The Biographer

A young girl at the tender age of 6 had a dream. She practiced singing and dancing in front of an improvised audience. She displayed pictures and posters of celebrities in a room and pretended to perform for them. She believed in this dream and it took her on a bountiful path. Twelve years later in 1979, she released her first Mandarin album in Taiwan and in 1984, her first Cantonese album in Hong Kong. A multi-talented artist, in 1980 she starred in her first movie, “One Match Stick”. Thereafter, nothing could stop the advent of Sally Yeh into the entertainment industry.

Born in Taipei on September 30th, 1961 Sally spent her early years and received her formal education in Victoria, Canada and as a result of which, English became her common language. Barely knowing much Cantonese and reading little Chinese, her foremost Cantonese song “Ten Minutes Passed Midnight” which was composed by her now husband, George Lam, became an instant hit.

A quarter of a century later, Sally has passed the test of time successfully. She kick-off a 25th anniversary concert tour last year with sold-out shows in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Beijing, Australia, Canada and U.S.A. This year she was invited to perform with the prestigious Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and demonstrated that she is still the queen of Canto-pop. With nearly 100 solo performances world wide under her belt, she is deemed to be a darling of Asian music scene who never fails to mesmerize.

True to her words, Sally will not settle for anything less than perfection. This is why each of her 30 albums reflects the determination, integrity and potency of Sally as an artist. Her inimitable style and authentic vocal won her countless awards and she is Hong Kong’s best female singer for four consecutive years at the Jade Solid Gold Award Presentation ceremony. She won two major “Song of the Year” awards in 1988 and 1990. After returning from a 5-year hiatus in 2002, radio stations such as RTHK and Metro Showbiz unanimously honored her come back hit “Bygone Hurt”. Outside of Hong Kong, Sally has established a household name whereby she rightfully garnered the best female singer award from Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia in the 1990s. She was also a prime Asian artist to have sung with James Ingram and Tommy Page.

When it comes to acting, Sally is a serious and dedicated worker. An iron lady, she took up wu shu training and kickboxing and suffered from back injuries as a result of falling off a horse in a scene. Despite the pains, she went into the studio to record the theme song of the movie for two hours. Her efforts were recognized when she was nominated for “Best Actress” at the 6th Hong Kong Film Awards for her role in “Beijing Opera Blues”. To the disappointment of many fans, after starring in 25 movies she has decided to take a break until the right script comes along as she wants to concentrate more on music. Her last movie was “Sisters of the World Unite” in 1991.

The zealous and energetic Sally is heavily involved in badminton now and is actively promoting the healthy sport. At 44, this beautifully groomed lady and wife is setting an example for the younger generation. Sally Yeh has always done things her way but her sincerity will leave an everlasting impact on every fan.