Bai Hong
| Bai Hong | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Chinese name | 白虹 |
| Pinyin | bai2 hong2 (Mandarin) |
| Jyutping | baak6 hung4 (Cantonese) |
| Birth name | Bai Li Zhu (白丽珠) |
| Origin | China |
| Born |
1919 Beijing, China |
| Died | 28 May 1992 (age 73) |
| Occupation | Actress, Singer |
| Genre(s) | Shidaiqu, Mandopop |
| Instrument(s) | Singing |
Bai Hong (1919 - 1992) was a Chinese actress and singer born Bai Li Zhu (白丽珠) in Beijing. By the 1940s, she became one of the Seven great singing stars.[1]
Biography
At age 12, Bai was admitted to the Bright Moonlight Song and Dance Troupe, where she entered the Shanghai entertainment industry. She used the stage name (白虹), which translated to "White Rainbow". She is also categorized as one of the "Beiping Three Whites" (北平三白) with Bai Guang (白光) and Bai Yang (白杨).[1]
Career
Her music career began at the young age of 13. She acted in her first film (人間仙子) at 15. In the 1930s, she was a popstar icon singing songs like (郎是春日风). By 1934 a singing competition was sponsored in Shanghai, where she won by more than 200 votes taking the crown. She was known for having a mastery of the language and a clarity in expressing lyrics, which helped her gain many fans.[1] In 1936 she toured Southeast Asia with the Bright Moonlight Song and Dance Troupe. A year later, she then joined the Green Bird Theatre Troupe (青鳥劇團).
In the 1930s, she was recognized as one of the three great mandopop singers with Zhou Xuan and Gong Qiuxia.[1]
Her career peaked in the 1940s, when her music style changed more to uptempo jazz. Some of the songs that propelled her to stardom included "Drunkard's Lipstick" (恼人的秋雨), "Love and Gold" (爱情与黄金), and "Flowers Don't Bloom Without Rain" (雨不洒花花不红). She was also famous for her tango style song, "He's Like the Spring Wind" (郎如春日风).[1]
She was married to the composer Li Jin Guang(黎锦光), and they later separated in a divorce in 1950. She stayed in China after 1949 and continued making Communist films. She also performed theatre in Beijing. During the Cultural Revolution, her past association with the old Shanghai days caught up to her, and she was subjected to persecution and abuse. She officially retired in 1979.
In 1992, she died at the age of 73.[1]
Filmography
- (潇湘夜雨) (1940)
- (孤岛春秋) (1941)
- Fig (无花果) (1941)
- (玉碎珠圆) (1941)
- (红楼残梦) (1948)