Ne Me Quitte Pas

A lot of singers tend to have a particular song that he or she is associated with.  For me, I've noticed it has been Ne Me Quitte Pas.  I find it a complete honor to be associated with this song.  In my opinion, there have been quite a few other Vietnamese singers who have recorded fantastic renditions of this song.  I am quite flattered to be considered among the singers whose names are linked to this classic love song.

When I first became truly engrossed with this song was after I heard Bach Yen's rendition on her album, Souvenir.  I had always liked this song in the past and had also enjoyed countless other versions recorded by the likes of other artists such as Don Ho, Ngoc Lan and Carol Kim.  It had also been one of the many songs I often had performed on stage at my live shows.  But after hearing Bach Yen being interviewed on the radio by Viet Dzung one day where she was plugging her latest CD, I was then really taken aback.  Something about what she had said about how a singer must really have gone through such pain and agony in his or her love life in order to sing this song with enough feeling.  Since I happened to be experiencing some personal sadness at the time with a heartbreak in my own life, that was what had prompted me to record this song for my first album.  

After Sy Dan had finished the arrangements for this song, my first intentions were to record it in all three languages:  French, English and Vietnamese.   After a few takes at Cong Truc's studio, I was still dissatisfied.  That was when I realized that I wasn't that crazy about the English lyrics that had been written for the English version, If You Go Away.  I started to listen more to Jacques Brel's original version and began to finally appreciate just how powerful his performance of the song was.  The original French lyrics were indeed deeper and way more heartfelt than the lyrics written in English.  And since Pham Duy's lyrics were written based on translation of the lyrics in English, the same could be said with the Vietnamese lyrics.  That's when I decided to re-record the song without the English version, and only in French and Vietnamese.  I then turned to Alan Nguyen to finish out the recording for this song.  I must say, I am forever indebted to Alan Nguyen.  He had helped me so much through the production of the album, Tiec Nho, and particularly with this song.  He is simply amazing.  He coached me step by step with this song.  I really couldn't have done it without him.  

After three weeks, I finally finished recording Ne Me Quitte Pas.  Before the album was released, I was already happy to hear that my two most difficult critics other than myself, Anh Tu and Julie Quang, were pleased with my recording of Ne Me Quitte Pas.  During the week before the album was finally out in the market, I had sent a copy to Pham Long of Little Saigon Radio.  After he played it, I remember him making a comment of how this was a rather difficult song to sing and how he was really impressed that a young singer such as myself was able to give such a heartfelt delivery.  A few days after that I had heard from Bien Tinh Productions that my recorded version of Ne Me Quitte Pas had been one of the most requested songs on both Little Saigon Radio on 1480 AM and Radio Saigon Cali Hai Ngoai on 106.3 FM.  And then to have Viet Dzung write an article on Hon Viet Magazine praising about the song and my recorded version of it, I was just overwhelmed with excitement and truly flattered.  

Since then, Ne Me Quitte Pas has been one of my most requested songs from audience members at my live shows.  I really enjoy singing this song.  It just never gets old for me.  I still find it an honor to hear how fans have associated my name with this song.  Afterall, it is one of my favorite love songs of all time.

Thien Phu

Does Anyone Know Where Singer Ngoc Hue Is?

Back in the 1990s, among Vietnamese female singers who sing in the particular genre of music known as, "Nhac Tre", popular music for the younger generation, the three hottest new rising stars were Thanh Ha, Tu Quyen and a singer that had left her home in Australia in 1991 to take up permanent residence in Southern California named Ngoc Hue.

Ngoc Hue

In the Vietnamese community of Australia, Ngoc Hue had already established a name for herself as a singer.  Like Cong Thanh & Lynn, the popular  Australian/ Vietnamese married couple and singing duo prior to resettling here in the United States, Ngoc Hue had dreams of furthering her career as an overseas Vietnamese singer in the United States and was well aware of how much of a gamble that was at stake upon making the decision to leave the comforts of Australia's smaller, close-knit Vietnamese community and the challenges of having to start all over in a land faraway.  With a total population that barely exceeds 150,000, the Vietnamese community of Australia is one of the most affluent and thriving communities of overseas Vietnamese in the entire world.  The largest concentration of Vietnamese-Australians lies within the metropolitan area of Sydney also known as Little Saigon.  It is in this community that houses a small yet vibrant Vietnamese entertainment industry where for many years, Ngoc Hue had enjoyed a singing career that consisted of steady work and a status of being one of its key players.  An integral part of the Vietnamese community of Australia's performance arts industry included concert events that featured headlining overseas Vietnamese performers from other regions of the world, primarily the United States and France.  At these shows, Ngoc Hue would share the stage with these headliners who had traveled to Australia from faraway.  She would often spark the attention of some of the biggest names among Vietnamese entertainers that would tour in Australia.  It was only a matter of time that Ngoc Hue would eventually make her way across the Pacific Ocean to Southern California, the region with the world's largest overseas Vietnamese population and considered as the unofficial capital of the Vietnamese entertainment industry.  In 1991, Ngoc Hue's acceptance of an invitation to tour the United States which would ultimately lead to her decision of relocating here permanently came as of no accident, but as part of a long, anticipated dream of hers that was about to come true.

When she first arrived in the United States, Ngoc Hue was already prepped and poised for stardom.  I remember then as a fan of Vietnamese entertainment how she had been welcomed in a manner quite similar to that of a proper Hollywood welcome, complete with the rolling out of the red carpet upon her arrival.  Ngoc Hue was blessed with physical beauty, a trademark that is often regarded with equal if not greater weight than one's singing ability in the Vietnamese entertainment industry. Therefor, her pictures were soon enough blasted everywhere from magazine covers to flyers to even calendars.  Almost immediately after her arrival, she could be seen doing interviews on television to promote her debut studio album.  This would be followed with appearances on video, as she would grace the Paris By Night stage along with making other appearances for Nhat Ha Productions.  It was evident that Ngoc Hue was definitely on her way.  How big of a star she would become could only be determined by the audience along with the choices she would make for her future.

In a business as fickle as show business, no one can predict what lies ahead for the careers of each and every individual artist.  Having been in the business, myself, I have learned that what can transform a performer into a star really all depends on a combination of three key factors.  All 100% of these three key factors, in my opinion, are essential in turning a singer into a star.  Anything short of that just won't do.  Of course, one has to have talent.  That is a given.  And so, I'd say that talent would account for 50% of that formula. The next factor has to do with knowing the right people and having the right connections in order to acquire the proper exposure needed to promote one's self.  Out of the two key factors left, I'd say that would account for 30%.  Promotion is one very crucial aspect in turning a performer into a star.  Think about it, a singer could have the best voice, but if the general audience was never able to hear his or her voice, how could that artist ever get anywhere?   But even with the right amount of exposure and promotion needed, still there are no guarantees that an artist would become a star without the third key factor.  And that would be luck, which would account for 20% to round out the completion of this equation.  I've often wondered what was it that had stood in the way of Ngoc Hue becoming a big star in the ranks of Luu Bich, Y Lan, or even her two peers, Thanh Ha and Tu Quyen.  Ngoc Hue had gotten a head start years before the other two when she first came onto the scene back in 1991.  Surely, she has the talent, as well as the stage presence, and as I had pointed out from the time when she first arrived here from Australia, she also had the connections with the right people to give her the initial exposure and promotion needed in order to boost her career, .  If compared to Thanh Ha, it can be said that Ngoc Hue at first seemed like she had the upper hand given how she is full-blooded Vietnamese versus how Thanh Ha is not only racially mixed but also doesn't look at all Vietnamese, which can definitely be a disadvantage considering how conservative and homogeneous the Vietnamese culture is.  I personally haven't experienced that myself, but it is an undeniable fact that many Eurasians and Amerasians have been targets of unjust discrimination in Vietnamese society.  But I guess in Thanh Ha's case, the fact that she happens to be so beautiful, her being racially mixed with European blood seemed to have worked to her advantage and perhaps proven to be instrumental through her journey to stardom.  In comparison to Tu Quyen, Ngoc Hue also has greater stage presence.  Ngoc Hue's features are much more defined and striking whereas Tu Quyen has more of a passive, wholesome girl-next-door look. Yet by 1994, the year in which both Thanh Ha and Tu Quyen would be formally introduced onto the Vietnamese pop music scene, Thanh Ha first with her debut solo studio album recorded for Diem Xua Productions entitled, Mot Doi Xin Nho Mai (The Power of Love), then Tu Quyen before the end of the year with her debut album backed by Eagle Productions, Nu Cuoi Xa Vang, Ngoc Hue would be outshined by both of these new rising stars.

Perhaps it was the career choices that Ngoc Hue had made that had prevented her from becoming a superstar.  Take for example, when Ngoc Hue had first started out she performed regularly at a nightclub in Orange County called the Can Club, which was also where Thanh Ha and myself had gotten our start.  As Thanh Ha's popularity grew, she moved up to become a regular performer at the Diamond Club in Fullerton, then the Ritz and finally the Majestic Club until her busy touring schedule with out of town gigs became so full that she could no longer commit to any local nightclub as a regular weekly performer.  When I first saw Tu Quyen perform in Orange County was on a night sponsored by Eagle Productions for her held at the Queen Bee nightclub sometime in the fall season of 1994.  A little over a year after that, Tu Quyen would become a contracted regular performer at the Ritz nightclub in the summer of 1996.  After a series of video appearances, just like Thanh Ha, Tu Quyen would also venture off to only touring at out of town gigs, which is far more lucrative than performing regularly at any local Orange County Vietnamese nightclub.  This is often the case with a lot of Vietnamese singers once they become famous.  Ngoc Hue, on the other hand, after releasing album after album and making video appearances on the Paris By Night stage, was still seen performing regularly at the Can Club by 1996.  Although she was able to get bookings to perform for live shows across the United States, as well as abroad in Europe and back in her former residence, Australia, her touring schedule was not anywhere near as booked as some of the other popular Vietnamese singers in demand.  Thanh Ha's rise to fame was as fast as a speeding bullet.  From the moment her solo studio album was released by Diem Xua Productions, she became a hot commodity instantaneously with other Vietnamese music video production companies.  Shortly thereafter, she could be seen on music videos produced by Diem Xua, Truong Thanh, and then ultimately as a contracted exclusive performer of Paris By Night produced by Thuy Nga Productions.  Tu Quyen had become the driving force behind Eagle Productions as her impressive record sales permitted the label to release a series of studio albums for the popular singer, while on video she would finally make her way to Paris By Night after several video appearances for Van Son Entertainment and Tinh Productions.  The fact that she was able to win the hearts of Vietnamese audiences with her signature rendition of a song called, Nu Hong Mong Manh, didn't hurt her career, either.  Long before either Thanh Ha or Tu Quyen had made their way onto the Paris By Night stage, Ngoc Hue had already made her Paris By Night video debut on volume 16 with a solo rendition of Alan Nguyen's Prisoner and in a duet with Don Ho, Hanh Phuc Trong Tim, back in 1992.  After several more times appearing on Paris By Night, Ngoc Hue faded into obscurity.  Her career seemed to have hit the ceiling instantaneously and had allowed her to form her own label, Fame Productions.  But after a series of mediocre albums and various recordings for other labels, it seemed as if Ngoc Hue's career could only at best remain stagnant from then on, and her production label would come to a close before it had even ever gotten itself off the ground.

I had worked alongside Ngoc Hue on several occasions, but never really got to talk that much with her.  Unlike a lot of singers, she seemed a bit more reserved.  During the course of several years since I first met Ngoc Hue, our total interactions were limited to just a casual hello and goodbye each time we were in the same room together.  Although she was always pleasant, I can't say I knew much about her other than our brief greetings we would give to one another.  When it came time for me to produce my album, Ngay Em Di, I had been given the suggestion by others in the singing business that I should feature a song or two recorded by a singer whose name was more established to go along with my recordings in order for to make the album more marketable.  Of course, Ngoc Hue's name had been mentioned as a possible suggestion.  I was quite hesitant to ask her for the simple fact that I really didn't know her all that well.  One of my biggest fears in life has always been rejection.  I'd hate to think of how I would have handled it if Ngoc Hue had turned down my invitation to record a song for my album.  And so, I waited and waited, which ultimately delayed the release of Ngay Em Di.  

The moment would finally come when I would muster up the courage to ask Ngoc Hue.  We were about to perform together at an engagement at the Crystal Palace Casino in Gardena, California. During rehearsals with the band before the show, Ngoc Hue turned to look at me and gave me a compliment on how I sang Crazy, a famous tune written by Willie Nelson and originally recorded by Patsy Cline .  That was the first time we actually had a conversation that lasted longer than "Hello, how are you?" after five years that I had known her.  I thought to myself, I better ask her now since I really don't have another five years to wait to release my next album.  So I did.  Luckily, she accepted.

While I was at the recording studio with Ngoc Hue, that was when she really earned my respect as an artist.  I must say she is definitely a perfectionist.  The recording session for Ngoc Hue with just one song, Pho Xa, took a total of eight hours and countless takes and retakes.  It wasn't because she couldn't get into the song.  As a matter of fact, I felt that she had already nailed it the first time through.  But being the perfectionist that she is, Ngoc Hue had to do it over and over again until her biggest critic, which happens to be none other than herself, was finally satisfied.  And that was just with the primary vocals track which took up a good five hours.  After that came the two tracks for background vocals that she would handle all by herself that took up the remaining three hours.  Now that's impressive.  I remember how Tung Giang who was the recording engineer had grown really tired and sleepy after so many hours of this recording session.  Both Ngoc Hue and I had noticed how his eyes had become so droopy, we suggested that he should take a break.  I was about to fall asleep myself.  But Ngoc Hue really amazed me as she got right back into the sound proof room with the remote control recording device in hand and proceecded to complete the recording of Pho Xa all by herself.  Now that's a trouper.

I couldn't have been happier when I heard the finished product of Ngoc Hue's recording of Pho Xa, written by Le Quoc Thang,  There wasn't a single flaw I could point out with Ngoc Hue's performance of that song.  That was why I had chosen it to be the first song on the Ngay Em Di album.  Ngoc Hue was gracious enough to attend and perform at the CD release event I had put together held at the Majestic during November of 1999.  After that, we worked with each other on a couple of occasions, but never really got as close to where I can say we were actually friends.  I liked her.  But to this day, I can't say I know much about Ngoc Hue.

It has been at least six years since I've heard anything about Ngoc Hue, and even longer since the last time I spoke to her.  I've asked around and nobody seems to know her whereabouts.  Recently I found her on Facebook, but the last time there had been any activity on her account was back in 2010.  I came up with the same result searching her name on Youtube.com where the latest posting of Ngoc Hue was of a live performance she had done back in her old hometown of Sydney, Australia in 2010. From what I saw, she looked pretty much the same.  Perhaps a little older, but still beautiful as ever.  I hope everything is okay in her life.  Too often, I've had reason to worry whenever any of my colleagues in the singing business had faded into obscurity.  I certainly hope this is not the case with Ngoc Hue.  If anyone out there knows, please notify me with either a comment or private message.  I'm sure that many of her fans are equally concerned of her whereabouts and hope that she's doing okay.

Link(s):

Ngoc Hue - Pho Xa on YouTube

Update:  Ngoc Hue has been found!  Sometime in the afternoon yesterday while surfing the net, I stumbled across a thread on the MauTam.net forum which featured Ngoc Hue's latest interview.  She's back in town.  For a more detailed synopsis of the interview, click on the following link to read my article I had posted here on ThienPhu-VietSinger.BlogSpot.com.
(April 2, 2015)

Link(s):
                                                                                       
Update on Ngoc Hue:  She's Been Found!

Thien Phu on My Favorite Singers

Ever since I started singing, I've been constantly asked by many audience members about what I like, in terms of my taste in music.  I guess that's a natural curiosity for people to have about singers.  I remember way back before I started singing professionally, I had the same curiosity about my favorite singers.  I wanted to know who were their idols, what made them want to become singers, and what were their tastes like in music.  In terms of some of my favorite Vietnamese singers, I've been blessed with having had the opportunities to ask some of them personally such questions.  But when I had been asked that same question myself in the past, I often froze and really couldn't give an answer.  My reasons for posting this today had to do with a few e-mails I've received from fans wanting to know just that along with recently watching an old television interview I had done way back on Little Saigon Television.  I found it to be rather odd how I had shrugged when Quynh Trang had asked me about who were some of my favorite singers growing up.  It was rather embarrassing now that I think about it.  How could such a simple question be so difficult to answer?

This posting might seem like an extremely delayed response to that television interview I did 16 years ago.  But like the saying goes, better late than never.  I guess one of the reasons why I had hesitated to reveal who were my favorite Vietnamese singers was because by then I had become a Vietnamese singer myself and therefore, some of the singers I had idolized for so long all of a sudden had become my colleagues.  I was worried about having to deal with the aftermath if I did reveal which singers I had preferred over the other.  I could just imagine how I'd have to apologize to this person and that person why I chose him or her as my favorite singer.  Believe me, that's very typical behavior in show business.  And especially in the Vietnamese entertainment industry where ego definitely is in full existence.  I've reached a point in my life now where I really don't care anymore, simply because I've realized there is absolutely nothing wrong with honesty.

There have been quite a few Vietnamese singers I consider as idols ever since I started listening to Vietnamese music.  Among the female vocalists, it's no secret that Ngoc Lan has been a singer I've idolized.  When I was a little kid, I remember listening repeatedly to a cassette of the great Thanh Lan singing popular French songs in both languages, French and Vietnamese. When I became a teenager, I was then living in the United States and Thanh Lan was still back in Vietnam.  Like many other Vietnamese-Americans during that time, Ngoc Lan's voice initially served as a comforting and nostalgic reminder of the iconic Thanh Lan.  There was a similarity in their voices.  But the more I listened to Ngoc Lan, the more I became immersed with her voice.  When I became friends with Ngoc Lan, she was everything I imagined she would be and more.  I guess you can say, Ngoc Lan was one of those idols that upon meeting her exceeded my expectations.  I do remember asking Ngoc Lan who was the singer she had idolized the most.  She told me that it was a toss up between either Olivia Newton-John and Diana Ross.  I can understand why she would say Olivia Newton-John. After all, she does sound a lot like her.  Like in the case of many singers, they often end up with a similar singing style to that of their idol.  That was the case with Ngoc Lan.

Ngoc Lan and Kieu Nga were two of my favorite
 singers growing up during my teen years.

On the contrary, another female Vietnamese vocalist I had idolized alongside Ngoc Lan was Kieu Nga.  I tremendously enjoyed the numerous duets that these two ladies had recorded and listened to them quite often during my teen years growing up.  But when I got to know Kieu Nga personally, she was quite the opposite of what I had imagined her to be.  I guess one of the things that we tend to do as fans of singers and other types of performance artists is that since we idolize them so much, before actually meeting anyone of them in person we already have this preconceived image of what they should be in our minds.  And at times, that can only set ourselves up for disappointment.  I did grow fond of Kieu Nga as a person.  However, her gentle singing voice that I had gotten so used to listening to had given me this preconceived image of her being this meek, mild-mannered and soft-spoken person.  Anyone who has ever met or gotten to know Kieu Nga on a personal basis will agree with me that she is anything but soft-spoken or mild mannered.  I say that with the utmost affection for her.  Although Kieu Nga might come off to be rather coarse when first meeting her as I had done so myself, after a short period time I would find her demeanor and straight-forwardness to be rather endearing.  However, to this day I've yet to overcome the contrast between Kieu Nga's singing voice and her actual persona.

Khanh Ha

Several other Vietnamese female vocalists are certainly on my list of favorites.  Bach Yen was a singer whose music I hadn't been introduced to until much later on and have since grown to deeply admire.  I've been very privileged to have met Bach Yen on several occasions. And from what I've gathered based upon our few encounters, she truly exemplifies what really is a true artist and a classy lady.  Of course, I can't forget to mention Khanh Ha.  She is an incredible talent and definitely is one of my idols.  Like the similarities in Ngoc Lan and Thanh Lan's voices, I have also felt that way with Khanh Ha and Thanh Ha's voices, which is why I started to like listening to Thanh Ha when she first came onto the scene.  By the way, it isn't much of any surprise that Thanh Ha has said that Khanh Ha is her idol.  When I became a singer, I was introduced to Ngoc Huong's music by another fellow
singer by the name of Anh Tu.  From the first time I heard one of her CDs, I was just floored with her tremendous voice.  I idolized her so much that I had to personally invite her to be a guest vocalist on my album, Ngay Em Di.

Luu Hong is one Vietnamese female vocalist with a rather peculiar voice.  Growing up I was always

Luu Hong, My "Mother"

surrounded by her music during the 1980s here in the United States.  To be honest, I never paid much attention to her voice back then.  It wasn't until after I entered the singing profession and had gotten to know her that I started to really listen to her music.  How we became acquainted was rather odd.  There had been a rumor floating around when I first started singing that Luu Hong was actually my mother.  I think it was singer Cong Thanh that had introduced me to Luu Hong the first time we met at the old Majestic Nightclub in Huntington Beach, California. Since then, I've turned into an avid fan of her music.  Well, what can I say except why shouldn't I idolize my own mother?

My Constant Idol, Julie Quang

But there has always been one constant idol among Vietnamese female vocalists for me and that is Julie Quang.  I've been a major fan of hers for as long as I can remember.  Since I love singing in French, myself, one of the reasons why I idolize Julie so is because of  how beautifully she sounds when she sings in French.  I also love the way she sings in Vietnamese, in English, and even the few songs I've heard her record in Chinese.  For me, listening to Julie Quang sing is as relaxing and enjoyable comparable to the feeling of a gentle cool breeze on a hot summer day.  At times, I have to pinch myself for how fortunate I am to have Julie as a close friend in my life who also happens to be my idol.  But would you believe that Julie has told me that her music idol is Janis Joplin?  I found that a bit surprising since she doesn't sound anything like Janis Joplin at all.

As far as who my favorite American female vocalist is, that's easy.  Hands down, it has always been Diana Ross.  She's the only American diva in my book.  There were a number of years that I had also idolized Whitney Houston quite a bit.  But I've never been much into Mariah Carey or Celine Dion. I've never been a fan of singers who scream or wale.  I just like singers who simply sing.  That is why Francoise Hardy is my favorite French female vocalist.  Another European female vocalist I really like is Dutch singer, Laura Fygi.  In terms of Vietnamese female vocalists today, I've noticed how so many of them tend to sing as if they were screaming from the top of their lungs.  I find that so annoying whenever I hear the likes of Siu Black and Phuong Thanh.  It can be exhausting listening to these divas go overboard as they not only belt out but literally scream note after note.  The only two Vietnamese female singers of today that I enjoy listening to are Ho Ngoc Ha and Le Quyen.  I love Ho Ngoc Ha's interpretation of  Noi Long.  Her voice is extremely likable and pleasant.  The same could be said for Le Quyen.  But there are times I've found her to sound a bit too much like Luu Hong, which is not a bad thing.  I just prefer singers who have an original sound.

Are there any male vocalists that I idolize?  Of course, there are.  In our Vietnamese culture, despite how female vocalists have traditionally always outnumbered male vocalists with a ratio of two to

Tuan Ngoc

one, there definitely isn't a deficiency of talented male vocalists.  From when I first started listening to Vietnamese singers, the first two Vietnamese male vocalists whom I idolized were Elvis Phuong and Duy Quang.  I don't listen to any old compact discs recorded by either of these two gentlemen

Don Ho

today for whatever reason.  Perhaps it's because I've outgrown listening to them.  When I became an adult, my favorite Vietnamese male vocalist for many years was Don Ho.  There is something irresistibly charming about his voice.  I've never been able to place my finger on it, but I'm just in a complete daze each time I hear a song recorded by Don Ho.

Sometime in the late 1990s, I can't remember the exact year but, I had been given a CD of a new male artist in Vietnam by the name of Lam Truong.  I remembered how I had instantly taken a liking to his voice after hearing the CD for the first time.  That was probably around the same time that I started hearing comments from others that I sounded a lot like him with certain songs.  The first person that told me that was the late legendary music arranger, Tung Giang.  I was really taken aback when he said that to me during one of my recording sessions at his studio because I had never thought that I had sounded like anyone else before.  Now that I think about it, I should be flattered to be compared to someone of Lam Truong's caliber.  However, my fascination with Lam Truong would only be a short-lived one after I had gone to Vietnam and attended one of his live performances.  It was not that he sounded bad at his live show, because in fact he does have a very nice voice.  I even found him to be rather cordial with a pleasant personality when we spoke briefly after we were introduced by a mutual friend on the night of his performance.  I just couldn't get into his performance wholeheartedly since, for whatever reason, he had decided that night to perform a great deal in his set of songs in a language he apparently did not have even the slightest grip on.  I'm referring to the English language, of course.  Throughout the concert, I had to sit there and listen to this talented vocalist butcher the English language in one American song after another.  I have no idea why so many Vietnamese singers in Vietnam have this voracious obsession to sing in English, yet apparently don't make the conscious effort to practice enough so that they will sound at least coherent.  From that night at his live show on, it all just ruined it for me with Lam Truong.

Nguyen Khang

Among Vietnamese male vocalists of today, my favorite would be my good friend and former colleague, Nguyen Khang.  I really do like his voice.  It's rare that I would idolize someone who is among my peers, but in Nguyen Khang's case I'd have to make an exception.  Nguyen Khang and I have known each other for many years long before either one of us had gotten established as
Vietnamese singers.  Although they say that fame changes people, I haven't seen that with Nguyen Khang.  Despite how we don't keep in touch much these days, every time he and I do run into each other we still address one another as "may" and "tao", which is how Vietnamese close friends informally address one another in conversation.  To me, he is still the same old guy I've known from way back.  I've just never told him how much I now idolize him as an artist.  By the way, who do you think Nguyen Khang's idol is?  Tuan Ngoc.  I know. What a shocker! Surprise!  Surprise!

Just like in the case of my favorite Vietnamese female vocalists, there has also been one constant idol for me with Vietnamese male vocalists.  That would have to be none other than the one and only, Mr. Tuan Ngoc.  There is no other Vietnamese male singer like him.  His voice, in my opinion, is the most soothing and warmest I've ever heard.  I do believe that he is probably the only Vietnamese male vocalist out there who is qualified to take on the genre of jazz music.  This was probably the main reason why I had chosen not to reveal who my favorite Vietnamese male vocalist was when I was interviewed on Little Saigon Television back in 1998 since at the time I was very close to his brother, Anh Tu.  I could only imagine the sibling rivalry I would cause if I had disclosed on television how his older brother was my idol.

Anh Tu and I had one thing in common which was we both idolized Elton John deeply.  I've loved Elton John's music ever since I was a kid.  In recent years, I've found myself listening to several other American male singers such as Marc Anthony, Jason Mraz, and most recently, a new artist by the name of Spencer Day.  I can't deny it, but I'll admit that I do sound a lot like Spencer Day.  Many people have told me so and I'm not even bothered by that the least bit.  If I had to choose who my favorite French male singer is, I'd say that it would either be Herve Vilarde or Enrico Macias.  Even though I do cover a lot of Christophe's famous songs, I've never really been much of a fan of his singing voice.  Perhaps that is why I don't even remotely sound like him.

Now that I think about it, perhaps it was rather wise on my part not to have answered this question when I was being interviewed by Quynh Trang on Little Saigon Television back then.   It was only a half-hour program.  There just wasn't enough time for me since I would give such a long and detailed answer. I'm sure if Quynh Trang was reading this post now she would be relieved that I didn't go ahead with giving her an answer during the interview.  As you can see, I always have a lot to say.

Thien Phu