The 5 biggest hits of Leon Lai-ming, Canto-pop ‘heavenly king’ who’s back on stage

The Leon Lai-ming story is enough to give any wannabe entertainer hope.

Having left secondary school in Hong Kong in the mid-1980s, Lai was apparently just like so many other young men when they emerge to face the world – at odds with himself and not quite knowing which way to turn his life.

He started work as a lowly mobile-phone salesman as a means to earn his keep, but friends and family kept insisting he make more of his talent for singing and flair for the theatrical, and he was eventually convinced to try out for the 5th New Talent Singing Awards in 1986.

Lai was named second runner-up and landed himself a recording contract, but it took four years of vocal and performance coaching before Leon Lai-ming, the artist, was ready to face the world and release his first album (1990’s Leon).

The rest, as they say, is history. With time Lai – always a somewhat reluctant and publicity-shy star – found himself lauded as one of Canto-pop’s Four Heavenly Kings (alongside Andy Lau Tak-wah, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and Jacky Cheung Hok-yau). Chinese cinema, of course, came calling as well, and Lai has had an impressive and often-acclaimed career as a leading man, being known for an impassive style that seems to allow his emotions to slowly come to the boil.

Lai, who turns 50 in December, returns to the big stage in Hong Kong this month, with eight shows at the Central Harbourfront Event Space from April 28 to mark his 30 years in show business.