Name	Leehom Wang
Chinesename	王力宏
Pinyinchinesename	Wáng Lìhóng
Birthname	AlexanderDecca (1996–1997)BMG (1995–1996)
Yearsactive	1995–present
Influences	Stevie Wonder, Prince, Alicia Keys, Outkast, Missy Elliott, R. Kelly, The Neptunes2006
Goldenmelodyawards	Best Mandarin Male Singer1999 Revolution2006 Heroes of EarthBest Album Producer1999 Revolution2004 Unbelievable

Leehom Wang (born May 17, 1976) is a Taiwan-based, American-born singer-songwriter, record producer, actor and film director of Chinese descent. Formally trained at the Eastman School of Music, Williams College and Berklee College of Music, his musical style is known for fusing Chinese elements (such as Beijing opera, traditional styles of ethnic minorities, Chinese classical orchestra) with hip-hop and R&B.; Wang Leehom has been active since 1995 and contributed in 25 albums. He is also a four-time winner of Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards, the "Grammys" of Chinese music.

In addition to his music, Wang Leehom also acted in several films, including Ang Lee's Lust, Caution and Jackie Chan's film Little Big Soldier. He is an environmental activist, and his album Change Me was dedicated to raising eco-awareness among Chinese youth. Wang Leehom was one of the first torchbearers for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, and performed in the Olympics' closing ceremony in Beijing. He was listed as one of Goldsea's "The 100 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time". As he became a teenager, Wang Leehom began taking piano lessons, also self-teaching himself the guitar. Wang Leehom also worked several jobs to earn money to buy a second hand drum kit.

He attended Jefferson Road Elementary School, Pittsford Middle School, and Pittsford Sutherland High School in Pittsford, New York. Wang Leehom graduated from Pittsford Sutherland with a 1600 SAT score. Passionate for a career in music, he chose to attend Williams College double majoring in music and Asian studies.

In the summer of 1995, while Wang Leehom was visiting his grandparents in Taiwan, he was offered a professional recording contract by Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) after he participated in a talent competition hosted by the label. Wang Leehom released his second album If You Heard My Song in 1996, which included some of his own compositions. Wang Lee Hom co-wrote the album's eponymous title song, which earned positive responses from the audience. The album drew moderately successful sales, and Wang Leehom became a rising star in the idol market, also finding similar successes with his third and fourth albums. During this time, Wang Leehom was asked to leave his college studies to pursue a full time singing career, but he insisted on finishing school first.

Rise to prominence (1998–2000)

Wang Leehom's contract with Decca records was terminated after the release of his fourth album White Paper in the summer of 1997. After graduating with honors at Williams College, Wang Leehom released his first award-winning album Revolution under Sony Music Entertainment in August 1998. The album became Wang Leehom's breakthrough album, immediately selling over 10,000 domestic units in the first week of release. Critics rated the album highly, and it won Wang Leehom two Golden Melody Awards—Best Producer and Best Mandarin Male Singer. In 1999, Wang Leehom released his sixth album Impossible to Miss You, which combined the catchy pop melodies of Revolution with a quirky style of new-found dance pop. It became Wang Leehom's then best-selling album, selling over 1 million copies. Shangri-La was released on the last day of 2004, selling an outstanding 40,000 copies within the first ten days of release, an excellent start as the first album to be sold in Taiwan of 2005.

Change Me was released on Friday, July 13, despite the superstition generally attached to Friday the 13th. Wang Leehom believed that small changes by each person can change the world. "To change the world, you start with changing yourself." Netizens remarked that his chinked-out productions were more impressive, although that genre itself has also been criticized. The album broke past 2 million sales, becoming one of Wang Leehom's best-selling albums.

Another reason he was chosen is due to Wang Leehom's enthusiasm in the 2008 Olympic Games Theme Songs Competition. His single One World One Dream was chosen as a Olympic Games participation song. The single was written, sung, produced, and scored entirely by himself. Wang Leehom sang along with Jackie Chan, Stephanie Sun, and Han Hong in the song for "The One Man Olympics" which was about the first Chinese to be in the Olympics. Wang Leehom also sang in the 100 days countdown theme song Beijing Welcomes You. He also sang along side Stefanie Sun, Wang Feng，and Jane Zhang in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Torch Relay Theme Song, Light The Passion Share The Dream. He is also one of the candidates on vote for performer of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Theme Song. In the closing ceremony, he sang "Beijing Beijing, I Love Beijing" alongside Hong Kong singer Kelly Chen and Korean singer Rain.

Discography

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1999 | The Iron Giant | Dean McCoppin | Mandarin voice role |- | rowspan="2"|2000 | China Strike Force | Alex Cheung | |- | | Dave | |- | 2001 | The Avenging Fist | Nova | |- | 2003 | Moon Child | Son | |- | 2005 | Starlit High Noon | Lian Song | |- | 2007 | ''Lust, Caution | Kuang Yumin | |- | rowspan="2"|2010 | Little Big Soldier | Little General | |- | Love In Disguise | Du Minghan | also director | |- | 2011 | ''Jian Dang Wei Ye | Luo Jialun |}

Awards

Bibliography

December 18, 2001: The One and Only - The Official Piano and Vocal Score (唯一樂譜書) (Piano and Vocal Score)

March 20, 2003: Accidental Biography (純屬意外) (Biography; Piano and Vocal Score)

October 15, 2003: Portrait of a Love Song (Photobook; Prose and Biography) [Japan Release]

November 15, 2005: Shangri-La - The Official Piano and Vocal Score (心中的日月樂譜書) (Piano and Vocal Score)

June 9, 2006: "Heroes Of TOKYO" (Photobook) [Japan Release]

July 21, 2010: "Love In Disguise: photo collection" (Photobook)

July 21, 2010: "Wang Leehom, the practice of first-time director"

References

Further reading

External links

Leehom Wang official website

Sony Music: Taiwan Japan

Category:1976 births Category:American people of Chinese descent Category:American people of Taiwanese descent Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:English-language singers Category:Japanese-language singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York Category:People from Rochester, New York Category:Taiwanese actors Category:American musicians of Chinese descent Category:American musicians of Taiwanese descent Category:Taiwanese Mandopop singer-songwriters Category:Taiwanese male singers Category:Williams College alumni

:Family name is Hua; Alex's father's name is "Hua Shan".

Alex Hua Tian (; born October 25, 1989 in London, England, United Kingdom) is an Olympic equestrian sportsman for China.

He was born in London to a Chinese father and a British mother, and has a brother, called Jamie Hua Ming. Alex started riding aged four while living in Beijing and later Hong Kong. His family moved to Wiltshire when he was 11 where Alex went to Chafyn Grove School followed by Eton College.

He is the only Chinese event rider competing internationally. Alex took a year out of his studies at Eton to prepare for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He qualified four horses between October 2007 and May 2008. Although as a host nation competitor he only needed to achieve a minimum standard, he qualified in his own right through the rankings as the youngest ever Olympic event rider. In mid-2008 he achieved a ranking of 21st in the world.

He was coached by the former world champion Clayton Fredericks and his wife Lucinda Fredericks, who won the Burghley Horse Trials 2006 and Badminton Horse Trials 2007, at their base in Wiltshire, and by Jane Gregory, British Olympic Dressage Team 1996 and 2008.

Having returned to Eton to complete his studies, Alex won a place at Bristol University to study Aerotechnology Engineering, which he postponed for three years to concentrate on working toward competing in London 2012. At Blenheim International Horse Trials 2009 Alex won the Best under-25 Prize and qualified for the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, September 2010. In November 2009, Alex won the inaugural HSBC Rising Star Award, presented to him in Copenhagen by Princess Haya, President of the International Equestrian Federation at the 'Oscars of Equestrian Sport'.

See also

Website: http://www.alexhuatian.co.uk

Blog: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/alexhuatian

Interview with China's Central Television (in English): http://sports.cntv.cn/20100318/104424.shtml

China at the 2008 Summer Olympics

References

Eton schoolboy holds Chinese Olympic dream Sunday Telegraph, 10 September 2007

Alex Hua Tian saddled with hopes of the host nation at Olympic Games Matthew Pinsent, The Times, August 2, 2008

Olympics Equestrian Hopes dashed, Hua Tian plots for London Reuters, Aug 12 2008

THE TALENTED YOUNG ALEX HUA TIAN & CHICO AT EXPRESS EVENTING Horse Hero interview, November 30, 2008

China's medal hopes rest on youngster Universal Sports (Reuters), 30 July 2008

China's Olympic equestrian team to be led by Eton schoolboy. Reuters TV report, 30 July 2008

Alex Hua Tian from China rides Chico USA Today, Aug 9th 2008

Beijing 2008 Olympic Profile

External links

Alex Hua Tian saddles up for date with destiny China Daily, March 3, 2008

Alex Hua Tian - Team Fredericks

Alex Hua Tian CCTV5 short documentary

Eton schoolboy gallops toward Beijing Games China Daily, Aug 22 2007

Team China 2008 Press Photos Photo Collection

China's Olympic riding hope is Eton schoolboy The Observer, May 4, 2008

A Horse of a Different Colour Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2008

Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Chinese equestrians Category:Event riders Category:Old Etonians Category:Equestrians at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic equestrians of China Category:English people of Chinese descent Category:Manchu people

Name	Gackt
Background	solo_singer
Alias	ガクト, Gackt C., Gackt Camui,
Born	July 04, 1973 Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
Instrument	Various
Genre	J-pop, rock, crossover
Voice type	Baritone
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, actor
Years active	1995–present
Label	1999-2010 Nippon Crown/Dears 2010- Avex Group
Associated acts	Cains:Feel, Malice Mizer, S.K.I.N.
Url
Notable instruments	Piano

}} is a Japanese musician, actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct band Malice Mizer.

He has released fourteen albums and thirty-eight singles as a solo musician, which have sold over 10 million copies in Japan. His single "Returner ~Yami no Shūen~", released on June 20, 2007, was his first and only single to reach the number one spot on the Oricon charts. He became the first Japanese artist to release his music catalog on iTunes in October 2007.

Career

Malice Mizer

In 1995, Gackt joined Malice Mizer as the group's vocalist, lyricist and pianist. The band released several singles along with two albums with him as the vocalist, entitled Voyage ~Sans Retour~ and Merveilles. At the immediate start of 1999, he left Malice Mizer. Five months after his departure, Kami (then drummer of Malice Mizer and close friend of Gackt's) died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

1999–2003: Solo debut

Gackt launched his solo career on May 12, 1999 with the release of the EP Mizerable. Mizerable performed well on the Oricon charts, reaching second on the weekly charts. On April 26, 2000, Gackt released his debut album, Mars; the album reached number three on the Oricon weekly chart. He released three albums, Rebirth, Moon, and Crescent each year after his debut album. Gackt's music was featured as theme songs for the anime, New Fist of the North Star

On December 19, 2007, Gackt released an album titled 0079–0088. It contains eight tracks, which had either previously been used on the soundtracks of the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam movies or were covers of earlier songs from the Gundam franchise. Due to Miura's affection for Nico Nico Douga, he agreed to offer his services as character designer for free. As a fan of Berserk, Gackt was more than satisfied with this arrangement, and requested Miura's sketches be faxed to him as well as the developers, even though he was on location for the filming of Guy Moshe's Bunraku. Miura's design for Gakupo has a samurai aesthetic—the Vocaloid is clad in a hakama and haori, and carries a katana that somehow acts as a musical instrument.

Kamen Rider Decade

As part of both the Kamen Rider Series' Heisei period run and Gackt's solo career having their 10th anniversaries, Gackt was brought onto the 2009 edition of the Kamen Rider Series Kamen Rider Decade to perform many of its theme songs, released via Avex Trax and Avex Entertainment. This began with the series' opening theme "Journey Through the Decade", and also included the series' two films' theme songs: "The Next Decade"

Music style

Influence

Gackt's musical education began at age three, when his parents initiated his classical piano education. He has credited the classical pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin with being "the one who taught me the beauty, depth, fun, sadness, kindness of music; that music could grant people courage, and the meaning of the layers of sound. It isn't an exaggeration to say Chopin is the foundation of my music." Gackt mentioned in a magazine that the heavy metal band Metallica influenced his style in the single "Jesus" with their song "One".

Discography

Studio albums

2000: Mars

2001: Rebirth

2002: Moon

2003: Crescent

2005: Love Letter

2005: Diabolos

2009:

Compilation albums

2004:

2004:

2007: 0079–0088

2010: Are You "Fried Chickenz"??

2010:

Concerts

Arena concerts

2000: Mars Sora Kara no Homonsha ()

2001: Requiem et Reminiscence

2002: Kagen no Tsuki () 2003: Jogen no Tsuki ()

2004: The Sixth Day & Seventh Night

2005-2006: ''Diabolos ~Aien no Shi to Seiya no Namida~ (DIABOLOS 〜哀婉の詩と聖夜の涙〜)

2008-2009: Requiem et Reminiscence ~Saisei to Kaikou~()

Club Concerts

1999: Easter Live

1999: Shockwave Illusion Live

2000: Starlight Gig

2006-2007: Training Days D.r.u.g. Party

2010: Yellow Fried Chickenz

Supporting band

Gackt's live support band. Its current lineup is as follows:

Yukihiro "Chachamaru" Fujimura – backing vocals, lead guitar

You Kurosaki – violin, guitar

Hiroshi "Chirolyn" Watanabe - bass

Jun-ji - drums

Igao – keyboard

;Support members/When needed Ju-ken – bass Nell - bass Minami - drums

Jinsei Rikori - Tour instruments specialist and drums

; Former members

Masa – rhythm guitar

Ren – bass

Toshi - drums

Ryu - drums

Filmography

In 2007, Gackt has provided the voice for Malthazar in the Japanese release of the film Arthur and the Minimoys. In addition to performing on the series' soundtrack, Gackt also appeared in the film as Decades iteration of Jōji Yūki; he also portrays this character in his music video for "The Next Decade".

In 2010, Gackt continued the collaboration with the Gundam Series as being announced as a voice actor for a pilot named "ex-" in an arcade-fighting game , and the newest in the series of Gundam VS video game series.

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Film, Drama, Anime, Video Game ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1997 | Verte Aile | Gackt | Malice Mizer's short film |- | 2001 | Fly to Madagascar | Self | Documentary |- | 2002 | Hero's Hero | Self | |- | rowspan="2"|2003 | Namahousou wa Tomaranai | Self | |- | Moon Child | Sho | His film he wrote, (co)directed and starred |- | 2006 | | Genesis Rhapsodos | Video game |- | rowspan="2"|2007 | Fūrin Kazan | Uesugi Kenshin | TV Navi Award Best Supporting Actor (Drama category) |- | Arthur and the Minimoys | Maltazard | Voice-over in Japanese version |- | rowspan="2"|2009 | Mr. Brain | Takegami Teijirou | TV series (episode 2) |- | | Jōji Yūki | Film |- | rowspan="5"| 2010 | Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard | Maltazard | Voice-over in Japanese version |- | Tono to Issho | Uesugi Kenshin | Animation |- | Shiki | Seishirō Kirishiki | TV anime series |- | Bunraku | Yoshi | |- | | |Upcoming video game |}

References

External links

Official website (Japanese, English, Korean, Chinese)

Official community site

Gackt at Nippon Crown

Category:1973 births * Category:Japanese male singers Category:Japanese multi-instrumentalists Category:Japanese rock singers Category:Japanese singer-songwriters Category:Malice Mizer members Category:People from Okinawa Prefecture Category:Living people