Chang Yu Sheng

Chang Yu-Sheng, also known as Tom Chang, was a Taiwanese pop vocalist, songwriter and record producer. He was born in 1966 in Magong, Penghu, Taiwan, as the eldest child of his parents. His mother is Atayal, an indigenous people of Taiwan, and his father is a veteran of the ROC military. Chang developed a passion for music since his childhood, and was influenced by Western rock music. He learned to play guitar and keyboard, and joined two metal bands at university. He graduated from the National Chengchi University in 1989, majoring in political science. Chang began his music career in 1988, when he gained publicity with a beverage tie-in ballad "My Future is Not a Dream", which became a hit song among the youths in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China. He also released his debut album "Always Missing You" in the same year, which sold 350 thousand records within the regions. He also starred in a popular movie "Seven Wolves" as one of the leading roles, and sang the soundtrack of the film. He was nominated for "The Best New Artist" in the 10th Golden Melody Awards for his second album "Miss Me", which featured most songs co-written by himself. He established himself as a singer-songwriter, and experimented with different genres of contemporary music, such as rock, jazz, blues, folk and rap. He also collaborated with other singers and musicians, such as Lo Ta-yu, Jonathan Lee, Sarah Chen and Emil Chau. Chang was also active in music production and songwriting for theater performances, such as "The Legend of the White Snake" and "The Peony Pavilion". He discovered A-Mei, a Puyuma and pub singer, and introduced her to his record label. He became A-Mei's vocal tutor, producer and supervisor, and helped her achieve mainstream success with her debut and second albums, which were released in 1996 and 1997. Chang was also known for his high vocals, capable of reaching notes up to D 6. He was widely regarded as The Magician of Music in Chinese"and one of the greatest singers in Mandarin music history. Chang died at the age of 31 in 1997, after a fatal car accident. He was driving alone from Taipei to his home in Tamsui, when he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a streetlight. He sustained serious head injuries and fell into a coma. He never regained consciousness and passed away on November 12, after weeks of hospitalization. His death shocked and saddened his fans and the music industry. His funeral was attended by thousands of people, including his family, friends and fellow artists. He was buried in Tamsui District, New Taipei City. His songs and albums are still popular and influential among the Chinese-speaking communities, and he is often considered as a legend and a pioneer of Mandopop.