customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Mabel Lui

This is the 29th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
George Lam Chi-cheung is one of the most prolific Cantopop singer-songwriters of all time.
The entertainment veteran, also affectionately known to fans as Ah Lam, rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s with hits like “Need You Every Minute” and “Ah Lam’s Diary”.
Now 76 years old, the singer is still actively performing, and often seen showing off his wide vocal range in television programmes and yearly concerts.

Born in 1947 in Hong Kong, Lam developed his love for music at a young age. He completed his early education at Diocesan Boys’ School, but after failing his School Certificate Examination, his parents decided to send him to the UK for further studies.
During his time there, Lam was the lead singer and guitarist for a student band called The Midnighters.
After graduating, Lam moved to the United States to work for several years, but eventually decided to return to Hong Kong in the mid-1970s to pursue music full time. He began his entertainment career as a lead singer for a band called Jade, but by 1976 had released his first solo endeavour, an English-language album titled Lam.
The singer followed that up with another English-language album called Lam II, but when he realised that the Hong Kong market did not respond well to those albums, he pivoted to singing Cantonese jingles for television advertisements and TVB dramas.
In 1978, Lam released his first Cantonese album, and he went on to release at least one Cantonese album every year until the mid-1990s.

“Singing in Cantonese is much more disciplined than singing in English,” he told the Post in 1985. “You lose a lot of freedom.
“When you sing in English you can bend your notes or throw something in. In Cantonese that is phonetically impossible because if you bend a word it takes on a different meaning … It’s now got to the point where I don’t know how to sing in English any more.”
Back then, Lam differentiated himself from other performers by writing and producing his own tracks, showing a rare, well-rounded skill set that sparked the interest of record companies and listeners.
He also became known for his versatile tenor voice, with his releases spanning a wide range of genres. He often released covers of songs – including ones from the US, UK, Japan, South Korea and Latin America – while his own tracks varied from jazz and rap to songs inspired by tango and traditional Chinese music.

By the early 2000s, Lam had released over 40 albums. One of his most notable songs was “Ah Lam’s Diary”, which was labelled the first Cantopop rap song; another track, “10 Minutes 12 Inches”, which lasts for 10 minutes, is one of the longest Cantopop songs to ever be released.
Other popular songs of his include “Who is Most Beloved” – also the song that he gets asked to sing at weddings most frequently – and “Need You Every Minute”.
When asked to pick a favourite song from his extensive repertoire during a radio programme shortly before his 40th anniversary concert in 2016, Lam selected the latter because he said it encompassed a lot of people’s memories from their youth.
In 2003, Lam’s career faced a setback when he fell and injured his right ear while performing at the Hong Kong Coliseum as a guest of singer Liza Wang Ming-chun. As a result, he suffered partial hearing loss in his right ear, but continues performing to this day.

Lam also graced the small screen, hosting numerous music programmes and acting in television dramas.
His big-screen acting debut came in the 1979 film Money Trip, and in subsequent years, he appeared in films such as the action comedy The Owl vs Bombo (1984) – in which Michelle Yeoh had her first film role – and the Lunar New Year films Kung Hei Fat Choy (1985) and The Perfect Match (1991).
Perhaps Lam’s most notable film role to date is in Boat People (1982), the last film in Ann Hui On-wah’s Vietnam trilogy.
Also starring Andy Lau Tak-wah, Cora Miao Chien-jen and Season Ma, the film is told through the perspective of Lam’s character, Japanese photojournalist Shiomi Akutagawa, and chronicles the harrowing reality of life in Vietnam following the fall of Saigon.

When the film was released, it was met with acclaim – but also some controversy because of its political nature. Boat People went on to win five awards at the second Hong Kong Film Awards. Lam, for his part, was nominated for best actor.
Despite his enduring presence in the entertainment world, offstage and off-screen Lam was known as a man with a quiet persona. He shunned public attention, and garnered a reputation for being prickly, sometimes stopping interviews halfway through.
“When you are in show business you become public property, and that is something you have to expect,” he told the Post in 1985. “But it also does make life a little difficult.
“As an artist you have certain responsibilities towards the audience. While you try to be polite most of the time, the continuous attention occasionally gets to you.”

Aside from shying away from the public eye, Lam bucked convention in other ways. When his fellow singers began wearing extravagant costumes during their concerts, Lam chose to stick to his baggy suits and signature moustache.
“I’ve never bothered with image and all that. And I think I have proved to some degree that the audience wants some sincerity, wants some real stuff in their artists,” he told the Post in 1997.
“Whether it is in my music, my concerts, movies or in real life, I have never given them a false impression of who the real Lam is. I’ve held on to that belief and, of course, it may have hindered me in many ways. I may not have achieved super-super stardom but I think I have created a bond with my audience and my fans.”
Lam married music executive Ng Ching-yuen in 1980, and together they had two children, one of whom – Alex Lam Tak-shun – followed in his father’s footsteps and also became a singer and actor.

Lam and Ng divorced in 1994, following a scandal that involved Lam’s relationship with fellow singer Sally Yeh Chian-wen. Lam and Yeh married in 1996, and the two have been together ever since despite past rumours that they had separated.
“We are both Librans and somehow it just works,” Lam said in 2002. “Characteristically we are different – she is more outspoken and I am quiet – but deep down we want the same things.”
The two collaborated on several songs – one of which was the romantic duet “Choice” – and recently made an appearance on Infinity And Beyond (2022), a singing reality show produced by Mango TV and Hong Kong broadcaster TVB.
Despite now being in his seventies, Lam has kept busy, frequently putting on concerts in Asia and beyond. His last set of shows were in mainland China, where he performed in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Nanning.

Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


How the Pang Brothers’ The Eye movies led Hong Kong cinema’s horror genre in the 2000s

How Hong Kong’s Albert Leung (Lin Xi) became one of Cantopop’s most loved lyricists

Love Lies movie review: Sandra Ng, Michael Cheung in online dating scam comedy drama

Fashion designer Robert Wun, in his own words: from growing up in Hong Kong to dressing Adele

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

How Cantopop singer-songwriter George Lam stayed popular for 5 decades – by being himself

George Lam at an interview with the Post in 2004. Photo: SCMP

Singer-songwriter and actor George Lam has been a Hong Kong favourite since the 1970s, releasing numerous hit songs and appearing on TV and in films. Photo: SCMP

George Lam (left) performs at a celebration for the Philippines’ National Day in 1977. Photo: SCMP

George Lam at a recording studio in 1986. Photo: SCMP

George Lam at an interview with the Post in 1987. Photo: SCMP

George Lam performs at the Golden Bauhinia Awards in 1996. Photo: SCMP

George Lam and Season Ma in a still from Boat People (1982). Photo: Bluebird Film

Sally Yeh and George Lam disclose their plan to hold a series of joint concerts in Beijing to show their support for the city’s bid for the 2000 Olympics, in 1993. Photo: SCMP

George Lam sings at the Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong, in 2009. Photo: SCMP

Cecilia Cheung: Hong Kong actress, sex scandal victim and Chinese social media star

Cecilia Cheung at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004. The actress’ personal life garnered a lot of attention in the 2000s, with tabloids covering scandals and her high-profile romantic life. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

Cheung and Nicholas Tse in 2001. Photo: Reuters

Cheung in a still from Lost in Time (2003), for which she won best actress at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

Cheung and Tse at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011, the year they filed for divorce. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Cheung and Stephen Chow in a still from King of Comedy (1999). Her feature-film debut remains one of her most memorable roles. Photo: The Star Overseas

Cheung and her three sons. Photo: Weibo

Cheung in a photo she posted on her Weibo account in 2023. Photo: Weibo

Eason Chan, Hong Kong actor and singer who’s never been afraid to court controversy

Hong Kong singer and actor Eason Chan remains one of Cantopop’s most influential figures. Photo: Handout

Chan at an interview with the Post in 1998. Photo: SCMP

Chan on stage in concert in 1999. Photo: SCMP

Chan after receiving an award for his song Shall We Talk in 2002. Photo: SCMP

Chan at an interview with the Post in 2005. Photo: SCMP

Karena Lam and Chan in a still from Lover’s Discourse (2010).

Chan and his wife, Hilary Tsui, pictured in 2013. 

Chan during his Fear and Dreams World Tour concert on July 23, 2023 in Taipei. Photo: Getty Images

Who’s Joey Wong? She acted with Jackie Chan, Leslie Cheung in Hong Kong film’s golden age

Jackie Chan and Joey Wong in a still from City Hunter (1993).

Joey Wong and Leslie Cheung in a still from A Chinese Ghost Story, the 1987 film that made the fledgling Taiwanese actress’ name in Hong Kong. She appeared in a string of films before stepping out of the public eye in 1994. Photo: Film Workshop

Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (left) and Wong on the set of A Chinese Ghost Story.

Leslie Cheung and Joey Wang in still from A Chinese Ghost Story. Photo: Golden Princess Amusement

Wong in A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990).

Jackie Chan and Wong in a still from City Hunter (1993).

Wong (left) and Maggie Cheung in a still from Green Snake (1993).

Taiwanese pop stars Chyi Chin (left) and Wong (centre) in Tibet in 2000. Photo: Xinhua

Wong at a press conference in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2001. Photo: SCMP

Actor, designer, rapper, comedian, radio host – Jan Lamb of Cantopop duo Softhard has done it all, and more

Jan Lamb pictured in 2014. Photo: SCMP

Jan Lamb Hoi-fung at an interview with the Post in 2005. Lamb, one half of Cantopop duo Softhard, may be Hong Kong show business’ only true multihyphenate. Photo: SCMP

Lamb at a promotional event for his morning radio programme Softhard Kids This Morning in 1994. Photo: SCMP

Lamb at an interview with the Post in 1998. Photo: SCMP

Lamb performs in the annual Ultimate Song Chart Awards organised by Commercial Radio at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in 1999. Photo: SCMP

Eric Kot (left) and Lamb at a news conference promoting their concert Long Time No See in 2006. Photo: Reuters

Kot (left) and Lamb at an interview with the Post in 2014. Photo: SCMP

Lamb at a promotional event for his stand-up comedy shows in 2016.

The life of Hong Kong’s ‘happy fruit’ Lydia Sum: comedian, actress and emcee, ‘Fei Fei’ did everything from the heart

Lydia Sum Tin-ha at an interview with the Post in 1994. When it came to the Hong Kong television and comedy icon, known as Fei Fei, everything came from the heart, said the TV producer who turbocharged her career. Photo: SCMP

Lydia Sum in a still from The Invincible Eight (1971).

(From left) Chow Yun-fat, Carol “Do Do” Cheng Yu-ling, Sum and Ivan Ho Sau-shun on stage as the masters of ceremonies of the Miss Aerobic beauty pageant in 1985. Photo: SCMP

Sum (centre) and Bill Tung Biu (right) in a still from It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World (1987).

(From left) Spencer Leung Sze-ho, Sara Lee Lai-yui, Bill Tung Biu, Yvonne Yung Hung and Sum made up the cast of long-running comedy series Auntie Lydia and Uncle Bill. Photo: SCMP

Sum and her daughter, Joyce Cheng, in 2004. Photo: Martin Chan

(From left) Sum, Joyce Cheng and Adam Cheng appear on a TVB programme in 2004.

Sum at an interview with the Post in 2002. Photo: SCMP

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Music

Film & TV

Hong Kong’s pop culture icons

How Kelly Chen, Cantopop star and beloved Hong Kong actress, has captured the hearts of music and movie fans for three decades

Kelly Chen pictured in 1997. The secret to the Cantopop star and actress’s success? “I’ve just tried my best to grab any opportunity.” Photo: Dickson Lee

Chen (right) is presented with a prize at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards ceremony in January 1996 by Taiwanese singer Wu Chien-lien. Photo: SCMP

Chen (left) and Yutaka Takenouchi in a still from “Calmi Cuori Appassionati” (2001).

Chen (right) and Donnie Yen in a still from “An Empress and the Warriors” (2008).

Chen and her husband, Alex Lau Kin-ho, pose during their wedding ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui in October, 2008. Photo: SCMP

Chen performs in the Grand Variety Show in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 30, 2007. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Ekin Cheng, Chen and Tony Leung Ka-fai in a still from “Horseplay” (2014).

Chen (left) and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a still from “Infernal Affairs III” (2003).

A charity sale of Chen’s clothes, shoes and handbags took place in April 2023. Photo: Facebook/@kellychenwailam

How Hong Kong boy band Grasshopper, protégés of Cantopop legend Anita Mui, blazed a trail with their intoxicating dance pop music

(From left) Edmond So Chi-wai, Remus Choy Yat-kit and Calvin Choy Yat-chi of the Cantopop group Grasshopper at an interview with the Post in 2006. The boy band, formed in 1985, are still performing today. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy Yat-chi, Edmond So Chi-wai and Remus Choy Yat-kit, pictured in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Cantopop diva Anita Mui with Grasshopper at the Chinese Gold Songs award presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Coliseum in January 1989. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Edmond So, Calvin Choy and Remus Choy at the opening of the Aiwa Music Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in August 1991. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy, Roman Tam, Edmond So and Remus Choy backstage at a concert in Shanghai in July 1993. Photo: SCMP

(From second left) Edmond So, Remus Choy and Calvin Choy at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, in January 1996. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Remus Choy, Calvin Choy and Edmond So at an interview with the Post in 2010. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy, Remus Choy and Edmond So on stage during TVB 55th Anniversary Gala on November 19, 2021. Photo: Getty Images

Takeshi Kaneshiro, one of the ‘most good-looking’ actors in Hong Kong cinema and star of some of Wong Kar-wai and Peter Chan’s best movies, is a man of mystery

Takeshi Kaneshiro at an interview with the Post in July 2004. Kaneshiro, who debuted as a singer in Taiwan in 1992, has not been seen on the big screen since 2017 – but remains as popular as ever. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhou Dongyu in a still from “This Is Not What I Expected” (2017).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin in a still from “Chungking Express” (1994). 

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kyoko Fukada in a still from the drama series “God, Please Give Me More Time” (1998).

(From left) Xu Jinglei, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Jet Li, Jacky Heung and director Peter Chan promote “The Warlords” at an event in December 2007. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro in a still from “Perhaps Love” (2005).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Michele Reis in “Fallen Angels” (1995). Photo: Block 2 Pictures and Jet Tone Contents

Takeshi Kaneshiro in an interview with the Post in December 2006. Photo: SCMP

Acting with Michelle Yeoh, modelling at 12: the Cinderella story of Isabella Leong, who passed up Hollywood to have children with Richard Li, younger son of Li Ka-shing

Isabella Leong Lok-sze promotes her 2014 appearance in a stage play. Photo: Felix Wong 

Isabella Leong in an interview with the Post in 2005. The Macanese actress put a halt to her acting career when she began dating Richard Li, the younger son of Li Ka-shing. Photo: SCMP

Leong (left) and Chapman To in a still from “Isabella” (2006).

Leong (left), Jaycee Chan and Charlene Choi at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards in April 2007. Photo: SCMP

Luke Ford (left) and Leong in a still from “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (2008).

Leong, Richard Li and their son, Ethan Li, in April 2009. 

Leong and Jim Chim at an event to promote “Sign of Happiness” in February 2014. Photo: SCMP

Leong in a still from “Murmur of the Hearts” (2015).

(From left) Leong, Paul Chun and Faye Yu in a still from “Love After Love” (2020).

Aaron Kwok, dancer, singer, actor, husband to Moka Fang, and father – how he went from being one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop’ to all-round star

Aaron Kwok with the prize for best actor he received at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016. Photo: Edward Wong

Aaron Kwok at an interview with the Post in 2009. Kwok started his career as a background dancer nearly four decades ago. Now he is a beloved Cantopop singer and actor – and a smitten husband and proud father of two. Photo: SCMP

Kwok (right) alongside fellow Cantopop singers Andy Lau (left) and Jacky Cheung at an RTHK event in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Aaron Kwok, pictured in 1993. Photo: SCMP

Kwok won the Best Actor prize at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016. Photo: Edward Wong

Kwok (right) and Charlie Young play a troubled couple in “After This Our Exile” (2006).

Kwok performs at an event organised by RTHK at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in 2001. Photo: SCMP.

Kwok (left) and Chow Yun-fat in a still from “Project Gutenberg” (2018).

Kwok with his wife, Moka Fang Yuan, in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Photo: Kenneth Chan

How Hong Kong actress Carina Lau rose to stardom from her ‘mainland girl’ roots, overcame topless photos scandal and wed Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Carina Lau Ka-ling. Photo: Instagram/@carinalau1208

Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling, pictured in 1993 soon after her career breakthrough in a Wong Kar-wai film. Married since 2008 to fellow actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, she is known for her style and class, and some iconic roles. Photo: SCMP

Cheung Siu-fai and Lau promoting TVB series “The Turbulent Decade” in 1986. Photo: SCMP

(Clockwise from top right) Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Lau, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu-wai on the set of Wong Kar-wai’s movie “Days of Being Wild” in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “Ashes of Time” (1994).

Carina Lau and Nicholas Tse celebrate with their trophies after winning the best actor and best actress awards at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau and Tony Leung at the opening night of hit musical “Les Miserables” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “In Your Dreams” (2018).

Lau and Leung at the 16th Asian Film Awards in March 2023. Photo: Dickson Lee

1980s Hong Kong pop idol Danny Chan’s bittersweet success story: his talent, fame, the tabloid rumours, his retirement and early death

Singer Danny Chan Pak-keung puts one of his albums in a time capsule in 1991. Photo: SCMP

Danny Chan was one of Hong Hong’s “Three Kings and A Queen of Cantopop” in the 1980s, with fellow idols Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui and Alan Tam. Photo: SCMP

Yvonne Siu, project manager of TVB, presents a souvenir to Danny Chan in 1984. Photo: SCMP

Chan singing at his own birthday party in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Chan (left) and Jacky Cheung Hok-yau at the Top Ten Pop Stars Election in 1987. Photo: SCMP

There were numerous rumours about a relationship between Pansy Ho and Chan. Photo: Weibo

Chan performing at a concert to promote Aids awareness in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Chan was taken to Queen Mary Hospital after collapsing at home on May 19, 1992. Photo: SCMP

Flanked by singer Anita Mui Yim-fong and actor Chow Yun-fat, Danny Chan’s older brother Chan Pak-ling carries his younger brother’s picture at the singer’s funeral in 1993. Photo: SCMP

The rise of Hong Kong actress Sharla Cheung, star of Stephen Chow and Wong Jing films, and the surprise movie she made after retiring

Profile | How Cantopop singer-songwriter George Lam stayed popular for 5 decades – by being himself

Lam released his first solo album in 1976, had hits through the 70s and 80s, sang jingles for TV ads and dramas, and still performs at 76