bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

paywallTypes

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Mabel Lui

This is the 45th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
Before the rise of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantopop – Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, Andy Lau Tak-wah, Leon Lai Ming and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing – there was a “father of Cantopop” who laid the foundation for their success.
His name is Samuel Hui Koon-kit.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the singer, known as Sam Hui, helped popularise Cantopop by infusing his songs with colloquial Cantonese lyrics and Western pop elements.

He was widely praised for the relatability of his songs, which addressed everyday difficulties faced by the working classes.
Hui was born in Guangzhou, China, in 1948. His family fled with him to Hong Kong in 1950. They settled in the Kowloon neighbourhood of Diamond Hill before moving to a public housing estate in So Uk, in Cheung Sha Wan.
Growing up, Hui was immersed in the arts; his mother was a Cantonese opera singer and his father an instrumentalist. By the age of 16, Hui had developed a passion for music; he formed a band called the Harmonicks in 1964.
The band broke up a year later and Hui joined another band called The Lotus as the lead vocalist.
Inspired by The Beatles and rock ’n’ roll musicians, The Lotus mostly performed British and American pop songs. They became quite popular in the late 1960s – although they too eventually disbanded.

Hui caught a big break in 1971 when he joined his older brother, the comedy actor Michael Hui Koon-man, as a host of the comedy sketch series Hui Brothers Show, broadcast in Hong Kong by TVB.
Sam and Michael’s brothers also joined the entertainment industry, Ricky Hui Koon-ying as an actor and Stanley Hui Koon-miu as a film producer. Ricky Hui died in 2011.
On the Hui Brothers Show, Hui began performing original Cantonese songs, one of which was “Eiffel Tower Above the Clouds”.
Inspired by an English poem that his brother Michael wrote after travelling the world, the song’s lyrics reflect an attachment to and fondness for Hong Kong, and recognition of the city as home.


As Hui’s singing career progressed, so did his acting career – in no small part through collaborations with his brothers.
He featured in the 1974 film Games Gamblers Play alongside Ricky and Michael – who also directed. The film used slapstick and verbal comedy and helped establish the brothers as a comedy trio.
To coincide with the release of Games Gamblers Play, Hui released his first Cantonese music album, which bore the same name as the film and was featured on its soundtrack.


Two years later, in 1976, he released the album The Private Eyes, named after the now-classic film starring him and his brothers.
It became Hui’s breakout album; the title track remains his biggest hit to date.
Like the film – which became the highest-grossing Hong Kong production of the 1970s – the song’s lyrics address the challenges workers face, including exploitative bosses.
He sang about everyday life in Hong Kong … over a rock beat. It was an enormous musical breakthrough
Norman Cheng of Polydor Records on Hui’s influence
The most popular hits in Hong Kong back then were Cantonese opera songs or songs in English by artists based in the United Kingdom and United States.
Hui’s songs stood out for their use of everyday Cantonese and for addressing Hong Kong political and social issues. His lyrics often tackled topics in a humorous and satirical manner, which further endeared him to the public.
“Before the release of Games Gamblers Play, all Chinese recordings had a typical, conventional type of instrumental backing – guitars playing a few simple chords, drums that could barely be heard, whereas the lyrics only dealt with love,” Norman Cheng of Polydor Records told the Post in 1979.
“Sam changed all that. He sang about everyday life in Hong Kong, about what people here like and about what they don’t like over a rock beat. It was an enormous musical breakthrough.”

Hui went on to release more than 25 albums in Cantonese and English, and became known for pioneering Cantopop as we know it today.
His contributions to the industry earned him a variety of nicknames, including the “godfather of Cantopop”, “god of songs” and the “Elvis Presley of The Orient”. His good looks contributed to his popularity.
Among his releases were “Money, Money, Money”, a lighthearted take on people’s desire for money, and “Song of Water Use Restrictions”, a nod to the days of water rationing in Hong Kong in the early 1960s.
Another notable song of Hui’s is “Could Not Care Less About 1997”, which was released in 1990, seven years before the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from the UK to China.

At the time many Hongkongers were moving away, concerned about the changes the return to Chinese sovereignty would bring. In the song, Hui encourages people not to worry too much and highlights the adaptability of Hong Kong people.
“I’m a diehard Hong Kong guy. I want to live and die here,” he told the Post in 1984. “I’ll leave only if all personal freedom is lost in Hong Kong. Then I have no choice.”
Hui also appeared in more than 25 films during his career, among them comedies such as The Contract (1978) and Security Unlimited (1981) – both directed by his brother Michael.
Through their films, the Hui brothers helped breathe new life into Hong Kong cinema, which had been struggling since the death of Bruce Lee and was dominated by Mandarin Chinese films.

As well as appearing in films with his brothers, Hui also starred in A Family Affair (1984) and Working Class (1985). He became known for his role as King Kong in the Aces Go Places film series, appearing in five instalments.
It was not all smooth sailing for the singer-actor. In 1985, while filming in Nepal, Hui was found unconscious in his hotel room, having passed out because of respiratory problems. The episode led the public to become increasingly worried about his health.
“It was a real ordeal,” he told the Post in 1986. “My recent illness has not discouraged me from working on location, but I will try to avoid filming on top of a mountain or in places where the temperature is too low.”
Hui seemed to be on the mend in the following months, but by the late 1980s concerns over how concerts affected his stress levels had driven the star to consider retirement.

Hui decided to formally leave the entertainment industry in 1992, but not before hosting a series of farewell concerts in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and the United States.
He has frequently come out of retirement in the years since, performing comeback concerts and embarking on one-off projects, including an appearance in the 2000 film Winner Takes All.
Hui returned to the stage in 2004 to boost Hongkongers’ morale following the Sars outbreak, performing 48 sold-out shows.

The singer-actor is now 76 years old and lives a mostly quiet life away from the spotlight with his Filipino-American wife, Rebecca “Rebu” Fleming.
The couple married in 1971 and have two sons – Ryan is a singer-songwriter and Scott is a film director.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


How Cantopop icon Roman Tam united a generation of Hong Kong people with his classic songs

How culture, politics and people inspire this Hong Kong artist

Peg O’ My Heart movie review: striking visuals, awful story in Nick Cheung horror thriller

Actor Nicholas Tse names favourite places to eat in Hong Kong on new Google Maps feature

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Sam Hui, the ‘father of Cantopop’ whose relatable music and film roles struck a chord

Sam Hui performs in Hong Kong in December 2007. Photo: SCMP

Sam Hui Koon-kit performs in Hong Kong in 2004. The prolific singer-songwriter is known as the “father of Cantopop” for good reason. He also had a long career as an actor. Photo: SCMP

Sam Hui in 1969. Photo: SCMP

Hui and his wife, Rebecca “Rebu” Fleming, in 1972. Photo: SCMP

The Hui brothers (from left) Sam, Ricky and Michael at a press conference for their film Front Page in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Hui performs in concert in 1987. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Hui, Sylvia Chang and Karl Maka in a still from Aces Go Places (1982).

Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (left) and Hui perform at the latter’s farewell show in Hong Kong in 1992. Photo: SCMP

Hui performs at the Hong Kong Coliseum in April 2023.

Faye Wong’s career as Cantopop singer and actress, and her very public romances

Hong Kong singer-actress Faye Wong, wearing a high heel hat, performs in Hong Kong in  2003. Twice married and twice divorced, Wong walked away from her career in 2005, and has appeared only sporadically on stage since then. Photo: Reuters

Faye Wong pictured at Hong Kong Stadium in 1994. Photo: SCMP

Faye Wong at the Channel V Chinese Top 20 Awards in Taipei in January 1998. Photo: SCMP

Faye Wong at a performance in 1999. Photo: SCMP

Faye Wong waves to her fans at the July 1999 launch of a concert tour in Malaysia. Photo: AP

Faye Wong and Jacky Cheung perform at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Coliseum in 2000. Photo: SCMP

Faye Wong in a still from Chungking Express (1994).

Director Wong Kar-wai (left), Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Faye Wong at a press conference in Beijing in 2004 to promote Wong’s film 2046. Photo: SCMP

Faye Wong performs on stage in Xiamen, southern China, in 2012. Photo: Visual China Group via Getty Images

Faye Wong and Nicolas Tse held hands in front of photographers on June 14, 2000. Photo: Apple Daily

Li Yapeng and Faye Wong. They were divorced in 2013 after eight years of marriage. Photo: Ming Pao

Who is Gordon Lam Ka-tung, Hong Kong actor and producer who took the long road to success?

Hong Kong film actor and producer Gordon Lam Ka-tung at an interview with the Post in 2021. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Best actress winner Kara Wai Ying-hung (left) and best actor winner Lam Ka-tung at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards presentation ceremony in 2017. Photo: Edward Wong

Lam at an interview with the Post in 2006. Photo: SCMP

Lam and Kathy Chow in a still from the TV drama series Time Before Time (1997).

Lam (right) and Teddy Robin react after winning the best film award and best supporting actor award respectively for the movie Gallants at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011. Gallants was the first film on which Lam served as a producer. Photo: SCMP

Lam (left) and Andy Lau at an interview with the Post in 2013. Photo: SCMP

Lam (front) in a still from Hand Rolled Cigarette (2020).

Lam on the red carpet at the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2022. Photo: Dickson Lee

How G.E.M. became ‘China’s Taylor Swift’; the Hong Kong singer-songwriter’s story

G.E.M. performing during her I Am Gloria world tour. Photo: Facebook/G.E.M.

G.E.M. performing in Hong Kong in 2015. We chart the singer’s rise and her extraordinary success in mainland China. Photo: Shi Yu-song

Tang in an interview with the Post in 2010. The pop star is known as “China’s Taylor Swift”. Photo: May Tse

Tang performing in 2014. The singer-songwriter was exposed to music from an early age by her mother and grandmother, who were both opera singers. Photo: HummingBird

Tang in an interview with the Post in 2012, by which time her image had changed from sweet to more edgy. Photo: Warton Li

G.E.M. with then-Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying (3rd from left) at a charity event in Hong Kong in 2010. Tang was later criticised by her fans for supporting the politician. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Tang in an interview with the Post in 2017. As her fame increased during the 2010s, so did the scrutiny she faced. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Tang performing in Zhaoqing, China, as part of her current I Am Gloria world tour. Photo: Facebook/G.E.M.

Who is Dayo Wong, stand-up comedian and Hong Kong box office king? His rocky road to fame

Dayo Wong in a still from The Last Dance. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures

Dayo Wong at the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2024. The star of The Last Dance has had a tumultuous rise to the top of the Hong Kong entertainment industry. Photo: Sam Tsang

Dayo Wong (left) and Michael Hui in a still from The Last Dance. Photo: Emperor Motion Pictures

Dayo Wong at an interview with the Post in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Dayo Wong at an interview with the Post in 1999. Photo: SCMP

Dayo Wong (left) and Carol Cheng Yu-ling at an interview with the Post in 2000. Photo: SCMP

Dayo Wong at a backstage interview after his show in the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in March 2003. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Francis Ng, Dayo Wong and Cheung Tat-ming at an interview with the Post in 1998. Photo: SCMP

Dayo Wong in a still from The Grand Grandmaster. The film was the highest-grossing local production in Hong Kong cinema in 2020, with box office receipts of nearly HK$30 million. Photo: Golden Scene

Dayo Wong reacts after A Guilty Conscience wins best film at the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards in April 2024. Photo: Eugene Lee

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Music

Film & TV

Hong Kong’s pop culture icons

How Kelly Chen, Cantopop star and beloved Hong Kong actress, has captured the hearts of music and movie fans for three decades

Kelly Chen pictured in 1997. The secret to the Cantopop star and actress’s success? “I’ve just tried my best to grab any opportunity.” Photo: Dickson Lee

Chen (right) is presented with a prize at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards ceremony in January 1996 by Taiwanese singer Wu Chien-lien. Photo: SCMP

Chen (left) and Yutaka Takenouchi in a still from “Calmi Cuori Appassionati” (2001).

Chen (right) and Donnie Yen in a still from “An Empress and the Warriors” (2008).

Chen and her husband, Alex Lau Kin-ho, pose during their wedding ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui in October, 2008. Photo: SCMP

Chen performs in the Grand Variety Show in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 30, 2007. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Ekin Cheng, Chen and Tony Leung Ka-fai in a still from “Horseplay” (2014).

Chen (left) and Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a still from “Infernal Affairs III” (2003).

A charity sale of Chen’s clothes, shoes and handbags took place in April 2023. Photo: Facebook/@kellychenwailam

How Hong Kong boy band Grasshopper, protégés of Cantopop legend Anita Mui, blazed a trail with their intoxicating dance pop music

(From left) Edmond So Chi-wai, Remus Choy Yat-kit and Calvin Choy Yat-chi of the Cantopop group Grasshopper at an interview with the Post in 2006. The boy band, formed in 1985, are still performing today. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy Yat-chi, Edmond So Chi-wai and Remus Choy Yat-kit, pictured in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Cantopop diva Anita Mui with Grasshopper at the Chinese Gold Songs award presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Coliseum in January 1989. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Edmond So, Calvin Choy and Remus Choy at the opening of the Aiwa Music Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in August 1991. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy, Roman Tam, Edmond So and Remus Choy backstage at a concert in Shanghai in July 1993. Photo: SCMP

(From second left) Edmond So, Remus Choy and Calvin Choy at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, in January 1996. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Remus Choy, Calvin Choy and Edmond So at an interview with the Post in 2010. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy, Remus Choy and Edmond So on stage during TVB 55th Anniversary Gala on November 19, 2021. Photo: Getty Images

Takeshi Kaneshiro, one of the ‘most good-looking’ actors in Hong Kong cinema and star of some of Wong Kar-wai and Peter Chan’s best movies, is a man of mystery

Takeshi Kaneshiro at an interview with the Post in July 2004. Kaneshiro, who debuted as a singer in Taiwan in 1992, has not been seen on the big screen since 2017 – but remains as popular as ever. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhou Dongyu in a still from “This Is Not What I Expected” (2017).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin in a still from “Chungking Express” (1994). 

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kyoko Fukada in a still from the drama series “God, Please Give Me More Time” (1998).

(From left) Xu Jinglei, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Jet Li, Jacky Heung and director Peter Chan promote “The Warlords” at an event in December 2007. Photo: SCMP

Takeshi Kaneshiro in a still from “Perhaps Love” (2005).

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Michele Reis in “Fallen Angels” (1995). Photo: Block 2 Pictures and Jet Tone Contents

Takeshi Kaneshiro in an interview with the Post in December 2006. Photo: SCMP

Acting with Michelle Yeoh, modelling at 12: the Cinderella story of Isabella Leong, who passed up Hollywood to have children with Richard Li, younger son of Li Ka-shing

Isabella Leong Lok-sze promotes her 2014 appearance in a stage play. Photo: Felix Wong 

Isabella Leong in an interview with the Post in 2005. The Macanese actress put a halt to her acting career when she began dating Richard Li, the younger son of Li Ka-shing. Photo: SCMP

Leong (left) and Chapman To in a still from “Isabella” (2006).

Leong (left), Jaycee Chan and Charlene Choi at the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards in April 2007. Photo: SCMP

Luke Ford (left) and Leong in a still from “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” (2008).

Leong, Richard Li and their son, Ethan Li, in April 2009. 

Leong and Jim Chim at an event to promote “Sign of Happiness” in February 2014. Photo: SCMP

Leong in a still from “Murmur of the Hearts” (2015).

(From left) Leong, Paul Chun and Faye Yu in a still from “Love After Love” (2020).

Aaron Kwok, dancer, singer, actor, husband to Moka Fang, and father – how he went from being one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop’ to all-round star

Aaron Kwok with the prize for best actor he received at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016. Photo: Edward Wong

Aaron Kwok at an interview with the Post in 2009. Kwok started his career as a background dancer nearly four decades ago. Now he is a beloved Cantopop singer and actor – and a smitten husband and proud father of two. Photo: SCMP

Kwok (right) alongside fellow Cantopop singers Andy Lau (left) and Jacky Cheung at an RTHK event in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Aaron Kwok, pictured in 1993. Photo: SCMP

Kwok won the Best Actor prize at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2016. Photo: Edward Wong

Kwok (right) and Charlie Young play a troubled couple in “After This Our Exile” (2006).

Kwok performs at an event organised by RTHK at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in 2001. Photo: SCMP.

Kwok (left) and Chow Yun-fat in a still from “Project Gutenberg” (2018).

Kwok with his wife, Moka Fang Yuan, in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Photo: Kenneth Chan

How Hong Kong actress Carina Lau rose to stardom from her ‘mainland girl’ roots, overcame topless photos scandal and wed Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Carina Lau Ka-ling. Photo: Instagram/@carinalau1208

Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling, pictured in 1993 soon after her career breakthrough in a Wong Kar-wai film. Married since 2008 to fellow actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, she is known for her style and class, and some iconic roles. Photo: SCMP

Cheung Siu-fai and Lau promoting TVB series “The Turbulent Decade” in 1986. Photo: SCMP

(Clockwise from top right) Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Lau, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu-wai on the set of Wong Kar-wai’s movie “Days of Being Wild” in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “Ashes of Time” (1994).

Carina Lau and Nicholas Tse celebrate with their trophies after winning the best actor and best actress awards at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau and Tony Leung at the opening night of hit musical “Les Miserables” at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Carina Lau in a still from “In Your Dreams” (2018).

Lau and Leung at the 16th Asian Film Awards in March 2023. Photo: Dickson Lee

1980s Hong Kong pop idol Danny Chan’s bittersweet success story: his talent, fame, the tabloid rumours, his retirement and early death

Singer Danny Chan Pak-keung puts one of his albums in a time capsule in 1991. Photo: SCMP

Danny Chan was one of Hong Hong’s “Three Kings and A Queen of Cantopop” in the 1980s, with fellow idols Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui and Alan Tam. Photo: SCMP

Yvonne Siu, project manager of TVB, presents a souvenir to Danny Chan in 1984. Photo: SCMP

Chan singing at his own birthday party in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Chan (left) and Jacky Cheung Hok-yau at the Top Ten Pop Stars Election in 1987. Photo: SCMP

There were numerous rumours about a relationship between Pansy Ho and Chan. Photo: Weibo

Chan performing at a concert to promote Aids awareness in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Chan was taken to Queen Mary Hospital after collapsing at home on May 19, 1992. Photo: SCMP

Flanked by singer Anita Mui Yim-fong and actor Chow Yun-fat, Danny Chan’s older brother Chan Pak-ling carries his younger brother’s picture at the singer’s funeral in 1993. Photo: SCMP

The rise of Hong Kong actress Sharla Cheung, star of Stephen Chow and Wong Jing films, and the surprise movie she made after retiring

Sharla Cheung, Stephen Chow SIng-chi (centre) and Ng Man-tat in “All for the Winner”. Photo: Handout

Actress Sharla Cheung Man at the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony in 2005. Discovered in the 1980s by Wong Jing, she starred opposite Stephen Chow, Andy Lau and Chow Yun-fat in a string of 1980s and 1990s box office hits. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Sharla Cheung, Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat in a still from “All for the Winner” (1990). Photo: Win’s Movie Production

Stephen Chow (left) and Sharla Cheung in a still from “Fight Back to School” (1991). Photo: Win’s Movie Production

Profile | Sam Hui, the ‘father of Cantopop’ whose relatable music and film roles struck a chord

He popularised Cantopop and helped revive Hong Kong cinema after Bruce Lee died. We look at the enduring legacy of the ‘Elvis of The Orient’

nproxy.org