When the name Song Zuying is mentioned, the first thing that comes to people's minds is the woman wearing a robe and cheongsam and standing on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala and singing elegantly.
She conquered generations of listeners with her gentle singing voice and was known as the "Queen of Folk Songs". Behind her success is a journey of ups and downs.
In 1966, Song Zuying was born in an ordinary family in rural Hunan Province, and although her parents were not rich, they loved her very much.
However, the good times did not last long, and in 1978, his father died of tuberculosis, and the family fell into trouble.
As an adolescent, Song Zuying had to abandon her studies and work as a farmer at home to care for her grieving mother and young siblings.
Although life is difficult, Song Zuying has not given up her dream of music.
In 1981, she was selected by the county opera troupe with her natural singing voice and officially entered the road of acting.
During his studies in the opera troupe, Song Zuying studied hard and soon rose to prominence.
At the age of 20, she finally got her wish and stood on the CCTV stage, and the song "Little Back Basket" caused a sensation in the country and established her position in the music scene.
Since then, Song Zuying has begun more than 20 years of "resident life" on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, proving his irreplaceable status with strength.
The turning point in the story came during a rehearsal of the Spring Festival Gala in 1990.
Due to nervousness, Song Zuying lost his voice for a while and was in a state of confusion.
At this time, a sketch actor named Zhao Benshan kindly cheered for her and gave her his lunch.
Song Zuying regained his strength and completed the rehearsal.
Since then, the two have forged an indissoluble bond and established a deep friendship of 30 years.
First, the mountain village girl Song Zuying: Singing is her hope in adversity
In 1966, Song Zuying was born in an ordinary peasant family in Dazhong Village, Gaotang District, Shaoshan County, Xiangxiang City, Hunan Province.
Song Zuying has been introverted and steady since childhood, and unlike other lively children, she likes to sit alone on the field and gently hum a country ditty.
Neighbors say that Song Zuying has an innate singing voice, and his voice is crisp and beautiful, like clear spring water in the mountains.
Whenever the village invited the opera team to perform, Song Zuying always ran to listen to it, and the beautiful singing seemed to touch her love for music in her heart.
However, the good times did not last long.
In 1978, when Song Zuying was 12 years old, her life trajectory changed dramatically.
Unfortunately, my father died of tuberculosis, a common rural "terminal illness", and he had been coughing for more than a year, which was basically incurable in the rural areas where medical conditions were backward at that time.
The death of his father left the already not wealthy family destitute in an instant.
On that day, Song Zuying cried bitterly, and her mother was even more hysterical.
When her father was alive, he told her to study well, but he left so suddenly that he didn't even have time to say goodbye to his daughter.
The successive changes did not end, and soon the elderly grandmother passed away.
The already poor family situation is even worse.
In the face of life's problems, 13-year-old Song Zuying showed bravery and tenacity beyond her peers.
She voluntarily dropped out of school and stayed at home, taking on the responsibility of caring for her grieving mother and younger siblings who were still studying.
During the day, she and her mother went to work in the fields, and rice and vegetables became their most practical sources of livelihood; In the evening, Song Zuying also has to take care of the living and eating of her younger siblings.
Despite living such a difficult life, Song Zuying never gave up his thirst for knowledge.
She would flip through the textbooks her mother kept when she was off work in the fields, and she would often go to the bus stop at the entrance of the village to beg passengers for newspapers and magazines.
Song Zuying firmly believes that reading can change her destiny, and she is not depressed, but actively seeks all possible ways to learn.
During this period of time, singing has become the sustenance of Song Zuying's heart.
She would sing simple ballads composed by herself in the mountains and wilderness, incorporating her thoughts on life.
Sometimes in the dead of night, Song Zuying would also hum softly, turning his thoughts of his father and his hopes for a better life into tunes.
Music became a source of hope and strength for her difficult life.
Second, the opera troupe knocked on the door of Song Zuying's life
In the winter of 1981, news came from the county that the opera troupe was recruiting trainees and was coming to the countryside to find young people with singing voices.
Song Zuying's friend knew that she had a good voice, so he urged her to try her luck.
At first, Song Zuying did not have much hope, after all, he had not studied for 4 years and lacked cultural knowledge.
But the encouragement of her mother and friends regained her confidence and she decided to give it a try.
Song Zuying clearly knew that this might be a great opportunity to change his destiny.
When she walked into the gate of the county opera troupe and saw the serious faces of the instructors and judges, Song Zuying felt more nervous than ever. She took a deep breath and began to sing her favorite mountain song minor "On the Peach Blossom River".
Unexpectedly, Song Zuying's singing voice was like a wild horse out of control, echoing indoors.
It was so clear, intimate and infectious that it moved everyone present.
The mentors exchanged ears and showed expressions of appreciation.
Finally, the selection results were announced, and Song Zuying was successfully selected! A 16-year-old girl from a small village came to the county and began her singing career.
After entering the opera troupe, Song Zuying worked hard and did not relax at all.
She woke up early every morning to practice her own singing, and the teacher was full of praise for her concentration and perseverance.
The mentor found that Song Zuying not only has a good voice, but also has a certain musical talent, which needs to be further excavated and cultivated.
In less than a year, Song Zuying became a pillar-level figure in the regiment.
On stage for the first time, she was so nervous that she couldn't make a sound, but when the song really sounded, the audience burst into thunderous applause.
Song Zuying has also established self-confidence since then.
At a gala, she sang a song with senior artists, which was highly praised by teachers and enthusiastically responded by the audience.
Song Zuying's talent and potential are a foregone conclusion.
In order to make her go further, the opera troupe decided to send her to the music department of Minzu University of China in Beijing for further study.
Leaving his hometown and coming to a strange capital, everything is a new challenge for Song Zuying.
But with her will to quench for many years, she soon caught up with the children in the city and became a model student in her class.
In 1989, Song Zuying performed on CCTV as a student representative, which was her first appearance on the national television stage.
A song "Prairie Night" opened the door to her popularity.
Years of hard work and sweat bear fruit in this moment.
20-year-old Song Zuying began his career, and the trip to the Spring Festival Gala followed.
Third, the song "Little Back Basket" changed the trajectory of Song Zuying's life
On the Lunar New Year in 1990, waves of people surged in front of the TV screens, and they couldn't wait to see the Spring Festival Gala.
As one of the selected newcomers, Song Zuying was apprehensive in his heart. She knows the importance of this appearance, which is related to her ability to compete in the music industry.
The day before the rehearsal, Song Zuying repeatedly practiced the song "Little Back Basket" to be sung, for fear of making a mistake.
She knew that this was an opportunity to cross herself and prove herself to the public, and she had to give it her all. During the rehearsal, the eyes of the audience converged, and Song Zuying only felt nervous.
When the host introduced "newcomer Song Zuying wants to sing "Little Back Basket" for everyone", she couldn't spit out a word, and her face burned red.
Zhao Benshan, who was resting in the audience, noticed the panic of the newcomer.
He took the initiative to step forward, patted Song Zuying's shoulder, and encouraged: "We are all on the Spring Festival Gala for the first time, and I am also nervous.
Take it easy, you can do it!" After that, he also handed his lunch to Song Zuying: "Come, eat something to relieve it, believe in yourself!"
Zhao Benshan's kind move made Song Zuying regain his self-confidence.
She took a deep breath, turned around and began singing.
Song Zuying's sweet and high-pitched singing voice accompanied by the melodious sound of the pipa resounded throughout the venue, and she threw herself into the stage, as if returning to the years of singing in the countryside in her childhood.
The audience burst into warm applause, and everyone was impressed by the beautiful singing and elegant stage image.
On the night of the Spring Festival Gala, the wonderful performance of "Little Back Basket" made Song Zuying famous, and this song with national characteristics also became her representative work, closely linked to her name.
That year's Spring Festival Gala not only changed the trajectory of Song Zuying's life, but also forged an indissoluble bond with Zhao Benshan.
Years later, when asked by a reporter about Song Zuying's first impression of Zhao Benshan, she said: "If it weren't for Brother Zhao's encouragement, I might have lost my voice on stage."
I will never forget his kindness to help me and give me the courage to face the test of the first Spring Festival Gala. ”
It turned out that it was Zhao Benshan's encouragement that allowed Song Zuying to regain confidence and successfully complete this performance at a turning point in his life.
For Zhao Benshan, Song Zuying's singing also left a deep impression on him, and since then, he has been optimistic that this rural girl from Sichuan will have great achievements in the future.
In the days that followed, the two became close friends, often meeting for performance skills and exchanging ideas with each other.
A mountain village girl and a city boy unexpectedly formed a deep friendship because of the Spring Festival Gala.
Fourth, more than 20 years of "resident" at the Spring Festival Gala, Song Zuying proved himself with strength
Since the hit of "Little Back Basket", Song Zuying quickly became a household name.
From 1990 to 2013, she stepped on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala 24 times in a row, singing a series of beautiful folk songs such as "Jasmine", and was recognized as the "resident singer" of the Spring Festival Gala.
For every Spring Festival Gala performance, Song Zuying is highly valued.
She would start preparing months in advance, repeatedly modifying her stage outfit to ensure that her singing standard was flawless.
Even though she has appeared many times, Song Zuying has never had a slack mentality, and she regards every performance as a new stage full of challenges, and she must give her all.
Xiang Xiaozi, a singer who has shared the stage with Song Zuying many times, recalled: "We were all amazed by Teacher Song's dedication and dedication to the stage, and she had to personally check every detail of the band, lighting, and venue every time she performed, just to give the audience the most perfect effect."
This professional attitude of excellence has achieved Song Zuying's supreme position in the music scene, and on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala for more than 20 years, Song Zuying has witnessed the great changes in China and grown into a well-known queen of the music scene.
She proved with her strength that she is an indispensable member of the Spring Festival Gala stage.
In 2000, Song Zuying encountered a trough.
That year, her husband went to jail for financial crimes.
Soon, a tabloid reporter disclosed the extramarital affair between the two and speculated that this was the reason for Song Zuying's sudden disappearance.
In the face of the reporter's questioning, Song Zuying did not defend, but responded with her usual kindness: "Reporting this is no longer helpful, I just want to live well."
Zhao Benshan also issued a statement of support after learning of this, saying that Song Zuying was one of his best friends.
In the most difficult moments, the two encouraged each other and did not fall behind when the other needed it.
This friendship that transcends the mundane is very valuable in the entertainment industry.
Fifth, the Spring Festival Gala, she chose the simplicity in her heart
In 2013, Song Zuying completed the 25th performance at the Spring Festival Gala and sang the popular song "Jasmine".
The audience gave a standing ovation to the singer who had occupied the stage of the Spring Festival Gala for a long time, and no one knew that this would be her last appearance at the Spring Festival Gala.
When the reporter asked why Song Zuying faded out of the Spring Festival Gala, she responded calmly and consistently: "I am no longer the girl I used to be, I should leave the opportunity to young people."
It's time for you to live a simple life. ”
It turned out that Song Zuying had already seen Vanity Fair, and she just wanted to live a quiet old age with her husband.
For her, family and personal space are far more important than the Spring Festival Gala stage. After retiring, Song Zuying bought a courtyard with his favorite flowers and trees.
Zhao Benshan also sent a congratulatory message after learning about it, laughingly saying that Song Zuying was still the village girl who simply loved to sing back then, and was not contaminated by fame and fortune.
Song Zuying replied: "I haven't sung for a long time, I just want to live quietly."
Many years ago, Zhao Benshan predicted that Song Zuying would not be defeated by the world, because she had a kind and undeceitful heart.
Today, that prophecy has come true.
Song Zuying used his life to explain what true success is - inner peace.
Epilogue:
Song Zuying's life is a portrayal of struggle and persistence.
From a mountain girl to a household name after song, she has spent more than three decades interpreting what dedication and dedication are.
What is even more valuable is that she can examine herself at her peak and choose the true simplicity of her heart.
If music changed Song Zuying's fate, then the stage of the Spring Festival Gala changed the trajectory of her life.
Especially the song "Little Back Basket" in 1990 not only made her famous, but also helped form a friendship of thirty years because of Zhao Benshan's kindness.
They froze at each other, encouraged each other, and sincerely interpreted what music is to be a musical comrade.
Song Zuying's story tells us that the most precious treasure in life is actually a heart full of kindness and innocence.
This is also the reason why Zhao Benshan has admired her for thirty years.
May all those who chase their dreams retain their tenacity and walk out of their own color in life.
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