Roman Tam
| Roman Tam 羅文 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Chinese name | 羅文 (traditional) | ||
| Chinese name | 罗文 (simplified) | ||
| Pinyin | Luó Wén (Mandarin) | ||
| Jyutping | lo4 man4 (Cantonese) | ||
| Birth name | Tam Pak-Sin (譚百先) | ||
| Ancestry | Guiping, Guangxi, China | ||
| Origin | Hong Kong | ||
| Born |
12 February 1950 Guangzhou, China | ||
| Died |
18 October 2002 (aged 52) Hong Kong | ||
| Other name(s) |
Law Kee (羅記) Godfather of Cantopop | ||
| Occupation | Singer, actor | ||
| Genre(s) | Cantopop, Hong Kong English pop | ||
| Instrument(s) | Vocals | ||
| Label(s) |
EMI BMG EEG | ||
| Years active | 1960–1996 | ||
| Associated acts | Roman and the Four Steps | ||
|
Awards
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Roman Tam, known by the stage name Lo Man (羅文), nickname Law Kee (蘿記), (12 February 1950 – 18 October 2002) was a renowned Hong Kong Cantopop singer. He is regarded as the "Godfather of Cantopop".[1]
Career
Tam was seen as a cultural icon to Chinese communities around the world (including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and, later Mainland China). He had a string of hits in a career spanning 30 years. He was well respected for his singing skills, his positive outlooks, and his insistence on correct pronunciations. He was also groundbreaking for being the first major Hong Kong singer to pose in drag and to pose in nude.
Born in Guangzhou, China with family roots in Guiping, Guangxi, he later immigrated to Hong Kong in 1962 at the age of 12. After forming a short-lived band known as Roman and the Four Steps,[2] he became a contract singer under studios term at Television Broadcasts Limited. He briefly switched to Asia Television Ltd in the early 1990s.
During the 1990s, he accepted many budding singers as his students. Some of which who became famous included Joey Yung and Ekin Cheng. He had sang many well known songs for various TV series including Below the Lion Rock and the 1982 TVB TV series The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
Tam never married. He died in Hong Kong at Queen Mary Hospital from liver cancer. The title of "Godfather of Cantopop" was confirmed in his obituary.
Collaborations
Roman Tam counts Jenny Tseng as his dearest friend and best partner.[citation needed] He recorded a series of duets with Jenny Tseng for the television drama hit "Legend of Condor Heroes." Jenny Tseng still pays tribute to Roman Tam during her concerts.[citation needed]
References
- ↑ HKVPradio, ""Roman Tam the Godfather of cantopop", Retrieved on 7 April 2007. Article archived in 2008. Excerpted from the original article in Rhythm magazine by Lucia Chan, June 8, 2004.
- ↑ Shoesmith, Brian. Rossiter, Ned. [2004] (2004). Refashioning Pop Music in Asia: Cosmopolitan flows, political tempos and aesthetic Industries. Routeledge Publishing. ISBN 0-7007-1401-4
External links
- "Hong Kong pop icon Tam dies", BBC News, Saturday, 19 October, 2002
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wong Jim |
Golden Needle Award of RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award 1991 |
Succeeded by Leslie Cheung |
|