Happy birthday, Leslie Cheung: the Canto-pop prince's five most remarkable dancing scenes
The 2003 suicide of the megastar of music and movies known as ‘Gor Gor’ shocked Hong Kong, yet this legendary entertainer left a legacy of unforgettable performances. We recall five of his greatest ever dancing scenes
Every year on April 1 and September 12 fans seize the opportunity to commemorate legendary Hong Kong superstar, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, known affectionately as “Gor Gor” in local showbiz, as the two dates mark the anniversaries of his death and birth.
Today, on what would have been Gor Gor’s 62nd birthday, STYLE salutes this prince of Canto-pop by picking his five most remarkable dancing moments from the 1980s to the 2000s, as we recall his irreplaceable charms which will never fade.
1. 1982: The androgynous dancer
In 1982, Cheung released his breakthrough album, “Wind Blows On” (風繼續吹) beginning his rise to fame.
Five iconic looks of Canto-pop superstar Leslie Cheung
2. 1986: Duo on fire
It’s well-known that Cheung had a very intimate friendship with Anita Mui Yim-fong, who died of cervical cancer in 2003, the same year as Cheung’s death.
The Canto-pop king and queen of the 1980s performed together in another charity show for Po Leung Kuk in 1986, singing and dancing the song Iceberg Fire (冰山大火), which was included on one of Mui’s best-selling albums, “Bad Girl” (壞女孩) in 1985.
The song was an adaptation of the Japanese singer, Momoe Yamaguchi’s song, Rock'n'roll Widow.
3. 1987: The sleepless dandy
Cheung’s singing career reached its apex in the late 1980s. In 1987, he released the album “Summer Romance” which eventually went seven-times platinum – with 350,000 albums sold – becoming the year’s best-selling record.