"Flower in Water"'' () or ''"Half Dazed, Half Awoken"'' () achieved commercial success. In the 1981 RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards, he also won his first major individual song award. His 1984 albums of , "Foggy Love" () and 1985 "Love Trap" () formed a successful trilogy of albums. In 1988, he made an announcement that he would not accept any more awards with competition involved. He continued to release albums for the next 30+ years. From 1981 to 1988, he won a top 10 song award every year. This was in addition to his winning a top 10 song award every year from 1983 to 1987 for the Jade solid gold awards. In 1993, he released the English album "My Love", in collaboration with Korean singer

Kim Wan-Sun Kim Wan-sun (; born May 16, 1969) is a South Korean pop singer who was known in the mid-1980s and early 1990s as the "Korean Madonna" and "the dancing queen of Korean popular music's renaissance era" as well as a sex symbol for her "sexy" dancing ...

. The Hong Kong press frequently reported a fierce rivalry between Tam and fellow singer

Leslie Cheung Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (born Cheung Fat-chung; 12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actor. One of the most influential cultural icons in the Sinophone, Sinophone world, Cheung was known for his debonair demeanor, flamb ...

.Tamwinglun.
Tamwinglun.com
" ''1999 news.'' Retrieved on 30 September 2008. Although both artists were at peace with each other, it was the fans who created the spectacle of a musical feud. In the late 90s, the singers brushed aside any doubts about their friendship, and even appeared together in galas and other special programmes. In 1999, Leslie Cheung, together with other 17 singers, participated in the Album "Paying Tribute to Alan Tam" () and collaborated to produce the single remix of Tam's popular songs "Illusion" () and "Foggy Love" (). In 2003, he teamed up with fellow artist

Hacken Lee Hacken Lee (), is a Hong Kong singer, television host and actor, active since the 1980s. In 2013, Lee's song "House of Cards" swept multiple awards in many Hong Kong award ceremonies, including "World's Best Song" and "Broadcasting Index" in Metr ...

for a major world tour entitled Alan & Hacken (, or "Left Alan Right Hacken"). The name is a play on a Chinese idiom which means "neighbours" (). Up to 2013, they have performed around the world in countries like China, United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Taiwan, Macau, Malaysia, and Japan with over 100 concerts. Since 2006, he has been helping his godson

Kelvin Kwan Kelvin Kwan Cho-yiu (born 24 March 1983) is a Canadian-born Hong Kong Cantopop singer signed to Go East, a subdivision of Universal Music. Family background Born into a wealthy family, Kwan was raised in Canada. His father is Hong Kong record ...

establish a career in the Hong Kong pop industry. One of his signature fast songs "Love Trap" () earned him the 25th Anniversary Jade Solid Gold song honour award in 2006. By 1995, he had already sold more than 20 million albums. By 2005, he had launched more than 104 albums, and 800 songs. He has taken part in 264 concerts, of which 189 were individual concerts. In 2007, he was the recipient of the 30th Hall of Fame Award from the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong (CASH) for his 30+ years of contributions to the Hong Kong and Chinese music industry.

Actor

In the 1970s, Tam hosted the variety show ''The Wynners Show'' and took part in the television drama ''Over the Rainbow''. He decided to pursue opportunities in

in 1980, and starred in renowned director Pai Ching-jui's ''A Girl Without Sorrow''. He subsequently starred in more than ten films in Taiwan including ''The Funny Couple'' and ''

Part Time Job ''Part Time Job'' is a 1980 Taiwanese romantic comedy film directed by Lai Cheng-ying, starring Alan Tam and Ing Tsae-ling as two college students on summer break who fall in love while working menial jobs. Plot Liang Ta-cheng ( Alan Tam), from ...

''. He later starred in a number of films like '' Armour of God'' with

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born Chan Kong-sang; 7 April 1954), known professionally as Jackie Chan,; is a Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, known for his slapstick, acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, and innovative stunts, which he typically perf ...

and ''Master Wong v. Master Wong'' which is a parody of legendary

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative divisions * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and entertainment * Canton (band), an It ...

kung fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

fighter

Wong Fei Hung Wong Fei-hung (born Wong Sek-cheung with the courtesy name Tat-wun; 19 August 1847 – 17 April 1925) was a Chinese martial artist, physician, and folk hero. Though he was considered an expert in the Hung Ga style of Chinese martial arts, his r ...

. In 1981, Tam won the Best Actor award at the

Golden Horse Awards The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Taipei Golden Horse Awards () are a film festival and associated awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. The festival and ceremony were founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Repub ...

for his role in '' If I Were for Real''. He has virtually retired from acting since ''Age of Miracles'' (1996) and ''Aces Going Places'' (1997). However, he makes a comeback for ''

Here Comes Fortune ''Here Comes Fortune'' is a 2010 comedy film directed and written by James Yuen, featuring a rendition of folklore regarding the God of Fortune. A Hong Kong-Chinese co-production, the film was released during Chinese Lunar new year for seasona ...

'' in 2010.

President of Artistes Guild

On 11 January 2008, Tam was elected as president of the

Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild The Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild (HKPAG; zh, 香港演藝人協會) is a non-profit labour association that represents Hong Kong artistes, canto-pop singers and stage performers. As a member of ''International Society for the Performing ...

. Just a month after he was elected, the

Edison Chen photo scandal The Edison Chen photo scandal was a 2008 show business, showbiz scandal in Hong Kong that involved unlawful online distribution of stolen private erotic photography, intimate photographs of Hong Kong Canadian, Canadian-born actor Edison Chen wit ...

caused a media storm. The Guild condemned the increasing circulation and uploading of obscene photos on the Internet. Tam was interviewed daily by different media on the handling of the case. He stated, "The circulation of such obscene photos has created a bad atmosphere in society." After the

2008 Sichuan earthquake An earthquake occurred in the province of Sichuan, China at 14:28:01 China Standard Time on May 12, 2008. Measuring at 8.0 (7.9–8.3 ), the earthquake's epicenter was located boxing the compass, west-northwest of Chengdu, the provincial ...

, Tam helped set up a relief committee to look after the livelihood and schooling of orphaned children. He was on a HK committee along with

Eric Tsang Eric Tsang Chi-wai ( zh, t=曾志偉; born 14 April 1953) is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, and television host, best known for hosting the variety show ''Super Trio series'' on the Hong Kong television network Television Broadcasts ...

, and

Eason Chan Eason Chan Yick-shun ( zh, s=陈奕迅, t=陳奕迅, first=t, p=Chén Yìxùn; born 27 July 1974) is a Hong Kong singer and actor. He is one of the most popular and influential singers in both Cantopop and Mandopop. Besides holding the record ...

Entrepreneur

In 1997, an announcement was made in

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...

, Hong Kong to launch a Star East Entertainment restaurant concept boasting 40 celebrity investors. It was one of the most publicised investments made by Tam in collaboration with his best friends

Natalis Chan Natalis "Nat" Chan Pak Cheung (born 3 December 1950 in Hong Kong), also known by his nickname "Smart" (阿叻), is a Hong Kong television host, film actor, singer and producer. Besides his duties as a variety show host, he has also been a hor ...

and

. In 2000, a merger was made between Star East and

Planet Hollywood Planet Hollywood International Inc. (stylized as planet Hollywood, planet Hollywood observatory and ph) is a themed restaurant chain inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood. The company is owned by Earl Enterprises corporation. Earl E ...

Politics

During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, and after "worldwide coverage for Hong Kong’s police force utilizing heavy-handed tactics against student demonstrators", Tam sided with the police and attended a pro-police rally, saying "No one in the world has ever seen law enforcement officers attacked like that". A backlash from fans followed quickly, with some fans smashing his records in public.

YouTuber

On 11 April 2024, Tam put a verification video on his official YouTube account after posting old video of his live performances in the past 13 years.

References

External links

* at HKCuk.co.uk * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tam, Alan Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2007–2012 Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2012–2017 Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2021–2026 1950 births Living people Cantonese people 20th-century Hong Kong male singers 20th-century Hong Kong male actors 21st-century Hong Kong male singers 21st-century Hong Kong male actors Hong Kong idols Cantopop singers Hong Kong Mandopop singers English-language singers from Hong Kong Japanese-language singers of China Ballad musicians Hong Kong songwriters Hong Kong male film actors Hong Kong male television actors Hong Kong businesspeople Hong Kong Buddhists Hong Kong racehorse owners and breeders Ngee Ann Polytechnic alumni