George Lam


George Lam Tsz Cheung, also known professionally by his surname Lam, is a Hong Kong-based veteran Cantopop singer, singer-songwriter, music producer and actor, with a career that spanning more than four decades. Self-producing, Lam creates most of his own albums and songs, as well as being especially involved with creative direction of his work outside its musical aspects. Lam has a wide vocal range and has interpreted and performed in many different genres of music.
His works are best known for pioneering a variety of genres in the Hong Kong music scene, such as creating the known first Cantorap, "Ah Lam's Diary", and the medley "10 Minutes 12 Inches" from multiple Cantopop hits, with the latter composition's interwoven intricacies creating a derivative for Lam's eponymous concert Lamusical with his own hits.
In addition to his singing career, Lam has also acted in various TV dramas and films, making his film debut in Luckies Trio in 1978. Possibly his most memorable role was as Shiomi Akutagawa, a Japanese journalist in Boat People, directed by Ann Hui, in which he was nominated for Best Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Early life

Lam was born in British Hong Kong to a family of physicians, with both his father, a Yuen Long obstetrician, and paternal grandfather being doctors. He attended Tak Sun Primary School, then Diocesan Boys' School, a predominantly English-language boys school, where he was a boarder. At the latter school, he chose to study French.
Lam started to pick up music at a young age, when his grandfather often took him to watch Chinese and Western movies, which exposed him to film music. His parents often played music around the house, and a sparked interest with listening to music on the radio led to him teaching himself to play the guitar. In 1965, Lam moved abroad to further his studies in the United Kingdom, attending Dover College and transferring to the Barcote School of Coaching, and United States. During this time at the latter school, he formed a folk song group, the Midnighters, with two friends of his. During his subsequent stay in the U.S., he began to experience a more diverse range of musical genres, which would greatly influence his work.

Career

After his studies in the United Kingdom, Lam remained for a few years for work before moving to California, where he coached tennis and worked in a stock brokerage firm. It was during this time that Lam started writing his own songs. Not long thereafter, he returned to Hong Kong to launch his music career.
Lam started as one of the lead singers in the band "Jade". In 1976, he went solo with the release of his first eponymous English album, "Lam". His first Cantonese album came out in 1978. In 1980, two of his compositions won Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Awards. Throughout the 1980s, 23 of Lam's songs topped the RTHK Chinese Pop Chart, making him second only to Alan Tam, who had 28.

Personal life

Lam married Ng Ching Yuen in 1980. Together, they have a son, Alex Lam Tak Shun, who is also a singer and actor, and a daughter April. Lam and Ng divorced in 1994. On 17 July 1996, he married singer and actress Sally Yeh.
Aside from his musical activities, Lam is a lover of sports and visual arts. Some of his particular ventures in sports is tennis and golf. In terms of visual arts, he has a special fondness for drawing mazes; one of his artworks was engraved onto a Lalique-produced crystal Buddha, with his collaboration lending itself as the French company's first collaboration with a Chinese artist. Lam also likes tailoring, often modifying clothes to his own taste.
During a May 2003 guest performance for Liza Wang at the Hong Kong Coliseum, Lam accidentally fell 2.5 metres through a stage floor opening. The accident injured his right ear, resulting in partial hearing loss, particularly in high frequencies, and tinnitus, leaving him hearing sounds in mono. A few months after his injury, he gave a series of concerts across southern China for the purpose of acclimating himself to performing with his altered hearing.

Artistry

Musical style

Lam's experiences abroad is the strongest influence within his work, where he has introduced a wide variety of song styles to the Hong Kong pop music scene, with many originals and covers becoming Cantopop classics. His work encompasses a wide stylistic range, from country rock, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk, jazz, rap, traditional Chinese songs, to tango and bossa nova.
When producing covers, he taps into a wide variety of countries and regions, spanning from western Europe to particular Asian countries like Japan and South Korea. The pieces he selects to cover range in genres from folk songs, classical music, and jazz musicals, to funk and rock and roll.

Voice and timbre

Lam has been regarded to have a very wide tenor range, with his highest notes reaching F5, D#6 in full voice and volume, and his lowest notes is the G2.

Awards and achievements

Lam's four decade-long career has shaped a significant part of the Hong Kong music scene. Many of today's top Cantopop singers such as Eason Chan, Hacken Lee, and Andy Lau have been influenced by his music. In an interview, George Lam confirmed he encouraged Andy Lau to be a singer when the two of them met during a movie filming.
In recognition of his contribution to music, Lam has received numerous accolades, including the Golden Needle Award in 1994, the CASH Hall of Fame Award in 2003, the J.S.G. Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, and the RTHK Hall of Fame Award in 2016.
Award ceremonyYearCategoryNominee / WorkResult
Hong Kong Film Awards1982Best ActorBoat People Nomitated
Hong Kong Film Awards1983Best Original Film SongAll the Wrong SpiesNomitated
Hong Kong Film Awards1984Best Original Film SongThe Owl vs Bombo Nomitated
Hong Kong Film Awards1985Best Original Film SongLost RomanceNomitated
Hong Kong Film Awards1986Best Original Film SongPassionWon
Hong Kong Film Awards1988Best Original Film SongStarry is the Night Nomitated
Hong Kong Film Awards2007Best Original Film SongThe Pye-DogNomitated
Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award1994Golden Needle AwardHimselfWon
CASH Hall of Fame Award2003HimselfWon
J.S.G. Lifetime Achievement Award2015HimselfWon
RTHK Hall of Fame Award2016HimselfWon

Discography

YearTitleLanguage
1976LamEnglish
1977Lam IIEnglish
1978Teresa Carpio & LamEnglish
1978各師各法Cantonese
1979抉擇Cantonese
1980摩登土佬Cantonese
1980一個人Cantonese
1981活色生香Cantonese
1982海市蜃樓Cantonese
1983愛情故事Cantonese
1984愛到發燒Cantonese
1984林子祥創作歌集Cantonese
1985林子祥85特輯 Cantonese
1985十分十二吋 Cantonese
1985誘惑Cantonese
1986最愛Cantonese
1986千億個夜晚Cantonese
1987花街70號Cantonese
1988林子祥創作+流行歌集Cantonese
1988生命之曲Cantonese
1989林子祥長青歌集Cantonese
1990十三子祥Cantonese
1990日落日出Cantonese
1990LessonsEnglish
1991小說歌集Cantonese
1991這是你是真的傷了我的心Mandarin
1992這樣愛過你Mandarin
1992最難忘的你Cantonese
1992祈望Cantonese
1993'93創作歌集Cantonese
1993When a Man Loves a WomanEnglish
1993決定Mandarin
1994單手拍掌Cantonese
1995感謝Mandarin
1996緣是這樣Cantonese
1997好氣連祥Cantonese
1998現代人新曲+精選Cantonese
1998尋祥歌Mandarin
2001只有林子祥Cantonese
2004Until We Meet AgainCantonese
2007佐治地球轉Cantonese
2010LamusiqueCantonese
2011Lamusique VintageCantonese
2014LAMUSIC Original ClassicsCantonese
2015佐治地球40年Cantonese