| Liu Wen Zheng (劉文正) | |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 劉文正 (Traditional) |
| Chinese name | 刘文正 (Simplified) |
| Pinyin | Liú wēnzhèng (Mandarin) |
| Jyutping | Lau4 man1 ching3 (Cantonese) |
| Origin | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Born | November 12, 1952 Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Occupation | Singer, movie actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocal |
| Years active | 1975–1983 |
Liu Wen Zheng or Steven Liu (Traditional Chinese 劉文正; Simplified Chinese 刘文正; Cantonese: Lau Man-ching; Mandarin pinyin: Liú wénzhèng, born 12 November 1952) is a former Taiwanese celebrity.
Liu is the youngest son of a well to do family and a favorite of his mother. He had initially planned to follow the path of his siblings, a brother and two sisters, to further his education overseas after college. However, this was shelved after he won the singing contest which led to a contract with the Taiwan TV station, Tai Shi at the age of 17.
Liu started performing in his college Xu Hui Zhong Xue, a Catholic school when he became the lead vocalist of a popular band Zheng Wu. According to Liu, his interest in music was encouraged by a priest there who was fan of pop music.
His first album "Nuo Yen" (The Promise), released in 1975, launched his singing career when it became an instant hit. Liu’s path to super-stardom was smooth, due to his distinctive vocal styles, and assisted no doubt by his gentlemanly good looks. Early in his career, he often wore a white scarf when performing and this evolved into his signature look.
He won the prestigious "Jing Zhong Jiang" for "Best Male Singer" three times, in the year 1980, 82 and 83. At the height of his career, Liu commanded an appearance fee of NT$240,000 per night. He released close to 40 albums and acted in over a dozen movies,[1] in which he partnered with some of the most popular female actresses like Brigitte Lin, Shirley Lu and Sylvia Chang.
In 1983, the then 30-year old Liu announced rather unexpectedly that he would give up the limelight and focus on developing his career backstage. He set up a production company "Fei Ying" to groom young talents but the company was wound up in 1991 when he immigrated to the US.
Despite his superstar status, Liu has managed to maintain an impeccable reputation in the entertainment industry. Insiders describe him as gentlemanly, quiet and reserved off stage.
Liu now resides in New York. He is said to be a savvy property investor with assets spanning many countries. He has no plans to return to show business.