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Find out what sets the man apart from the typical pop idol

EMIL CHAU IS PROUD OF HAVING ACHIEVED MANY THINGS, AMONG THEM:

Tickets for his 2 concerts here in 1995 sold out in 2 days flat; when a third was added, tickets were snapped up within a day (this scenario could well repeat itself this year-the first 2shows sold out long ago). That same year his album, Love Follows Us, sold 100,000 copies, making it Singapore's best selling Chinese pop album.

In 1995, too, he received the American Billboard Asian Artistic Execellence Award.

Friends, has sold a whopping 2 million copies across Asia.

He can still dine in relative peace despite 1, 2 and 3.

"We'll eat in the same room as everyone else, thank you." We're at a busy seafood restaurant in East Coast on a Sunday night, and Emil is digging into his black pepper crab with relish. The other diners recognise him, of course. Some take occasional sidelong glances (the ones who try to ogle and look cool at the same time); others stare blatantly, fascinated by the man's obvious appreciation of his crustaceans; and a few summon enough courage to approach him for an autograph, to whom he smiles apologetically and asks: "Can i get back to you when I'm done eating?" But apart from these minor distractions, dinner with Emil Chau is fairly mundane affair.

Later, over cut watermelon, he confides very matter-of-factly: "I don't think other (popular) singers would be able to eat like this, you know, without getting mobbed or having to reserve a VIP room." As you ponder over this statement, he finishes the thought for you, "But I don't sell any less albums than they do."

He did it his way. If you're a wannabe making your first cautious steps into the treacherous world of Chinese pop, you can consider severals ways of making it big: There's the keep-'emguessing tack-cultivate an aura of enigmatic charm people will hopefully find irresistible (as in, "I wish I could figure out Faye Wong, but I'm glad, I can't"). Or the approach favoured by many newcomers - "this is the real me, take it or leave it" tack that belies the artfully subtle image packaging by recording companies. (The epitome being Nicholas Tse, of course.)

And then there's the down to earth Emil Chau way. No sense of mystery, no in-your-face attitude. In the style-over-substance realm of Chinese popular culture where stars are manufactured rather than discovered, Emil Chau's success is an industry idiosyncrasy. So he doesn't have a face that turns your knees to jelly and he can't dance to save his life. But what he does have is an endearingly self-deprecating sense of humour, an infectious energy level and stage charisma bar none.

A livewire on stage. Emil the consummate performer is irrepressible, someone whose spontaneous banter with his audience leaves them marvelling at his easy self-assurance and enviable ability to ad lib. His tendency to forget lyrics has become a running joke. But how many stars not only charm the audience into forgiving his forgetfulness, but to actually looking forwards to it at his concerts? Asked once by a DJ how he would salvage the situation should he suffer a memory lapse at the worst possible moment - right smack in the throes of a heart-wrenching ballad - he quipped, " I guess I'd have to break down and cry."

In his own subtle way, he convinces us that his concert is a must-see. During an unplugged concert organised by FM93.3 in 1997, Emil explained to a group of ardent fans: "Some songs must be heard 'live', where you can see the singer get into character." He then proceeded to prove his point with a heartfelt rendition of "Finally" complete with contorted expressions of pain. Two teenagers in the front row looked like they were about to cry; a middle-aged fan closed his eyes in reverent concentration....such is the magnetism of Emil Chau.

Up close and riveting. Though much has been said about his nondescript looks, it wouldn't be hard to pick out Emil Chau in a crowded room. If the unmistakable guffaw doesn't lead you to the man, then the prominent jaw which widens to reveal a toothy grin will. A face that's benign without being banal, it goes through a myriad of expressions as he records an interview for an airline. Playful, contemplative, enthusiastic....You see the interviewer's sedate facade dissipate when Emil pleads in mock seriousness: "Can you make me sound younger, or at least like Mel Gibson?" He turns a simple message about CD giveaways into an impromptu comedt stint, and you realise what they mean when they say there's no such things as boring annoucements....only boring people.

Four hours and coiffeur doth make a star. Everywhere Emil Chau goes, a quiet, strapping young man with eyes perpetually shielded by Ray-Bans follows. You'd be forgiven for thinking he's the bodyguard, but you find out later the young man wields with expertise not a concealed weapon, but a can of mousse. Somehow, it takes you a while to reconcile the fact that the guy-next-door has a personal hairstylist, but you think, he is a star, after all (who, apparently, has "difficult hair").

If celebrity's star power can be measured by how many hours his fans queue in line to get that precious scrawl of a signature, Emil Chau probably wouldn't fare too badly. Observing an autograph-signing session at HMV, you can't decide who you feel sorrier for - Emil, who's sweating profusely and diplomatically rejecting requests to sign more than one CD sleeve per person, or the fans who queued four hours to push their luck.

The happpiness of instant noodles. Once, Emil has been going to bed at 5am and waking up at noon to prepare for his concert tour. When you ask him what his idea of normal life is, he replies: "You know how parents are required to initial in a record book to show you know how your kid is progressing in school? I'm very proud to say that half the signatures in his book are mine," he smiles. "That, to me, is a sign of a normal life. In this line, it's not something you can take for granted." And does the boy get requests from classmates for Daddy's autographs? "No, such an unfilial son - he doesn't help his father do any publicity!" Emil has a song in his album, Friends, called 'The happiness of instant noodles', which he sums up his relationship with his wife, Constance, whom he married when he was still a struggling pub singer. "I may be able to buy her expensive necklace now, but we still hang out with the same circle of friends, go out to eat in the same places - nothing posh - so no occasion for expensive jewellery." What then, would be an ideal gift for Mrs Chau? "Flowers!" comes the unhesitating answer. "No matter where I am, I'll call up the florist and send her a bouquet - works every time," he says with a self-satisfied smile.

The wedding banquet (that almost didn't happen). For someone who is totally devoted to his marriage, Emil Chau betrays no sign of regret when he tells you that to this date, 10 years after tying the knot in Taiwan, they haven't taken their wedding photo. "We were too poor to afford it then," he shrugs. "But our friends did take one of us in a German restaurant, where we had dinner that night, he furrows his brow, trying to remember. "But it doesn't matter anyway, love is more important." Aww....

"In fact, the night before we registered our marriage, I was singing in the pub and realised midway I only had $10 in my pocket. I couldn't even afford something decent to wear for the big day." Luckily, his boss bailed him out by lending him $100 to buy a formal pair of pants.

And if not for the fact that his wife is American, and "in America, the bride's family pays for the banquet", they wouldn't have had one. ("But I did pay for my air ticket, although they bought me the suit.") So three months later in the United States, it was in a church, in front of all her realtives, where he received his bride. "It was almost like a warning - son, you better watch it now that it's official!" he recalls, laughing at the memory.

Although Emil still talks about his family constantly, he is more cautious about taking them out with him to functions, following the Bai Xiaoyan kidnap and murder case in Taiwan. Would he consider emigrating to another country then? "No, Taiwan is where I realised my dream of becoming a musician," the Hongkong-born, expresses earnestly. "Even my wife says she can't imagine living in the US anymore. And I want my kids to be bilingual, I want them to be able to appreciate Shakespeare and read the Dream of the Red Chambers as well."

Later, in a moment of quiet reflection, he shares his philosophy of life with you. "I was once told this, and it makes perfect sense to me - "Men are not destined to succeed or fail; it is their personalities the determine that."You can't control fate, but you can shape your personality."

And these aren't empty words, either. Emil owes much of his sucess to his never say die personality and his amazing ability to connect with people. Here, after all, is someone who rose from a lowly production assistant to bona fide superstar. A grey Mercedes Benz sits in Emil's garage, bearing testimony to the camaraderie he shares with the band members who tour with him. Reveals a close friend and co-worker. "We bought it for him as a house-warming gift 'cos we knew he'd been admiring one for a long time. He prefers to zip around in his jeep, but we felt it was an appropriate gesture of our affection for him."

The concert If Emil Chau's recent Taipei concert was anything to go by, then Singaporeans should have a ball of time at the first leg of his world tour kicking off this week. Yes, he did forget his lyrics, but only once. And no, he did not engage in as much repartee as usual, deeming it "more professional" to sing, not talk. Which is perhaps, the show's main flaw - no one can work a crowd like Emil Chau. An intimate superstar, if there ever was one, Emil turns his concerts into two-and-a-half hour karaoke sessions where even the most inhibited fans find themselves singing along and cheering him on, waving their arms and shouting his name. The highlight of the evening came when he did a medley of old and new tunes from the '70s to the '90s. Behind him was a projection of images tracing the significant moments in Taiwan's history - "that's what pop music is all about; certain songs mark the milestones in your life, and when you listen to them years later, the memories of those events flood back." He must have touched a chord because he actually had some people in tears. On his world tour, the Taiwan backdrop will be replaced by images of global events instead. Whether it's nostalgic indulgence or inhibition-shedding sing-a-long you're looking for, it's unlikely you'll go home untouched bu the magic that is Emil Chau.

Article taken from Singapore's Weekly TV & Entertainment Magazine
with some minor changes by WebMaster - 13 Sept - 20 Sept, 1997.

English Name	Emil Chau
Date Of Birth	December 22, 1960
Place of Birth	Hong Kong
Blood Type	B
Zodiac Sign	Sagitaurus
Height	5'10" / 174 cm
Weight	163 lb / 74 kg
Marital Status	Happily Married
Interests	Too many
Favourite Colour	All
Favourite Clothes	Jeans
Favourite Food	Chicken, salad, fruits
Favourite Sports	Swimming and jogging
Favourite Actor	Dustin Hoffman, Chow Yun Fat and Sylvia Zhang
Favourite Place	China
Record Company	Rock Records & Tapes and Stars' Ferry

E-MILLION DOLLAR SMILE

Find out what sets the man apart from the typical pop idol

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