Remembering Teresa Teng: the life and tragic death of the Queen of Asian Pop

Teresa Teng was referred to as the 'Queen of Asian Pop' by The New York Times. Her untimely death at the age of 42 was tragic because of the circumstances surrounding her death, which extinguished such a bright star who was beloved throughout Asia.

Teresa Teng was a Taiwanese singer who is remembered for her timeless music even today. She is regarded as an icon not only in the world of Chinese pop, but also for having performed hits in Japanese, English, Indonesian, and Italian.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

Teresa Teng, born Teng Li-yun on January 29, 1953, in Yunlin, Taiwan, began her career as a singer after being introduced to music by her parents.

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According to the Michigan Association of Asian Studies, both of her parents were huge fans of Chinese opera, and her father eventually looked for a singing instructor for her.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

In her early career, Teresa Teng sang for the Taiwanese military under the mentorship of her first teacher. Her involvement in the military music scene endured till later in her career according to Taiwan Insight, and she was once dubbed the ‘soldier’s sweetheart’.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

Teresa Teng moved from solely performing for the military to performing on TV when she turned 11 after appearing in a TV contest, reports the South China Morning Post. She was signed onto a record label after and produced hits after hits.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

Some of Teresa Teng’s biggest hits include ‘The Moon Represents My Heart’, ‘The Moment I See You, I Smile’, and ‘I Only Care About You’.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

According to Yahoo, Teresa Teng’s music was labeled as too “bourgeois” and “decadent” by the Chinese government in the early days and was banned. However, this did not stop people from procuring her music on the black market before the ban was lifted.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

Teresa Teng was also a massive hit in Japan. Nippon reports that she had released a series of Japanese cover songs in Mandarin, but also Japanese songs that became huge hits in the 80s, such as the songs ‘Tsugunai’, ‘Aijin’, and ‘Wakare no yokan’.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

Teresa Teng’s career in Japan was her last pit stop in her career before semi-retiring in 1985, reports Musicman. Britannica reports that since retiring, she was based in France, where she met her then-partner, non-celebrity Paul Quilery.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

The South China Morning Post reports that Teresa Teng died on May 8, 1995, at a hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Her death was reported to be sudden, caused by an asthma attack, and she passed away alone in her hotel room. There was no autopsy to determine the cause of death, and her death was mourned throughout Asia, according to Billboard.

Image: teresateng.official / Instagram

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