On July 2, 2021, after 7 years, Jacky Cheung released a new song to sing the Cantonese theme song "The Meaning of Persistence" for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
As soon as the song was launched, it reached the top of the hot search. "The pressure is like a torrential rain, the holy fire in the heart cannot be extinguished, the resistance to combat strength has never left the seat", "The low-lying and slope, perhaps more than the empty flat land, has been invested in subjective values, and has not counted the results", "Challenge, the past I trained to become today, the old record will still be broken"... These inspiring lyrics are not only the style of Olympic athletes, but also the true portrayal of the music road of the song god half a life.
Seriousness and hard work have always been the two key words in Jacky Cheung's life. Today, Jacky Cheung is 60 years old.
In the movie "Ah Fei Zheng Biography" starring Jacky Cheung, Ah Fei, played by Zhang Guorong, compared himself to a "footless bird". This type of bird has only one fate:
Flying endlessly all his life, stopping in the wind when he is tired, landing only once in his life, that is, when he dies.
The "legless bird" has no roots, not because of loneliness, but because it loves the sky too deeply.
In reality, Jacky Cheung is the "footless bird", the stage is his sky, and it is also his most beloved destination.
After singing songs for 37 years, he described himself as "a neurotic who can only sing." He believes that "good songs have good rewards and can be sung until they are 70 years old".
In this life, he is destined to completely deliver his "lifetime" to the stage.
In "The True Biography of Ah Fei", Jacky Cheung plays "Crooked Boy" from left to right as Jacky Cheung, Zhang Guorong, and Liang Chaowei
In 1984, 23-year-old Jacky Cheung sang a song "Grace of the Earth" in the first "Hong Kong 18 District Amateur Singing Competition". After the song stopped, the judge Lu Guozhan directly waved his hand and said: "No need to score, it must be him." ”
In this way, Jacky Cheung, an airline ticket operator with no singing experience, won the championship in one fell swoop, got a set of speakers worth 7,000 yuan, and a contract with PolyGram, the largest record company at that time, and officially debuted as a singer.
In the past 37 years, he has released about 108 records, won the "Most Popular Hong Kong Male Singer in asia pacific" three times, and won the "World's Best-Selling Asian Singer" and "World's Best-Selling Chinese Singer" awards for two consecutive years.
In 2000, he won the Golden Needle Award, the highest honor in the Hong Kong music scene.
According to incomplete statistics from the International Record Association in 2006, these records sold 120 million copies, ranking second in the world, after the late American singer Michael Jackson, the first among the Chinese.
In the United States and Canada in the 1990s, a chinese record store in a normal neighborhood could sell thousands of his records.
In the eyes of the vast majority of people: as long as there are Chinese people, there is Teresa Teng's singing, as long as there is a wind blowing through the place, there is Jacky Cheung's music.
In addition to enjoying the reputation of "god of song", he is also known as the "male version of Teresa Teng".
In the United States, two states even designate February 17 as "Jacky Cheung Day."
Newspaper material
The teenager Jacky Cheung probably never thought that he could really be a singer.
The first time he heard his vocals in the studio, he was so frightened that he tore the tape in its entirety. He couldn't understand how his voice could be so hard to hear.
For a long time after his first participation in the school singing competition, he did not like the competition. That time, he only took a runner-up.
He had a gambler father in his family. After graduation, he had to choose to earn money early to support his family, and put his dream of singing on hold for the time being.
He works as an assistant clerk at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, where he is responsible for answering phone calls every day and has a tedious life. Later, he became an airline ticket clerk with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan, and the only intersection with music was the company's major gatherings.
He is Mai Ba in KTV, and was instigated by his friends to participate in the "Hong Kong 18 District Amateur Singing Competition".
In 1984, Poly Gold Records grew to prominence. After signing Jacky Cheung, he did not arrange a job for him for a long time. He waited anxiously for the notification as he went to work, and the only thing he could do was to practice his signature.
"In case it's on fire tomorrow, the signature can't be too ugly."
He cheered himself up.
It was not until April 1985 that Jacky Cheung finally released his first record of his life, "Smile". The sales of 200,000 yuan at that time was a thunderclap in the Hong Kong music scene, and the hard-working signature really came in handy at once.
Three months after his popularity, he quit his job at an airline and became a full-time singer. At this time, Jacky Cheung was 24 years old.
In 1986, Jacky Cheung's second album "Distant Her" achieved another good result. In his own words: "I was floating at the time, and I felt that there was no song that I couldn't sing." ”
The flowers, applause and praise in Vanity Fair quickly devoured him. He wandered from bar to bar, hangovers, trouble, and negative news.
Alcoholism makes Jacky Cheung do all the ridiculous things: flirting with the bride at a friend's wedding, making a big fuss about Mei Yanfang's birthday party, throwing cakes...
Walking on the road, even the reporter could not help but advise him to "stop drinking."
The negative news was followed by declining record sales. The third record sold 50,000; the fourth record, sold 20,000; the fifth record, sold more than 10,000;
1988 was the trough in Jacky Cheung's life. His Cantonese album Last Night's Dream has sold only a few thousand copies in Hong Kong.
In March of the same year, his beloved girlfriend Luo Meiwei, who had been in love for 2 years, also left him.
Recalling the low point of life when both career and love were severely damaged, Jacky Cheung said that he "lost his way after becoming famous overnight because he did not know the height of the sky because of his youth and vigor."
After a year of revision, in 1989, he released his first song "Old Letter, Old Dream", reflecting on this small chaotic life with a sentence "Empty wine glass turns and tears touch lightly, repeated thinking is difficult to change".
The song was later included in the album "To My Dear". It was also this record that helped him make a comeback and quickly return to the ranks of A-list singers in the Hong Kong music scene.
Since then, the results have continued. Together with Li Ming, Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok, he was called the "Four Heavenly Kings" by the media.
Jacky Cheung, Li Ming, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok
In 1993, Jacky Cheung made an annual sales record of more than 4 million with his album "Kiss Goodbye". The album sold millions of copies in Taiwan, which has a population of more than 20 million, breaking the sales record of Chinese records in Taiwan.
One in every 20 Taiwanese bought this record.
Years later, the album's title song "Kiss Goodbye" still sounded on the street corner where no one was, and it was called the first god of the music industry.
Other golden songs on the album are also emerging in an endless stream: "If this is not love", "The Legend of the Hungry Wolf", "Hair is messed up", "I want to blow the wind with you", "A thousand reasons to be sad", "Forget you I can't do it", "It's too difficult to turn back"...
Love, sorrow, suffering, wildness, hurt... There seems to be no emotion that he can't interpret with his voice.
If you must choose a "yyds" in the 90s, it must be Jacky Cheung. This "eternal God," even if it is put into the present, will not become obsolete in the slightest.
The 60-year-old Jacky Cheung, in addition to record sales, holds the second highest record in the world, and is also the holder of the highest number of tours in the Chinese music scene.
As of 2013, he has opened 146 concerts and is known as the "fighter among labor models".
In 2012, he also broke the Guinness World Record for the number of concertgoers in a 12-month period. That year's "1/2 Century Concert" tour attracted more than 2.04 million people.
Many people say that with his position in the entertainment industry, there is no need to work so hard, but he said that he is just a singer.
What he hopes to do is to be able to stand on the stage and sing for his fans all the time.
Concert scene
In addition to his status as a singer, Jacky Cheung was jokingly called an "undercover" installed by the police in the entertainment industry. So far, the police have caught a total of 55 fugitives at his concerts. The data used absolute superiority to suppress the second Jay Chou (a total of 2 fugitives arrested) and the third Mayday (a total of 1 fugitive arrest), known as the well-deserved "fugitive buster". The most supernatural one, 7 concerts in succession captured 7 fugitives, creating a mythical "seven kills".
Although the song god "fugitive buster" is well-known, the former fugitives from the net are still in an endless stream. Many fans who can't buy tickets sigh: "If you can listen to Jacky Cheung's concert once in this life, even if you are caught, you will have no regrets in this life." Even many netizens joked: "When he came to listen to my concert, he was ready to atone for his past sins." ”
Netizens spoof pictures
As for how old the singer will sing, he may have already given the answer in the Dongguan field of the 2018 concert:
"Recently, some people are spreading, saying that this is Jacky Cheung's last concert, don't believe it, this is fake, I really like to sing, I am 57 years old, I hope that when I am 67 years old, I will still stand here and sing to everyone!" I will sing until I am 80 years old! You're not going to come!" ”
In the Chinese music scene, Jacky Cheung has always been recognized as the "spiritual godfather". Zhang Guorong said: "Jacky Cheung is the artist I admire the most, and his influence has surpassed all the singers of the previous generation. It's something no one has compared in decades.
Xueyou's singing skills are first-class, and it is not an exaggeration to be rated as an Asian singer. He is a very hard worker, working things and things. The voice is delicate and elegant, let people listen to the endless aftertaste, I think, the singer's singing level should be flowing, Jacky Cheung not only that, but also the delicate silky voice makes people intoxicated. ”
Eason Chan & Jacky Cheung
Tam Wing Lin, who is now over 70 years old, also said: "Jacky Cheung is the pillar of the entire Chinese music scene, the guarantee of Chinese record sales, and one of my most optimistic singers. ”
Eason Chan, who was once regarded as Jacky Cheung's "successor", said: "He is my idol. ”
Li Ronghao was also deeply influenced by Jacky Cheung, and covered his works such as "If This Is Not Love".
For 37 years, Jacky Cheung has been the "undefeated east" of the Chinese music scene, and his natural singing voice has become an ageless legend, accompanying generations of youth.
He makes people's hearts cut like knives, and he also makes people believe that love is eternal.
Although you are a god of song, Jacky Cheung has filmed more than 70 film and television works. The subject matter is wide-ranging, including comedy films, literary films, police films, song and dance films, etc.
After many works such as "Dark Heaven", "Mong Kok Carmen", "Ghost of a Woman 2", "Laughing Proud of the River", "Blood Street" and many other works, he has been nominated for the Academy Awards many times.
Jacky Cheung's road to "Film Emperor" began with 1986's "Thunderbolt Loudspeaker". That year, at 25, he played Zhang Dingqi, a no-name pawn in the police force, and played with Hong Jinbao.
Stills from "Thunderbolt Horn"
In "Carmen in Mong Kok", the black fly played by Jacky Cheung, for the so-called face, is unruly outside, causes trouble everywhere, and finally drags his big brother out to clean up the mess.
His spirit-filled performance surpasses the cool handsomeness of the protagonist Andy Lau, and interprets an incompetent, arrogant, reckless little minions vividly, so that the audience deeply appreciates the heartache and sadness of the little people who do not learn and have no skills but frantically pursue their dreams.
In this movie, Jacky Cheung not only contributed a film emperor-level performance, which left a deep impression on the public, but also created a vivid meme.
He has no idol baggage, and has taken the initiative to imitate the emoji in public many times, and advocates that everyone use it more.
How many people have used the contempt and ridicule of eating to eat you in memes to dissolve the dissatisfaction in life?
eat you memes
In terms of comedy, Jacky Cheung is also involved.
In 1990, he partnered with Stephen Chow to shoot "Curry Pepper", and the two solved the case between gags, and also conveyed the warmth and cold of Hong Kong society and the atmosphere of the city with delicacy and precision.
After the god of song fell in love with comedy, he completely began to let go of himself.
Since then, he has starred in the inearticulate Tooth Su in "Huang Feihong" and the "Broom Head" in "Super School Overlord".
"Huang Feihong" in "Gong Ya Su"
"Broom head" in Super School Overlord
The most classic role created by Jacky Cheung is Hong Qigong, who speaks with a Shandong accent and plays with narcissism in "East Becomes West".
Jacky Cheung learns Shandong dialect
In the movie, he sang a song "I Love You" with the sausage mouth Liang Chaowei, which made countless people still look at it to this day.
Jacky Cheung has always been favored by big directors.
In 2000, after the birth of his eldest daughter, he was invited by director Xu Anhua to take over the filming of "Forty Men", in which he played a teacher facing a midlife crisis.
In 2005, he participated in the song and dance film "If • Love" directed by Chen Kexin, bringing musical elements into the film.
In the Chinese film and television circle, there has always been a saying:
"We owe Jacky Cheung a movie emperor, it's really not okay, we want to award him a lifetime performance achievement award before he can't act at all."
Stills from Forty Men
In 1995, after filming "Rats and Dragons", Jacky Cheung decided to stop filming.
The outside world thinks that he wants to devote all his energy to the music career he loves. But there's another crucial reason behind it —
He decided to return to the family and be a good husband and father.
Jacky Cheung and his wife Luo Meiwei
On February 15, 1996, the second day of Valentine's Day, Jacky Cheung and idol star Luo Meiwei registered their marriage in London.
After the wedding, Jacky Cheung told the fans the news in the form of a newspaper.
In the Cantonese system, the pronunciation of "Zhang" corresponds to "Cheung" in English, and the pronunciation of "Luo" corresponds to "Lo". Romei's English name should be "May LO Mei-Mei". She didn't hesitate to change it to "May Cheung."
This also led to a song called "Your Name My Last Name", which was later included by Jacky Cheung on his new album "Love and Symphony".
It just takes the most intestinal time to use your first name and my last name to accomplish this story
From now on, the story is bland, but you are enough
Jacky Cheung and Luo Meiwei in their youth
Luo Meiwei is pure and beautiful, her appearance is comparable to Chow Wai Min, Zhong Chuhong, Maggie Cheung and other actresses, she is a popular actress in Hong Kong and the sister of Mui Yanfang.
In 1986, the two made love through the movie "Crazy Me".
The two people in the movie, naïve and innocent, risk a cute silly atmosphere. According to Jacky Cheung's later recollection, the feelings for Luo Meiwei in the movie have been extended to life, and they cannot be erased for a long time, so they realized their feelings and decided to pursue her.
That year, Jacky Cheung was 24 years old and Luo Meiwei was 20 years old.
Stills from the movie "Crazy Me"
Almost as soon as the relationship was established, the two announced the world with great fanfare for the first time. When other idols were afraid to announce their love affair, Jacky Cheung laughed frankly at himself: "Growing up like me, no one should be sad." ”
He held Luo Meiwei around to show his love, and said: "At first, I was worried that my career would be affected, but then I thought, I am not an idol, I am a powerful faction." ”
In 2000, the eldest daughter Zhang Yaohua was born; in 2005, the second daughter Zhang Yaoxuan was born.
In 2004, Jacky Cheung personally composed lyrics and music for the Cantonese song "Tell You Know", dedicated to his wife, Luo Meiwei.
Love seems to have been in the heart forever Time can turn for decades in an instant
Life and death ups and downs are not spared, only the feeling of love has not changed
After marriage, Jacky Cheung took great care of his wife Luo Meiwei. On more than one occasion, he has stated in public that he only wears clothes bought by his wife.
"Like the clothes I wore, they were all bought by Meimei, and she told me to wear whatever clothes I wanted, so that she wouldn't be upset about this little thing."
At work, he tries not to arrange to be away from home for too long. A crew once invited him to play the leading role, and after learning that the play would be filmed in the mainland for 3 months, Jacky Cheung flatly refused.
Another year, he arranged the concert on Thursday, when the attendance rate was not pleasing, because Friday was the birthday of his wife, Luo Meiwei.
As long as he is at home, he will take on the main task of taking care of the children and strive to be a conscientious father.
As a husband and a father, Jacky Cheung also strives to be serious and hardworking, and he once shouted to the media that constantly harassed his family:
"So far, as Luo Meiwei's husband, I can only score 60 points, and as a father, I can score 70 points. So I decided to focus on my family, and if anyone interfered with my plans, I would quit show business without hesitation. ”
Whether in his career or family, he is frank and straight, low-key, easy-going, responsible, and takes full care of the people (things) he cherishes, which is a model in the entertainment industry.
He said: "My goal is to be a good person, if not the best, to be good, not to be sorry or hurt people, to be a husband and a father. ”
Jacky Cheung & Luo Meiwei wedding photo
In 1999, at the European Monte Carlo World Music Awards, Jacky Cheung was awarded the honor of "The World's Best-Selling Asian Pop Singer".
In the same year, the European World Asteroid Association gave Jacky Cheung the opportunity to name an asteroid. Surprisingly, he named the asteroid "MAY" to his wife, Romevi.
For Jacky Cheung, his asteroid is called "MAY", but for every fan who loves Jacky Cheung, their asteroid is called "high-quality idol Jacky Cheung".
The bucket turns to the stars, and the sun and moon are like shuttles. The moon is round and lacking, the stars are bright and gone, I hope that 60-year-old Jacky Cheung will continue to sing, on the stage, sparkling.