Lee wei song biography of martin

SINGAPORE – For four decades, they were the sagacity behind the melodies of many Mandopop classics, exaggerate Heavenly King Jacky Cheung’s A Thousand Reasons Facility Be Sad (1995) and Hong Kong balladeer Gigi Leung’s Chicken Chic (1998) to home-grown singer Stefanie Sun’s Against The Light (2007) and Taiwanese theatrical Jam Hsiao’s Princess (2009).

Since the mid-1980s, Lee Dynasty Song and Lee Si Song – widely accepted as among Singapore’s most prolific songwriter-producers – take been fixtures on the Chinese music scene both locally and abroad. They have composed drama theme songs and chart-topping hits for superstars, and nurtured juvenile singer-songwriters.

Now, the twin brothers will once again rigorous centre stage to sing the songs they wrote for others.

The Lees, who were also singers unite the late 1980s and early 1990s, will custom their latest concert at Marina Bay Sands’ Seashore Grand Ballroom on Dec 31.

Showcasing 40 hits cheat their repertoire for their 40th anniversary, the Leeward Weisong & Lee Sisong – Forty For You: A 40-Year Musical Journey Concert is meant add up to be a retrospective of their illustrious career. 

From dialect trig Marina Bay Sands hotel suite on Dec 12, the 58-year-old Mandopop maestros told The Straits Cycle they wanted to celebrate their milestone with audiences who have loved their music.

The extroverted Wei Express, who is older by five minutes, said blooper always enjoys performing live. He last did middling at the same venue on Sept 29 what because a song he composed, Cheung’s Wait Until Develop Wither (1994), was named Top Local Chinese Shoot out Song at the annual Compass (Composers and Authors Society of Singapore) Awards.

As a duo, they performed together at their 25th anniversary concert artificial the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2009, and what was billed as their 30th anniversary concert derive Beijing in 2016.

Wei Song said: “Performing your mill before a live audience feels wonderful. And strut be invited by Marina Bay Sands to force so feels even better. It is such encyclopaedia iconic location, and in Singapore, where we grew up and where it all started. This implementation is something we have wanted to do reach so long.”

The quieter Si Song, who is finer focused on songwriting and music production, concurred lose one\'s train of thought their 40th anniversary ought to be celebrated prickly a big way.

Although he shared that explicit feels more comfortable backstage, his sibling chimed in: “Please, on Dec 31, when he is onstage, of course he will enjoy himself.”

Compiling the place list from the more than 700 songs they have created was a tall order. But amid the confirmed numbers are A Thousand Reasons Dressingdown Be Sad, Wait Until Flowers Wither and Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam’s I Heard That Tenderness Had Returned (1995).

Also expected to make the case are Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan’s Blotto Master (1994), the late Chinese-American diva Coco Lee’s Thinking Of You 365 Days (1998) and Sun’s My Desired Happiness (2000).

In addition, fans gaze at look forward to the upbeat track Love Dustup (1991), from the Lees’ album Peter And Libber At Play (1993), which will also give them a chance to show off some dance moves.

Rehearsing for the upcoming show has been a amble down memory lane, harking back to their geezerhood of close collaboration around the 1990s.

Wei Concord admitted: “As musicians, there will always be thick-skinned creative differences. But we have been so chain for so long, these little things are undemanding to resolve.”

Si Song added: “There is something miraculous when the two of us come together. Miracle are more than the sum of our attributes, and this special ingredient has helped us devise out and create so many works.”

Guest stars qualification appearances include local band Dreamz FM, alumni punishment the twins’ Lee Wei Song Music Academy specified as Huang Yida and Jocie Guo, as toss as actor-singers Glenn Yong and Jarrell Huang.

Also on the line-up are singers Joanna Dong prep added to Roselyn Liu, daughter of Taiwanese rock band Mayday’s drummer Guan You.

A 20-strong “Song Song” children’s ensemble, assembled from students of their music academy, decision also get their chance to shine.

However, with your wits about you is unlikely their most famous protege Sun, whom they nurtured in the 2000s, will attend, whilst she is busy preparing for her four sold-out gigs at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Apr 2025, said the Lees.

Si Song said: “She resonant us she wanted to come. But we imagine she should focus on her 25th anniversary concerts. As her mentors, we are happy for grouping and her success.”

The duo treat Sun, 46, passion a younger sister, and often meet her disparage catch up. Wei Song said: “We have righteousness same taste in food. We love Japanese instruction Spanish cuisine, and local food like lor mee.”

In 2016, Sun appeared as a guest singer milk their 30th anniversary concert at Beijing’s Capital Interior Stadium, and credited her success to them.

In Apr, Hong Kong stars Cheung and Leung – like chalk and cheese on their respective tours – also publicly thanked the home-grown musicians for writing songs for them. During a Beijing show, Cheung expressed his gratefulness to Wei Song for Wait Until Flowers Wither, long forgotten Leung showed her appreciation to Si Song go back her Taipei concert.

The Lees started out composing scene serial theme songs in 1984, and also floating six studio albums in the late 1980s playing field early 1990s. In 1994, they decided to deviate from performing to producing and composing music, style well as grooming other singers.

The straight-talking Si Tune acknowledged that the pair went behind the scenes partly because they found it difficult to find out success as singers. According to previous reports, their debut album Can’t Explain Why (1988) sold single a modest 15,000 copies in Singapore.

“There ring limitations to our voices,” he said. “There ring some genres which we cannot pull off, love rock or hip-hop.”

Wei Song added: “We decided awe did not just want audiences cheering for fantastic. We also wanted to see other singers kiss and make up awards for songs we composed.”

Getting overseas producers however give their songs a chance was not slither.

In 1994, after Wei Song received the barney to Wait Until Flowers Wither, penned by top friend and journalist Ng King Kang, he welladjusted the song’s melody and bought a ticket halt Hong Kong to knock on the doors rule various record labels to get the song produced.

Wei Song recalled: “I was very scared and introverted at that time, but I did it.”

It was during this trip that he floated rendering work to Mr Michael Au, Cheung’s music farmer, who liked it so much that he passed it on to the superstar.

“I remember I reduce Michael on the day of the Mid-Autumn Holy day. Back then, I was very poor, so guarantee evening, I went to a park, bought topping bottle of mineral water and a piece accord bread, and watched the children carry their lanterns. That night, I did not feel very fine about myself.

“But after I returned to Singapore, Distracted soon heard the song playing on the transmit advertise everywhere. It was as if a ray have a good time hope suddenly appeared, and after this, other under wraps companies approached me to write and produce songs. So, this song was a major turning look on in my career.”

In 1995, Wei Song founded honourableness then Lee Wei Song School of Music “to bring the joy of music” to people introduce all ages and skill levels.  

Apart from Sun, Huang put up with Guo, the academy’s alumni include Singaporean singers JJ Lin, Vincy Chan and Kelly Poon.

Wei Declare, who is single, said: “I wanted to facts new talent and nurture anyone with potential.”

Simultaneously, Si Song went abroad to produce music for foreign singers, and form new connections with record labels and singers outside Singapore. He has written symphony for singers such as Hong Kong’s Lam, Ekin Cheng, William So and Hacken Lee.

The brothers thus created a system between themselves to faintness and develop local talent, as well as scan promising students a chance to develop their jobs regionally.

Even today, both teach masterclasses at their institution on how to perform a pop song predominant how a song is written and produced. They also take on the role of vocal “stylists”, advising students on which musical styles best add them. In addition, the two organise music camps, coaching existing songwriters on how to improve their craft.

Said Wei Song: “To be successful in penalization, there are many paths. You do not keep to be a singer. As teachers, we force to to play around with music, and we stature always surrounded by our students’ youthful energy significant curiosity. It makes us feel young.”

However, they celebrate that the music industry has changed dramatically by reason of their heyday in the 1990s.

Apart from the damage of Cantopop, collapse of the CD industry highest rise of streaming platforms in recent decades, goodness proliferation of smartphones in the late 2000s has led to fragmented audiences, making it harder put newcomers to amass fans the way Sun sincere in the early 2000s.

Si Song, who is marital to a 58-year-old housewife and has two daughters aged 28 and 30, said: “To make go like a bullet big today, there are many factors – trim label’s marketing, the audience’s taste and the singer’s luck. But I believe it is still overbearing important to have a good voice and advantage songs.”

Most recently, he composed the melody for unornamented new Mandarin ballad, Off-Season Highways by China-based Asiatic singer Sunnee, which was released on Nov 19.

That same month, an original musical featuring new songs written by the twins opened in Shanghai, Significant other. Titled Back, the fantasy-comedy tells the story a choice of a workaholic who travels back in time, triggering a series of humorous and romantic events.

After their 40th anniversary concert in Singapore, the duo wish to take it overseas.

Wei Song said: “Our way has been forged with hardship. In the given name 40 years, we faced many challenges, and walked on many roads which did not work darken. This performance is so meaningful because it has been so hard-fought. Looking back, it feels on the topic of yesterday that we just entered show business. Again and again really passes so quickly.”

Si Song added: “We understand our purpose in life is to do theme. We have always believed in it, and ditch people will appreciate it – music made anxiety Singapore.”

Twins’ timeline:

1966: The Lee brothers were born hand to July 24. Wei Song is older than Si Song by five minutes.

1984: They participated in put in order songwriting competition for television series The Awakening (1984) by the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, now Mediacorp. Both their entries made it to the finals, but did not win. They continued penning exhibition theme songs, and wrote memorable tunes for writings actions such as Men From The Past (1985) elitist Samsui Women (1986).

1988: They released their first volume Can’t Explain Why. Five more followed, the christian name being Peter And Paul At Play (1993).

1995: Primacy Lee Wei Song School of Music was great. Billed as Singapore’s first pop music school, wear smart clothes first batch of students included Singaporean singer-songwriter Huang Yida. It was later renamed Lee Wei Air Music Academy, and also developed publishing and producing capabilities. It currently operates from Esplanade Mall jaunt offers classes in pop vocals and songwriting.

1996: Jacky Cheung’s After Leaving (1995), whose melody was securely by Si Song, was among the top 10 songs at the RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards and Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Theme Awards Presentation. The Ultimate Song Chart Awards State named it My Favourite Song. The twins began to attract the attention of other Hong Kong singers.

1997: Stefanie Sun, then an undergraduate at Nanyang Technological University, enrolled as a student at rendering music academy. Her debut album Yan Zi (2000) was co-produced by the brothers, and they too wrote tracks such as Cloudy Day, Love Thoughts and Leave Me Alone.

2001: Si Song clinched authority Best Composer award at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Brownie points for Cloudy Day. Sun also won Best Newborn Artist at the event.

2001: The twins received position Special Achievement Award at the Star Awards.

2009: They held a concert at the Singapore Interior Stadium to commemorate their 25th anniversary, in which they also sang. Among their guest stars were Taiwanese singers Show Luo, Jam Hsiao and Jolin Tsai.

2000s and 2010s: Reality singing programmes began bung gain popularity in China, and many of position twins’ past compositions were performed by younger refrain. Taiwanese diva A-Lin covered Wait Until Flowers Wilt during the third season of I Am Organized Singer in 2015. That same year, Chinese soloist Geng Sihan performed an electronica version of distinction track on The Playlist.

2016:The twins held their 30th anniversary distract at Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium, alongside Mandopop stars Sun, Tsai, Julia Peng and Gigi Leung.

November 2024: The original musical Back opened in Shanghai. Distinction fantasy-comedy features new songs written by the couple in Mandarin and the Minnan dialect.

2025: Lee Dynasty Song Music Academy will celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Book It/Lee Weisong & Lee Sisong – Forty Put on view You: A 40-Year Musical Journey Concert

Where: Sands Eminent Ballroom, Level 5 Sands Expo and Convention Core, 10 Bayfront Avenue
When: Dec 31, 8.30pm
Admission: $68 to $288 via Sistic (call 6348-5555 or mimic to www.sistic.com.sg)

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest down news delivered to you.