Teresa Teng

Teng Li-chun (; 29 January 1953 – 8 May 1995), commonly known as Teresa Teng, was a Taiwanese singer, actress, and musician. Referred as "Asia's eternal queen of pop," Teng became a cultural icon for her contributions to Mandopop, giving birth to the phrase, "Wherever there are Chinese people, there is the music of Teresa Teng".
With a career spanning 30 years, Teng remained widely popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s; she remained popular even up to the first half of the 1990s, up until her death in 1995. Teng was known as a patriotic entertainer whose powerful romantic ballads and performances revolutionized Chinese popular culture during the 1970s and 1980s. She is often credited for bridging the cultural barrier across Chinese-speaking nations, and first artist to connect Japan to much of East and Southeast Asia, by singing Japanese pop songs, many of which were later translated to Mandarin. She was known for her folk songs and ballads, such as "When Will You Return?" "As Sweet as Honey" "Forget Him" and "The Moon Represents My Heart". She recorded more than 1500 songs throughout her career, not only in Mandarin but also in Hokkien, Cantonese, Japanese, Indonesian English and Italian when she was 14 years old. She also spoke French and Thai. To date, her songs have been covered by hundreds of singers all over the world.
According to report published by "Billboard" on May 1995, Teng released 25 albums during the last 26 years of her career, that sold over 22 million copies, going by original sales. On May 8, 1995, Teng died from a severe respiratory attack while on vacation in Thailand at the age of 42. She remains a national heroine and a symbol of cultural unity of Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China, and Chinese-speaking communities worldwide.
Early life.
Teng was born in Baozhong Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan on 29 January 1953, to Waishengren parents. Her father was a soldier in the Republic of China Armed Forces from Daming, Hebei, and her mother was from Dongping, Shandong. The only daughter in the family, with three older brothers and a younger brother, she was educated at Ginling Girls High School () in Sanchong Township, Taipei County, Taiwan.
As a young child, Teng won awards for her singing at talent competitions. Her first major prize was in 1964 when she sang "Visiting Yingtai" from Shaw Brothers' Huangmei opera movie, "The Love Eterne", at an event hosted by Broadcasting Corporation of China. She was soon able to support her family with her singing. Taiwan's rising manufacturing economy in the 1960s made the purchase of records easier for more families. With her father's approval, she quit school to pursue singing professionally.
Career.
Teng gained her first taste of fame in 1968 when a performance on a popular Taiwanese music program led to a record contract. She released several albums within the next few years under the Life Records label. In 1973 she attempted to crack the Japanese market by signing with the Polydor Japan label and taking part in the country's Kōhaku Uta Gassen, an annual singing competition of the most successful artists: She was named "Best New Singing Star". Following her success in Japan, Teng recorded several Japanese songs, including original hits such as which was later covered in Mandarin as "I Only Care About You".
In 1974 the song , which was covered in Mandarin as "Lover's Care" () in 1976, became a hit in Japan. Teng's popularity there continued despite being briefly barred from the country in 1979 for having a fake Indonesian passport she purchased for US$20,000. The subterfuge had seemed necessary due to the official break in relations between Republic of China and Japan that occurred shortly after the People's Republic of China replaced the ROC in the United Nations.
Her popularity boomed in the 1970s after her success in Japan. By now singing in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and English, Teng's influence spread to Malaysia and Indonesia. In Taiwan, she was known not only as the island's most popular export, but as "the soldier's sweetheart" because of her frequent performances for servicemen. Teng was herself the child of a military family. Her concerts for troops featured Taiwanese folk songs that appealed to natives of the island as well as Chinese folk songs that appealed to homesick refugees of the civil war. She gave many free concerts to help the less fortunate or to help raise funds for charities.
In the early 1980s, continuing political tension between mainland China and Taiwan led to her music, along with that of other singers from Taiwan and Hong Kong, being banned for several years in mainland China for being too "bourgeois". Her popularity in mainland China continued to grow nonetheless thanks to its black market. As Teng's songs continued to be played everywhere, from nightclubs to government buildings, the ban on her music was soon lifted. Teng became almost well known in mainland China to that of country's leader. Her fans nicknamed her "Little Deng" because she had the same family name as Deng Xiaoping; there was a saying that "Deng the leader ruled by day, but Deng the singer ruled by night." Shanghai Party Newspaper, "Wen Hui Bao" commented on fearing that her songs may erode the revolutionary spirit of the (Communist) Chinese.
Teng's contract with Polydor ended in 1981, and she signed a contract with Taurus Records in 1983 and made a successful comeback appearance in Japan. In 1983, Taurus released her album, "Dandan youqing", translated as "Light Exquisite Feeling" which sets 12 poems from the Tang and Song dynasties into music, blending modern and traditional Oriental and Occidental styles. The most popular single from the album is "Wishing We Last Forever". Teng apparently felt a deep attachment to the mainland, as she immersed herself in the classics of Tang and Song periods. In the television special, she spoke of her desire to contribute in the transmission of "Chinese" culture. Dressed in her period clothing, she commented:"I have one small wish. I hope everyone will like these songs, so that the flourishing begonias within China's 10 million square kilometres and the treasures of this 5000-year old culture can be handed down generation through song. And through this, I hope our posterity will never forget the happiness, sadness, and glory of being a "Chinese" person."
Gunther Mende, Mary Susan Applegate and Candy de Rouge wrote the song "The Power of Love" for Jennifer Rush. Teng covered it and made it notable in Asian regions. She originally sang it in her Last Concert in Tokyo – eight years before being sung and released by Celine Dion.
Teng performed in Paris during the 1989 Tiananmen student protests on behalf of the students and expressed her support. On 27 May 1989, over 300,000 people attended the concert called "Democratic songs dedicated to China" () at the Happy Valley Racecourse in Hong Kong. One of the highlights was her rendition of "My Home Is on the Other Side of the Mountain."
Though Teng performed in many countries around the world, she never performed in mainland China. During her 1980 TTV concert, when asked about such possibility, she responded by stating that the day she performs on the mainland will be the day the Three Principles of the People () are implemented there – in reference to either the pursuit of Chinese democracy or reunification under the banner of the ROC."
Career in Japan.
Teresa entered the Japanese market in 1973. On March 1, 1974, Teng released her first Japanese single 'No Matter Tonight or Tomorrow' which marked the beginning of her career in Japan. The single initially received lukewarm market response, and was ranked 75th in the Oricon Chart with the sales approximately 30,000. The Watanabe firm considered giving up using her name. However, considering her success in Asia, the record company decided to release two or three consecutive singles to test the market further. On July 1, 1974, Teng second single 'Airport' was released. The sales of 'Airport' were huge totalling 700,000 copies. Teresa then released number of successful singles including "Goodbye, my love" which topped Oricon Chart and remained there for weeks. In 1979, she was caught with fake Indonesian passport while entering Japan, and was deported back banning her from entering the country for one year.
After a long absence, Teresa returned to the Japanese market on September 21, 1983 and released her first single 'Tsugunai' (Atonement) after her comeback on 21 January 1984. The single had quite poor response initially, however after a month, sales started to pick up, and seven months later, 'Atonement' eventually ranked 8th in Oricon Chart. By the end of year, sales crossed 700,000 copies and the final sales reached a million copies. Teng won the 'Singer of the year' of Japan Cable Award. 'Tsugunai' won the most popular song category, and stayed in Oricon Chart for as long as a year. The success broke the sales record of all her previous period (1974–1979). On February 21, 1985, her another single 'Aijin' (Lover) topped the Oricon Chart this time in the first week of its release. It remained #1 for fourteen consecutive weeks and sales breaking 1.5 million mark. In the same year, Teresa won 'Singer of the year' for second time. Moreover, she was invited to perform in Kouhaku Uta Gassen, which represents the highest honor in the Japanese music world. After this, her next single Toki no Nagare ni Mi o Makase was released on 21 February 1986. The single topped Oricon Chart and sales of the single reached 2.5 million and became the most popular single in Japan the same year. She won 'Singer of the year' of Japan Cable Award for third time in a row, and performed on Kouhaku Uta Gassen for second time. In June, 1987, Teng released her next single 'Wakare no yokan', which was another huge success with sales reaching 1.5 million. To this day, Teresa remains the only artist to win this award for three consecutive years (1984–1986) in the history of Japanese music.
Death and commemorations.
Teng died from a severe asthma attack, though doctors and her partner Paul Quilery had speculated that she died from a heart attack due to a side effect of an overdose of unspecified amphetamines while on holiday in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the age of 42 on 8 May 1995. Quilery was buying groceries when the attack occurred. He was aware that Teng relied on the same medication in the two months before her death with minor attacks. Teng had asthma throughout her adult life.
Teng's death produced unified sense of loss throughout all of Asia. Her funeral in Taiwan became the largest scale state-sponsored funeral in country's history, second to only ROC leader Chiang Kai-shek. Roughly 30,000 mourners attended the ceremony, and another 30,000 lined the thirty-mile route to the sprawling mountain ceremony where she would be enterred. Her funeral were broadcast to television stations across many Asian countries. Teng was given state honors at her funeral with Taiwan's flag draped around her coffin. Hundreds of high-ranking officials and dignitaries, including commanders from three branches of the military attended the funeral who carried her coffin to her grave. A day of national mourning were declared and president Lee Teng-hui was among the thousands in attendance. Teng was posthumously awarded the Ministry of Defense's highest honor for civilians, the KMT's "Hua-hsia Grade One Medal", the Overseas Chinese Affairs' Commission's "Hua Guang Grade one Medal," and the president's commendation. She was buried in a mountainside tomb at Chin Pao San, a cemetery in Jinshan, New Taipei City (then Taipei County) overlooking the north coast of Taiwan. The grave site features a statue of Teng made of gold and a large electronic piano keyboard set in the ground that can be played by visitors who step on the keys. The memorial is often visited by her fans.
In May 1995, Shanghai Radio host Dalù dedicated the Sunday morning broadcast to the Taiwanese singer, who died a few days earlier. Spreading her songs was banned in mainland China and the journalist was formally warned for this act.
In 1995, a tribute album called "A Tribute to Teresa Teng" was released, which contained covers of Teng's songs by prominent Chinese rock bands.
In May 2002, a wax figure of Teng was unveiled at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. A house she bought in 1986 in Hong Kong at No. 18 Carmel Street, Stanley also became a popular fan site soon after her death. Plans to sell the home to finance a museum in Shanghai were made known in 2002, and it subsequently sold for HK$32 million. It closed on what would have been her 51st birthday on 29 January 2004.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of her death, the Teresa Teng Culture and Education Foundation launched a campaign entitled "Feel Teresa Teng". In addition to organizing an anniversary concert in Hong Kong and Taiwan, fans paid homage at her shrine at Chin Pao San Cemetery. Additionally, some of her dresses, jewelry and personal items were placed on exhibition at Yuzi Paradise, an art park outside Guilin, China. The foundation also served as her wishes to set up a school or educational institute.
In April 2015, a set of four stamps featuring Teng were released by the Chunghwa Post.
Personal life.
In 1971, Teresa met her first boyfriend Lin Zhenfa, a Malaysian paper tycoon. Lin liked Teng's music very much, often accompany her to snack at night and write poems for her. Within few years, both fell deeply in love. In 1976, Lin died of a heart attack. Later Teresa recorded the song "Goodbye, my love" dedicated to her boyfriend who just died.
In 1980 while studying in the United States, Teng met Jackie Chan who was filming in Hollywood but due to their personality differences, they parted ways.
In 1981, Teng met Beau Kuok, a Malaysian businessman and son of a multi-billionaire Robert Kuok. They were engaged in 1982, but Teng called off the engagement due to prenuptial agreements which stipulated that she had to quit and sever all ties with the entertainment industry, as well as fully disclose her biography and all her past relationships in writing. Teresa was still willing to accept the second and third conditions, only to keep the chance to release her own record. However, the Guo family declined her request, and the marriage was canceled.
In 1998, Paul Quilery revealed that Teng was engaged to him, and was due to get married in August 1995.
Awards.
Teng received the following awards in Japan:
Legacy.
Teng is widely considered as one of the most successful and influential figures in Asian music and pop culture, considering her deep impact on Asian music scene, particularly the Chinese-speaking world where her influence goes far beyond the music circle, to include the both political and cultural spheres; and where her ability to sing in multiple languages made her an icon in all of Asia that helped birth to the era of region-wide pop superstardom that became today's norm.
Cultural impact.
Widely accepted as Asia's singing queen, Teng's fame and success had a huge cultural impact in Asia. By many, Teng is recognized as a Far East's first International singing star, and one of the most influential Asian entertainers of 20th century whose popularity and music recordings of '70s and '80s had a lasting effect on Asian diaspora and elsewhere. Until the late 1970s, for three decades foreign music and art were not allowed into mainland China, and love songs were virtually unknown. By incorporating traditional Chinese folk with western music influences she created her own music style that greatly influenced further music creations. Her songs were more about love, personal emotions for one's hometown, and sometime social issues in society, a striking contrast to the then state-sponsored propaganda songs in China – often revolutionary songs praising the ruling party, lacking in wide range of human emotions and modes of expression. At the time, personal relationship were often deemed too "unimportant" to be openly discussed. In 1977, Teng's popular romantic song "The Moon Represents My Heart," released that became one of the first foreign songs to break into the country. Teng's songs over the following decade further revolutionized Chinese music scene and culture that marked the end of extremely tight control exercised in preceding 3 decades by communist party over Chinese society and culture.
Ching-Cheng Chen, a professor at The University of Edinburgh interviews Wu'erkaixi in 2010, one of the leaders of the democracy movement in 1989, and now living under political refuge in Taiwan. He indicated that the students who listened to Deng Lijun's songs in the 1980s actually discovered the desire for pursuit of freedom through her singing voice. Therefore, when Deng Lijun died in 1995, they felt sad not only for the loss of a singer, but felt regret for the disappearance of an era of ideals. What made them feel truly sad was their desire for a better living space and political freedom brought by Deng Lijun's singing voice had now completely vanished with her death. Not only was her death, an end of pursuit for an 'ideal era', it was also the termination of a rebellious attitude. 
He further adds:"To Chinese people, Deng Lijun was a great person. If Deng Xiao-ping brought economic freedom to China, Deng Lijun brought liberation of [the] body and [free] thinking to China. We can now see the rise of China. However, Chinese people do not enjoy more freedom. Until now, we've really understood that the liberation of body and spirit is more important than economic freedom."
Teng enjoyed widespread popularity in Japan and Southeast Asia throughout her career, achieving a "cult status" in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, and Japan, where she became a "barometer of cross-strait relations," in rising geopolitical tensions at the time, and one of the first artist to truly break through international barrier paving the way for many Asian musicians further and opening the door for artists in Asia to international success that were previously confined to national boundary. Her songs have been covered by several hundreds of singers all over the world; among them few notable ones are Faye Wong, Andy Lau, Leslie Cheung, Jon Bon Jovi, Siti Nurhaliza, Shila Amzah, Katherine Jenkins, Im Yoon-ah, David Archuleta, University of Utah Singers, Korean girl group f(x) (group), English vocal group Libera (choir), Jewish singer Noa (singer), Grammy award-winning American musician Kenny G, legendary Kiwi pianist Carl Doy, Cuba's leading a cappella musical band Vocal Sampling, and among others. Her songs are also featured in various International films, such as "Rush Hour 2", "The Game", "Prison On Fire", "Year of the Dragon", "Formosa Betrayed", "Gomorrah", and "Crazy Rich Asians". In 1980, Teng became the first singer of Chinese descent to perform at the Lincoln Centre in New York City, and first Asian at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, United States in 1983, two of the reputed musical venues in US.
The 1996 Hong Kong film "", directed by Peter Chan, features the tragedy and legacy of Teng in a subplot to the main story. The movie won best picture in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and at the Seattle Film Festival in the United States. In 2007, TV Asahi produced a TV movie entitled "Teresa Teng Monogatari" () to commemorate the 13th anniversary of her death. Actress Yoshino Kimura starred as Teng.
To the Chinese who grew up with her music, Teng was far more than just a pop singer. She became a symbol of unity between mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong in the 1970s and 1980s, when politics were pushing the three of them apart. Her sentimental love songs arouse the feeling of romance and personal freedom, transcended ideological barriers, and bridged relationship between states. In Taiwan, she remains a highly revered figure where she is regarded as a national heroine due to her dedication to music for everyone.
Peter Chan, a Hong Kong filmmaker states in his interview with Michael Berry, a professor of Chinese cultural studies at University of California, Los Angeles:"Teresa Teng... is such an icon for all three China's i.e Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland. She is really the one who pulled everyone together. If you were from China in 1985, there was nobody else but Teresa Teng. She also herself represent that through her own diasporic background. She herself is the incarnation of the rootless Chinese."
In 1974, Teng entered the Japanese market, two years after Japan severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan. She was extremely popular in Japan throughout the 1970s and 1980s, having lived off her royalties in the country after semi-retiring in the late '80s. During this tenure, Teng recorded and performed Japanese pop songs, often termed as Kayokyoku by Japanese media, and helped connect Japan to much of Far East, particularly Taiwan, China, and some of Southeast Asia, helping bridge the gap between them, many of which were later translated in Mandarin, as reported by Nippon.com and Billboard.
Hirano Kumiko, an author at Nippon.com writes:"For Japanese, Teresa Teng was more than just a popular singer. By performing kayōkyoku, she connected Japan to its Asian neighbors. She taught us about the profundity of Chinese culture, whether in her birthplace of Taiwan, her ancestral home of 
China, or Hong Kong, which she loved throughout her life. We, her Japanese fans, will never forget her velvety voice and the brief, beautiful radiance of her life."
Considered a "brilliant linguist" by New York Times, Teng has been named one of the world's seven greatest female singers by "Time" magazine in 1986. In 2009, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, a government web portal conducted an online poll to choose "The Most Influential Cultural icon in China since 1949". Over 24 million people voted and Teng came out as a winner with 8.5 million votes. In 2010, CNN included her among the 20 most influential music artists of the past 50 years alongside Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
In 2013, Teng was "revived" briefly in a Jay Chou concert where she appeared as a 3D virtual hologram and sang three songs with Chou. She was later resurrected in a Japanese TV show using 3D VR technology in 2017.
On 29 January 2018, a Google Doodle was released across Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Canada and Iceland to honor the singer's 65th birth anniversary.
Reactions.
Teng's housekeeper and close friend Cheong kam-mei, who spent five years with Teng, as her housekeeper and cook. She shared the singer's joys and sadness recalls her lost friend:"She never treated me as her employee but as her family. She was a great boss and treated us with no bias and never looked down on us. Yet she did have her own pressure and sadness. She would chat with me and cry before me when she was sad. Whenever I saw her crying, I cried with her. " – Teng's former employee
In 1984, Teresa held "A Billion Applause Concert" where she was interviewed by numerous foreign reporters, one of them being New York Times. In an interview, when asked about her musical influences and its journey, Teng replied, "When I was very young, I was very influenced by Chinese songs and music," Miss Teng said, who prefaces some of her songs by reciting snatches of ancient Chinese poetry. I was raised on the folk songs sung to me by my mother in my early years while growing up", Teng said to the reporter.