Danny Chan Memorial Hall

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Danny Chan (September 7, 1958 - October 25, 1993) was a popular 1980s Canto-pop singer, composer and actor in Hong Kong. He died in 1993 after being in a coma for 17 months.

Career Ascension

Chan won third prize at the HK Pop Song Composition Competition in 1977. In that same year, he made his acting debut with Hong Kong Television Broadcasts (TVB) through a TV drama called Sweet Babe. In 1978, he won first prize at the Hong Kong Yamaha Electone Festival. He held his first music concert in Hong Kong that same year. His first music album, entitled First Love, was released in 1979.

Chan subsequently signed a music contract with HK EMI. After spending several years with HK EMI, he signed with HK Warner Brothers where he reached superstar status. In 1985, he signed with DMI, which was a joint venture between EMI and Dickson Poon. Through DMI, Chan was able to launch several successful albums. He returned to HK Warner Brothers in the late 1980s.

Chan's career peaked in the early 1980s when he joined a music group called Warners and sang a number of hit songs such as Will Always Be Loving You, Take Care of Yourself Tonight, No. Danny Chan was considered a contemporary to Hong Kong Canto-pop peers like Leslie Cheung and Alan Tam. He sang and composed mostly Cantonese romantic ballads.

During the span of his music career, Chan held many music concerts in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Canada and the United States. Chan also participated and represented Hong Kong in song festivals such as the Nagasaki Asia Music Festival in Japan (1988), Peace Music Concert (1988) and the Shanghai Music Festival in China (1991). He was also invited to perform at the Olympics Opening Ceremony at Seoul, Korea. In 1988, he performed in the presence of the royal Thai Princess in a Thai Charity Show. In 1991, Chan announced of his decision to leave the Hong Kong music industry. He held a farewell concert in Hong Kong in 1992 and subsequently retired from the Canto-pop music industry.

Death and Speculation

There was speculation in the late 1980s that Chan suffered from alcoholism as it was unfairly perceived in the press that his career lagged behind that of then Hong Kong Canto-pop superstars, Alan Tam and Leslie Cheung.

On May 18, 1992, Chan was found unconscious and was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong. He never regained consciousness from his coma and died 17 months later at age 35. Immediately after he fell unconscious through his death, there was much speculation over Chan's private life, and claims of drug use, suicide, homosexuality and alcoholism were made. It is said that he had an overdose of pills that led to his coma.

In 1999, Chan's song Ripples became popular once again as the theme song of the Hong Kong Government's sale of units of the Tracker Fund of Hong Kong (TraHK).

Music Awards

• 1977 - Third Prize, HK Pop Song Compose Competition
• 1978 - First Prize, Hong Kong Yamaha Organ Competition
• 1978 - Third Prize, HK Pop Song Compose Competition
• 1983 - Most Popular Singer Award, AGB Listener's Choice
• 1988 - Third Prize, Most Popular Male Singer Competition, Hong Kong Commercial Station
• 1989 - Third Prize, Most Popular Male Singer Competition, Hong Kong Commercial Station
• 1989 - Third Prize, Pop Music Most Popular Male Singer, Tokyo Music Festival
• 1991 - Top 10 Most Popular Singer in Guangzhou, China

Other Awards

• 1981 - Model Youth from Wong Tai Sin District, Hong Kong
• 1984 - Most Charming Singer from International Folk Song
• 1987 - Hong Kong Best Dressed Person, Hong Kong Commercial Station
• 1989 - Hong Kong Top 10 Friendly Person, Hong Kong Commercial Station

Discography (Albums)

Filmography (Cinematic Films)

TV Dramas