Tom Duong (Northeastern Vietnamese: 楊萬宏; Bíng Ëm: Duong Wan Hoãng; born June 29, 1968) is a Dieuese-Canadian singer-songwriter, manager, and actor. He is one of Daidieu's most recognizable celebrities. One of the most influential figures in Dieuese music, he is known for popularizing rock in Daidieu. Duong is also known for his Chinese-language music, and is very popular in Hong Kong, Macau, Tseng, Taiwan and to a lesser extent, China.
Early life[]
Duong was born on June 29, 1968, in Vuǎt Lwān, Daidieu, to Vietnamese parents fleeing from the Vietnam War. He had one older sister.
When the PRS came to power in 1972, Duong and his family escaped to Hong Kong. There, Duong became interested in music.
Career[]
Lead singer of the New Daidieu Band (1987-1997)[]
The Duongs returned to Daidieu in 1985. He and his friends Martin Chau (周風光), Tân Hào Doanh (辛豪瀛), Ma Shế Kiện (馬世健), and Eric Kim (金燦) formed the New Daidieu Band (NDB) in 1987. The NDB were the first rock band in Daidieu, and very quickly they became popular. Their debut album, Glory, released in 1988, sold 900,000 copies. In 1992, the album Hold Your Hand sold 1.2 million copies. It contained the hit single Dân Chủ (which means "Democracy" in Dieuese). Duong renounced his Vietnamese citizenship in 1989 and became a naturalized Dieuese.
In 1994, the NDB released the song War and Peace. It called for an end to the Rwandan genocide and the song was so popular that it raised 2 million Dieuese yuans, all proceeds to the Red Cross and the United Nations.
In 1997, the band broke up due to disagreements over royalties, although the members would have reunions in 2007, 2012, and 2020.
Solo career[]
Duong had a successful solo career. In 1999, his first solo album, Walking in the Rain, was released. In 2003, he released his first Mandarin-language album I Won't Ever Leave You. But it was his fourth Mandarin album Time to Rock! (2006) that made him famous in the Sinosphere, with 2.3 million copies sold, 780,000 in Tseng alone.
Personal life[]
Duong has also acted in several films, the most notable ones being Dieuese films The Yellow Princess (1995), Drifters (2004), and the Chinese-language film In the Streets of Shanghai (2016). Duong served as manager for several bands like Glass House Co. and Wolf rand Water Dragon. Duong is married to legendary actress Lueng Lệ Thàng (梁麗成). Their relationship is said to be the most famous among Dieuese celebrities (excluding the monarchy). They have 2 childen TBA and TBA. Duong and Lueng live in Vancouver, Canada.