Wu Yingyin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wu Yingyin
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Wu in 1940
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| Born | 23 June 1922 |
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| Died | 17 December 2009 (aged 87) Los Angeles, California
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| Occupation | Actress, singer | ||||||||||
| Years active | 1945–2003 | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 吳鶯音 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 吴莺音 | ||||||||||
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| Musical career | |||||||||||
| Also known as | 吳劍秋 | ||||||||||
| Origin | China | ||||||||||
| Genres | Shidaiqu, Mandopop | ||||||||||
Wu Yingyin (born Wu Jianqiu; 23 June 1922 – 17 December 2009) was a very popular Chinese singer. She was also known as Woo Ing-ing. She became famous in the 1940s and was one of the seven great singing stars of that time. Wu Yingyin kept recording music and performing for many years, even into the 2000s.
Early Life and Dreams
Wu Yingyin was born in Ningbo, China. Her family was very smart; her father was a chemical engineer, and her mother was a doctor who specialized in women's health. Wu grew up in Shanghai and loved to sing along to songs on the radio from a young age.
She really wanted to study music at the Shanghai Academy of Music. However, her parents wanted her to become a doctor. They thought she should have more "ambition" and didn't approve of her singing dreams.
When she was about 15 or 16, Wu found a way to sing without her parents knowing. She started singing children's songs on a Shanghai radio station on weekends. She used a stage name, Qian Yin, and performed in secret without getting paid for a few years.
Becoming a Star
Wu Yingyin had a very soft and gentle singing voice, which quickly made her popular. People started talking about a new singer, but Wu's father didn't realize it was his own daughter he heard on the radio! Wu mostly taught herself how to sing. Later, she learned some special vocal techniques from a male singer named Xu Lang.
When she was 24, Wu entered a singing contest at a nightclub called Ciro's in Shanghai. She sang a song by another famous singer, Bai Hong, and won the competition! After that, she started performing regularly at popular dance halls and nightclubs in Shanghai, like Ciro's and the Paramount. People loved her performances.
In 1946, she signed a contract with Pathé Records, a record company in China. For her recording career, she was given the stage name Yingyin. This name means "voice of an oriole", which is a type of bird known for its beautiful song.
Her first song, "I Want to Forget You," written by Xu Lang, became a big hit. In just three years, Pathé Records released over 30 songs with her!
Later Career and Famous Songs
In 1955, Wu Yingyin joined the Shanghai People's Broadcasting Station. Two years later, in 1957, she moved to Hong Kong. There, she continued her singing career and kept recording for Pathé Records.
Some of her most famous songs include:
- "Spring returns to the World"
- "Heartbreak"
- "I Have This Feeling"
- "The Bright Moon Sends My Love Across a Thousand Miles"
- "Fine Spring Night"
- "Chance Meeting of Strangers"
Because of her unique soft voice, she was lovingly called the "Queen of the Nasal Voice."
Wu Yingyin became popular again in the 1980s. In 1983, she returned to China to record more songs in Guangzhou. In July 1984, she moved from Hong Kong to Pasadena, California, in the United States.
She performed a lot in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, and Canada, even when she was quite old. When she was 80, she was still singing at events for Chinese communities overseas to help raise money for good causes. On January 3, 2003, she was invited to perform at the famous Shanghai Grand Theatre.
The movie director Wong Kar-wai used her song "Fine Spring Night" in his 2004 movie, Eros - The Hand.
Wu Yingyin passed away in Los Angeles on December 17, 2009, at the age of 87.
See also
In Spanish: Wu Yingyin para niños
