| William Thanakorn Scorpion | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thanakorn Scorpion |
| Ancestry | Thai/German-Chinese |
| Origin | Singapore |
| Born | November 14, 1961 Singapore |
| Occupation | Singer, model, performance artist, equestrianism coach |
| Genre(s) | Cantopop, Mandopop |
| Voice type(s) | Alto |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Associated acts | Queen Band[1] Prince Band |
| Children | Zsa Zsa (b.1986) Nicholas (b.1989) |
Thanakorn (/ˈθɑːnɪərkɒrn/) Scorpion (born 14 November 1961), better known by his stage name William Scorpion, is a Singaporean Cantopop and Mandopop singer, performance artist, model and part-time equestrianism coach. He is widely viewed as a homegrown "veteran"[1][2] of Singapore's Mandopop night-scene, with related accolades such as "local legend"[3] and "local icon".[4] Numerous press releases still credit, and much of the local Chinese-speaking night-scene population still consider him as, Singapore's very own "Mandopop King".[5]
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Scorpion was born to a Thai father and a Chinese mother in the residential conservation area of Joo Chiat, a district in the eastern region of Singapore. He is of a distant German descent (paternal). He was born the eldest child into a family of four siblings, with him being the only son in a family of three younger sisters. He received his early education at Bukit Merah Primary School (now demolished) and his secondary education at Anderson Secondary School, before being enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces, where he eventually vocationed as an Infantry section leader. After his consignment, he ventured into part-time modeling.
Scorpion's singing talent was only first discovered by a chance visit to a friend's club opening, called Gold Leaf Esteem Salon at Parklane Shopping Mall. When dared to sing on stage by his friends, he gamely took on the dare and sang a classic Cantopop ballad "上海滩" (Sheung Hoi Tan), the theme song from the popular Hong Kong period drama The Bund, originally sang by Frances Yip, in front of a live audience. His performance immediately impressed the club manager and he was offered a singing contract to perform at his club. Within 5 months, he had gained such a fan following and recognition from local music producers that he was offered a starring role in Channel 8's prime time (8:00 - 10:00 PM [UTC+08:00]) live Mandarin singing show, called Live At Studio One, produced by Studio One.[6] It aired every weekday and he was a regular performer from 1983 to 1992.[7] This wide exposure to the local Mandarin-speaking population helped secure his local fan base and increase his popularity.
In 1988, he embarked on a solo, three-night, sell-out, summer showcase concert in Guangzhou, China to promote the "Singapore-style" of Canto and Mandopop.[7]
Scorpion eventually became a crowd-drawing singing staple at many Cantopop-themed clubs, singing to nightly crowds at various night spots, including clubs/bars Canto, Club 1997, Club Chinos, Utopia and many others under the Europa Group.[1] He eventually became the resident star and lead singer of Dragonfly, a Mandopop club situated in St James Power Station, a music and nightlife venue in the HarbourFront area of Singapore, near VivoCity. There, he performed together with a panoply of other local musical icons like Celest Zhang, Fatt Zhai, Jason Chung and Skye Sirena, as well as younger local reality stars such as Jon Toh (of Project SuperStar fame) and Sylvester Sim (runner-up to the inaugural season of Singapore Idol).
In 2006, Scorpion signed a renewed contract with the St. James Group, becoming the Executive Director of Shanghai Dolly, a new Mandopop club situated in the heart of Clarke Quay.[7] The 1,600 sq m superclub was built as part of a $1-million St. James revamp.[8] Although he stills performs nightly at this new venue, he now also acts as a mentor and guide to his bevy of younger singers, dancers, performers and DJs.
In 2011, a competition was created to "find the next William Scorpion", called Guinness Live.[9] Scorpion, representing Shanghai Dolly, is mentoring 4 acts, and these 4 acts will compete against 8 others (4 from Dragonfly, mentored by Jason Chung, and 4 from Firefly, mentored by Fatt Zhai). He is also a judge for the competition.
Scorpion married in 1985 and the couple had their first child, a daughter, Zsa Zsa, a year later in 1986, and a son, Nicholas, in 1989. Zsa Zsa has since followed in her father's footsteps and is currently part of a two-piece local indie/folk music band, Zsa & Claire, together with her band-mate, Claire Goh.[10] Nicholas is currently an aspiring chef.
In his spare time, Scorpion holds an avid interest in equestrianism. He has worked with horses since 1988. He has earned an International Certification Horsemanship (Level 1) from The Equestrian Federation of Australia[7] as well as Tertiary Studies in Horse Management and Riding. He works part-time (in tandem with his nightly singing job) as an equestrianism/horse-riding coach at The National Equestrian Park of Singapore.
He owns a riding school cum bed-and-breakfast resort in Phayao, Thailand. It comprises 12 stables for 12 horses, rooms for guests and a Thai-beef noodle restaurant called Kaew Noodles. The complex is currently run by his cousins in his absence.
Scorpion is fluent in English, Mandarin, Thai, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka and other languages/dialects.
Scorpion's modelling career started early - after his mandatory National Service, he started part-time modeling at the age of 18. He has modeled and walked for many local fashion brands, including the Singapore export brand, Tan Lee Sports & Swimwear. He is also an ambassador for Anonimo Watches and Guinness, and has modeled for CityMax and Corolla Cobra.
He has appeared in numerous local magazines and newspapers throughout his lifetime as a model and performer. This includes covers and spreads in Her World (the most read female magazine in Singapore),[11] 8 Days, August, as well as many major Singapore newspapers, including The Straits Times, The New Paper, Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News, Today and My Paper.