Leehom Wang was born and raised in Rochester, New York, and is an artist, producer, and writer currently signed with Sony Music Taiwan. After studying music at the Eastman School of Music, Williams College, and the Berklee College of Music, Leehom exploded into the Chinese pop music scene in 1998 with the album Revolution, which he both composed and produced, garnering awards for both “Best Male Artist of the Year” and “Best Producer of the Year” in Taiwan's 1999 Golden Melody Awards, the “Grammies” of Chinese pop music. He was 22 years old, making him the youngest person ever to win the award in either of the two categories.
Since his stellar debut, Leehom has consistently been nominated for the “Best Male Artist of the Year” award four years in a row, solidifying his role as one of the most important and most influential talents in Asian pop culture today. His following albums, Impossible to Miss You, Forever's First Day, and The One and Only were all composed,. arranged, and produced by him, with record sales in the millions worldwide.
Leehom's music has been described as eclectic, intelligent, imaginative, and emotional. A proficiency in a multitude of different musical instruments and strong roots in classical violin, jazz piano, and Broadway-style musicals seem to enable him to dance effortlessly between musical styles. “Music,” says Leehom, “is my most comfortable language. In any language, be it French, Chinese, Jazz, or Hip-Hop, it is what you are trying to say that is most important.” Quoted once as saying that his “main goal is to inspire young people,” Leehom's fundamental beliefs that “music can change the world” and that “the children are the key to our future” provide him with the fountain of contagious energy that rubs off on everyone around him.
In addition to his career in music, Leehom is also a talented actor, and has appeared in leading roles in the movies Ashes to Ashes (2000), directed by Leslie Cheung; China Strike Force (2001), opposite rapper Coolio and Japanese bombshell Norika Fujiwara; The Avenging Fist (2001), opposite Martial Law's Sammo Hung; and this year's highly anticipated Japanese release Moon Child (2003), opposite Japanese pop icons Hyde and Gackt.
Leehom feels that one of the greatest aspects of being a popular figure is the ability to access international multi-media, and to communicate with and help other young people of the world. Socially active, Leehom's public charity work goes hand-in-hand with his career. Some of the highlights include Nature, the album dedicated to Jane Goodall in conjunction with Leehom's work as the National Geographic Channel and “Roots and Shoots” spokesperson in Hong Kong; Ashes to Ashes, the anti-smoking short film sponsored by the Hong Kong government; “Love Will Never Disappear”, the song performed by A-Mei Chang for disaster relief after Taiwan's devastating 1999 earthquake; “Frozen Dreams”, the song collectively composed on the internet by Leehom's fans with all proceeds going to charity; and “Happiness x3, Loneliness x3”, the collaborative song with Julio Iglesias, Jr., Tetsuo Kamuro, and Sheila E. made for the Japanese government's anti-drug campaign. In 2002, Leehom was appointed by UNICEF and MTV as the Youth Ambassador to Nepal, and hosted the award-winning “Speak Your Mind” documentary on the issues facing Nepalese children, including education, child labor, and the sex trade. In May of 2003, with SARS crippling many parts of Asia, Leehom co-wrote and co-produced the charity song “Hand In Hand” with fellow musician and friend David Tao. This song was performed by 85 of the big-name artists in Chinese pop music history. An instant classic, “Hand In Hand” has quickly become the “We Are the World” of our generation in Asia.
Leehom is fluent in English and in Mandarin Chinese, and is proficient in Cantonese, Japanese, and French. His linguistic talents have enabled him to reach audiences all over the world in their own native tongues. His plans for 2003 include: his first Japanese release, The Only One; a brand new Chinese album, and finishing up production for his first English album.
Leehom has a genuine, warm personality. He is always humble and appreciative towards those around him, and his boyish demeanor is disarming, especially when juxtaposed with his professionalism and meticulous work ethic. He is passionate about his work and cherishes every opportunity for creative exchange with others, in music, movies, or any other forum.
Information Source: Lee Kai Wang.
