周聰

简介

Chau Chung was born in Guangzhou on 25 January 1925. He was a Hong Kong broadcaster, composer, lyricist and singer, known as the "Broadcast Emperor" or "Broadcast Prince". He was a representative of early Cantonese pop music and was hailed by lyricist James Wong as the "Father of Cantonese Pop Music". In the early 1950s, he worked as a nightclub band leader and was discovered by Heymong Records, which gave him the opportunity to write lyrics and sing. He performed solo and in duets with artists such as Lui Hung and Ming Sai, best known for "The Little Puppet". He moved between Radio Hong Kong and Rediffusion before joining Commercial Radio in 1959 as a Chinese programme assistant, later becoming station manager before Etta Heung. He wrote the lyrics for the radio programme theme songs "Birthday Song" and "Wedding Congratulations Song", performed by Commercial Radio broadcasters. He also wrote lyrics for radio drama songs such as "Love of the Rose", "Strong Grass and Tender Flower", "Passionate Tears", "Flying Flower Melody", as well as the duet "Happy Partner" with Lui Hung. He composed and wrote the lyrics for "A Bamboo Branch" from the film "Harmony in the Family" (1953), regarded as an excellent children's song, and the Kyoto Nin Jiom Pei Pa Ko cough syrup advertisement jingle. He retired from Commercial Radio in March 1988 and died of pancreatic cancer in San Francisco on 11 July 1993.