Jacky Cheung facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacky Cheung
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| 張學友 | |||||||||||
Cheung in 2012
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| Born |
Cheung Hok-yau
10 July 1961 Quarry Bay, British Hong Kong
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1984–present | ||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
May Lo
(m. 1996) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||||||
| Musical career | |||||||||||
| Also known as | God of Songs, God of Singing | ||||||||||
| Origin | Hong Kong | ||||||||||
| Genres |
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| Instruments | Vocals | ||||||||||
| Labels | Universal | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 張學友 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张学友 | ||||||||||
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Jacky Cheung Hok-yau (born 10 July 1961) is a very famous singer and actor from Hong Kong. People often call him a "Heavenly King" of Cantopop music. He is also known as the "God of Songs" because of his amazing voice and live performances.
Jacky Cheung has won many important awards. In 1996, he won the World Music Award for being the Best-Selling Asian Artist. He also holds a Guinness World Record! This record is for having the largest audience for a live show in 12 months, with over 2 million people. He is the best-selling music artist ever in Taiwan and Hong Kong. His albums have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide. His "A Classic Tour" (2016–2019) was one of the most popular concert tours of all time. Over 4.5 million people watched it!
Contents
Early Life and Background
Jacky Cheung was born and grew up in Quarry Bay, a part of Hong Kong Island. His father came from Tianjin and his mother from Shanghai. When he was a child, he lived in a small apartment with his parents and two siblings. They shared this space with many other relatives.
He went to North Point Government Primary School. Later, he graduated from Literary College. Jacky's first language is Cantonese. He also speaks Mandarin and English. He sings songs in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, and English. He is known for his deep, rich voice, called a baritone.
Amazing Music Career
Jacky Cheung started his career working for an airline. His music journey began in 1984. He won a singing contest with the song "Fatherland." After winning, he signed with Polygram Records (now Universal Music Group).
In 1991, he released a very popular song called "Loving You More Every Day." His albums True Love Expression (1992) and Love Sparks (1992) sold over 400,000 copies in Hong Kong. In 1994, Billboard magazine named him the most popular singer in Asia. He won the best-selling Asian artist award at the World Music Awards in 1995 and 1996.
Hit Songs and Albums
Some of his most famous songs include "Amour" and "Goodbye Kiss." His 1993 album, The Goodbye Kiss, is one of the best-selling Chinese music albums ever. It sold over 5 million copies in 1993! This album helped him become famous in the Mandopop market. Because of his success, Jacky Cheung is seen as the most important member of the Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop. Many people think he is the best singer among them.
Record-Breaking Concert Tours
In 1995, Jacky Cheung held his "Yau Hok Yau" world tour. He performed 100 shows, which was a record at the time. The tour went to many places, including Hong Kong, Australia, the US, Europe, and Japan. In 1997, Time magazine called him the best-selling Chinese singer in the world. They reported he had sold over 25 million records.
In 1999, he was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World. In 2000, he received the Golden Needle Award. This award is like a lifetime achievement award for his great contributions to music.
In 2007, Jacky Cheung started his "Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour." He performed 105 shows in 58 cities around the world. This broke his own record for the most shows by a Chinese artist. In 2009, he released Private Corner, his first jazz album.
His "Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour" began in 2010. This tour had 146 shows in 77 cities and attracted over 2.8 million people. He set another Guinness World Record during this tour. He had the largest combined audience for a live act in 12 months, with over 2 million fans.
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In 2018, Jacky Cheung became known as "Fugitive Bait" in China. This is because several wanted criminals were caught after attending his concerts! This happened during his "Jacky Cheung A Classic Tour" which had 233 shows. This tour lasted 27 months and visited 97 cities.
His "Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour" started in 2023. He performs with a dance group and amazing stage designs. The tour is scheduled to visit many cities in Asia.
Singing with Others
Jacky Cheung often sings duets (songs with two singers) with female artists. Here are some of the singers he has performed with:
- Priscilla Chan
- Faye Wong
- Kelly Chen
- Anita Mui
- Shirley Kwan
- Coco Lee
- Sandy Lam
- Vivian Chow
- Regine Velasquez
- Cally Kwong
- Karen Tong
- Vivian Lai
- He Ruhui
- Francesca Kao
- Chen Jia Lu
- Gin Lee
Musicals on Stage
In 1997, Jacky Cheung starred in a musical called Snow.Wolf.Lake. He was also the artistic director for the show. It was a huge success, with 42 sold-out shows in Hong Kong. In 2004, he created a Mandarin version of Snow.Wolf.Lake to reach more people.
Acting Career Highlights
Jacky Cheung started acting in movies in 1986. He won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in As Tears Go By (1988). He also won the Best Supporting Actor award for The Swordsman (1990). He worked with famous directors like John Woo in the film Bullet in the Head.
In 2002, he won the Best Actor Award at the International Film Festival of India for July Rhapsody. His song "Perhaps Love" from the 2005 film of the same name also won a Best Song Award.
Special Appearances and Roles
In 2004, Jacky Cheung became the spokesperson for Hong Kong Disneyland. He hosted a TV show called Magical World of Disneyland. He also recorded a song for the park called "One."
In 2006, he performed the theme song "Together Now" at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar. In 2010, he sang the Mandarin version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In 2012, he sang a cheering song for China at the London Olympics.
Personal Life
On 15 February 1996, Jacky Cheung married former Hong Kong actress May Lo Mei-wei in London. They met while filming a movie in 1986. They have two daughters, Zoe (born 2000) and Zia (born 2005). Jacky Cheung is a Buddhist and a vegetarian.
Helping the Community
In 2009, Jacky Cheung became the first Cantopop/Mandopop artist to donate items to the Hard Rock Cafe collection. He also helped donate HK$600,000 to the Children's Cancer Foundation and ORBIS Macau.
Discography
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Cantonese studio albums
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Mandarin studio albums
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Concert Tours
- Jacky Cheung 87 Concert (1987)
- Love You More Every Day Tour (1991)
- School & Friends World Tour (1993–1994)
- Jacky Cheung 95 World Tour (1995–1996)
- Friends World Tour (1999)
- Music Odyssey Tour (2002–2003)
- The Year of Jacky Cheung World Tour (2007–2008)
- Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour (2010–2012)
- A Classic Tour (2016–2019)
- Jacky Cheung 60+ Concert Tour (2023–2026)
Filmography
Awards and Nominations
IFPI Gold Disc Award
- 1989 87'演唱會 Polygram
- 1990 絲絲記憶精選 Polygram
IFPI Platinum Disc Award
- 1985 Smile Polygram
- 1986 遙遠的她 Polygram
- 1987 相愛 Polygram
- 1987 Jacky Polygram
- 1988 昨夜夢魂中 Polygram
- 1990 給我親愛的 Polygram
- 1990 祇願一生愛一人 Polygram
Golden Melody Award for Best Male Mandarin Singer
- 1998 想和你去吹吹風 Polygram
IFPI Top 10 Sales Album
- 2003 Where is he 他在那裡 What's Music
- 2004 Black & White What's Music
- 2005 活出生命 Live 演唱會 What's Music
IFPI Top 10 Sales Artist
- 2005
IFPI Top Sales Album
- 2005 活出生命 Live 演唱會 What's Music
See also
In Spanish: Jacky Cheung para niños
- List of best-selling albums in Taiwan
