The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
- No flash in the pan
- 'Slayer' rock guitarist Hanneman dies, 49
- Kris Kross rapper's death a likely overdose
| Posted: 03 May 2013 01:31 AM PDT Taiwanese pop singer Wilber Pan triumphs over criticisms with more achievements. WILBER Pan is no stranger to being panned. Two years ago, he won Taiwan's Golden Bell Award for Best Leading Actor in a Television Series for playing a poor student in love with a rich girl in Endless Love – only to be severely criticised for not deserving the win. "I was watching the awards show live from overseas and I was so happy when I won but the next day, I was trashed," recalls Pan, who had been up against popular actors such as Joseph Chang (Love You) and James Wen (The Fierce Wife). "I was overwhelmed by the backlash. I thought I've finally achieved something which proves that I'm not just an idol, but the backlash made me so sad and mad." Says Pan – who is single – over the phone in English: "I think we Chinese celebrities are pretty stubborn and feisty in some sense. We tend to survive despite backlash. I mean, it's always gossipy news with Chinese celebrities and the focus is often less on our achievements and hard work, but more on whatever's bad about us." Life for Mandopop celebrities has also become tougher, with the onslaught of the Korean Wave or Hallyu, which is strong competition for Mandarin dance music. "In terms of dance music, people think of the US, Japan or South Korea, but people don't give enough credit to Chinese dance music," says the 32-year-old, who has had mostly dance hits such as 2002's Gecko Stroll. "When people think of Chinese dance music, they usually think only of Jolin (Tsai), Show (Lo) and Elva (Hsiao). There are not many of us. It's almost as if we're an endangered species," he adds. On K-Pop, however, he says: "I think there are great singers in every region and I respect everyone." The decline in Chinese dance music may have been why Pan had lain low musically for almost two years, from 2011 to last year. But his comeback album, released in August last year, has done well. The Story Of Billy, marking his ninth full-length release, stayed at No.1 for two weeks on Taiwan's G-Music Weekly album charts after its debut. Pan has also started dabbling in other fields. He launched a streetwear fashion line, Undisputed, in 2010 and co-founded software company Camigo Media that year. He is the chief creative officer of Camigo Media, which develops mobile games. The company has seen good results – it has hit 15 million downloads with popular games such as MeWantBamboo 2 and Fish Off. On his side projects, he says: "These are all different facets of me. I'm interested in many things. I just love to do creative stuff, but my main focus is music." The savvy businessman is not one to pin his hopes on putting out music discs, given the worldwide trend of falling album sales. "My money's on digital downloads and doing shows and concerts," he says. "The whole world is changing and the distribution of music is different now. It's changing from physical albums to digital downloads." Since late last year, he has been on a solo concert tour titled Release Yourself, with stops mainly in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities. "China's a huge market. There are more opportunities there and work is available," he explains. So, if he does hold a concert this part of the world, will he be flaunting the popular merman line of oblique muscles South Korean stars are famed for having? "I'm very strict with myself during promotion periods, but I'm not a gym rat. I enjoy eating. I do have the merman line, but I don't want to show it," he says. "I'm not very comfortable with flashing my body yet. Maybe some day!" – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network |
| 'Slayer' rock guitarist Hanneman dies, 49 Posted: 03 May 2013 01:18 AM PDT LOS ANGELES: Metal guitar legend Jeff Hanneman, 49, has died of liver failure, his band Slayer announced Thursday. "Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother... passed away at about 11 am this morning," read a statement posted by the group on its Facebook page. Hanneman, who died at a hospital in Southern California, has been suffering since 2011 from necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease that he is believed to have contracted from a spider bite, according to news reports. It is not known whether the illness played a role in his death. On its website, Slayer paid tribute to "Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest In Peace (1964 - 2013)." The group wrote that Hanneman is survived by his wife Kathy, a sister and two brothers. Hanneman was a founding member of Slayer, one of the premier metal bands in the United States, known for music that the group described as "punishing yet precise." Over its nearly three-decade existence, Slayer has put out nine studio albums and performed at thousands of live shows. - AFP |
| Kris Kross rapper's death a likely overdose Posted: 02 May 2013 09:25 PM PDT ATLANTA (Reuters) - Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly of the 1990s rap duo Kris Kross likely died of a drug overdose, police said on Thursday, a day after the 34-year-old was found unconscious at his Atlanta home. Kelly gained fame as a young teen in 1992 with the hit song Jump and for the duo's fashion trademark of wearing their clothes backward. "Based on the information at the scene, we are concluding that it was a drug overdose," said Corporal Kay Lester, spokeswoman for the Fulton County Police Department. Kelly was found unconscious at his home on Wednesday and pronounced dead about three hours later in an Atlanta hospital, Lester said. A friend told police that Kelly had been taking a mixture of heroin and cocaine on Tuesday evening, according to a police report. An autopsy for Kelly found no signs of foul play or trauma, the Fulton County Medical Examiner said in a statement. Results from a toxicology report will available in three to four weeks. Kelly had an extensive history of drug abuse, Kelly's uncle told police, according to their report. The Kris Kross duo of Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith was best known for Jump which topped the mainstream U.S. music charts in 1992 when Kelly and Smith were both 13 years old. The duo, whose pants and shirts backward look was mimicked by fans, never scored a top 10 U.S. hit after Jump and released their third and final studio album, Young, Rich & Dangerous, in 1996. "To millions of fans worldwide, he was the trendsetting, backwards pants-wearing one-half of Kris Kross who loved making music," Kelly's family said in a statement. "But to us, he was just Chris - the kind, generous and fun-loving life of the party." Hip-hop music mogul Jermaine Dupri, who discovered the group and produced many of their songs, called Kelly the "son I never had" in a statement posted online. "I will always love you, Chris, and I will never let the world forget you, may god bless your soul," Dupri said. Condolences have poured in from the rap and R&B community. "One of my motivations as a kid to even get into the rap game," fellow Atlanta rapper Ludacris tweeted. "You will be missed. R.I.P. Chris Kelly." Rapper LL Cool J dedicated his new song, Jump On It, to Kelly. "May GOD embrace your soul & lift up your family," he wrote on Twitter. |
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