Huang Pin-Jui (born March 21, 1935), known professionally as Hugh Huang, is a Tsengian singer-songwriter best known for one of the first artists for introducing the rock-and-roll and pop genres in Tseng. A pioneer in the Tsengge genre, his work, along with Joanne Liu, who he frequently collaborated with, influenced many future Tsengian artists, like Chang Chih-wei, Belgian Flu, and Olivia Han.
Early life[]
Huang Pin-jui was born on March 21, 1935, in Port Laurel (modern Dalin), British Tseng, the middle child of Huang Yong-li, and Wang Li-jing.
At age 11, he and his family went to San Francisco for a vacation. There, Huang said, he heard his first pop music, listening to Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra on the radio in a rental car. Huang was forever inspired by this and when they arrived back in Tseng a week later, he bought a guitar.
Career[]
Huang first played at talent shows or showed off to his classmates at his middle and later high school, however, his music attracted a Dalin Records scout and he was persuaded to sign with them in 1952.
First recordings (1952-1955)[]
After graduating Dalin High School in 1953, Huang started to focus full-time on music. He listened to Elvis Presley and began to incorporate that into his songs. His 1953 song "Meishan Rock" is regarded as the first Tsengian rock-and-roll song. "Meishan Rock" was also the first of three number 1 hits on the Tseng Music Charts. In 1954, he recorded the first of many songs with Joanne Liu, called "Quiet Night Thought".
Zenghe years (1955-1959)[]
In 1955, he signed to Zenghe Inc, where he played guitar with artists Chan Cheng-wei and Ethan Au, to become a band known as The Chasers. The Chasers are regarded as the first Tsengian rock band. They achieved popularity with the songs "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Forever". However, the three musicians grew jealous of each other and disbanded in 1959.
Further success and car crash (1959-1962)[]
Huang achieved more success with the 1960 single "Dreams" and the 1961 song "I Miss Her". However, on February 3, 1962, he was involved in a fatal car crash which left him disabled, as his legs were destroyed. That meant that Huang was confined to a wheelchair. So, Huang made the decision to retire.
Later life[]
After his music career, Huang worked as a producer for Zenghe Inc, and wrote books. Today, he lives with his wife, Lena Huang, in Tseng City, Tseng City-Capital.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- Hugh Huang (1954)
- Rock And Roll (1958)
- The Life of Huang (1961)
Live albums[]
- Live at Asakusa International Theater (1957)
Compliation albums[]
- Greatest Hits of Hugh Huang (1963)
- Greatest Hits of Hugh Huang Remastered (1988)