Danny Chan

Danny Chan, also known as Chan Pak-Keung, was a Hong Kong singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the 1980s as one of the "Three Kings and a Queen of Cantopop" along with Alan Tam, Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung. He was widely recognised as the first modern day pop idol in Hong Kong, and was known for his soothing melodies and heartfelt lyrics. He recorded many hit songs, such as "Waiting", "Life Expectation", "Ripples", "Loving You Alone", and "Cherish Tonight". He also participated in various charity shows and activities, and was renowned for his fashion sense. He made his acting debut in 1978 with the TV drama Sweet Babe, and later starred in several movies, such as The Drummer, The Young Taoism Fighter, and The Legend of the Owl. He was born on September 7, 1958, in Hong Kong, to a businessman father who loved Cantonese opera and a mother who was a housewife. He taught himself to play the organ, keyboard and piano, and won several music competitions in his youth. He signed with EMI Records in 1979 and began his singing career, which lasted for 13 years. He was diagnosed with depression in 1986, and struggled with alcoholism and insomnia. He collapsed at his home on May 18, 1992, and was found to have brain damage caused by alcohol mixed with medicine. He remained in a coma for 17 months, and died on October 25, 1993, at the age of 35. He was buried at the Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery in Hong Kong. He was posthumously awarded the Golden Needle Award by Radio Television Hong Kong in 2009, to commemorate his contributions to Cantopop music.