[Obituary] Hong Kong Composer Joseph Koo Passed Away at 92

Renowned Hong Kong composer Joseph Koo (顧嘉煇), 92, passed away in Canada on January 3. Along with Michael Lai (黎小田) and Sam Hui (許冠傑), Joseph was viewed as the founders of early Cantonese pop music. He was skilled at music composition, arrangement, conducting, and had mentored many singers. He worked with frequent collaborator James Wong (黃霑) to write many classic songs and drama theme songs over the years.

Sudden Health Deterioration

Joseph’s son Koo Chi Wo (顧志和) shared that his father’s health had been fine, but he suddenly deteriorated in the past two weeks. “He didn’t sleep well and was bedbound the week before he entered the hospital. He was 92 years old after all, and many of his bodily functions were not what they used to be.” When Joseph’s health quickly worsened, his family quickly rushed to the hospital to see him for the last time. Joseph’s funeral will be held in Vancouver, with mainly family in attendance.

Despite Joseph’s prodigious works at the peak of his prime, he rarely composed songs in recent years. His son revealed, “In the past two to three years, he was drawing a lot. He listened to songs but didn’t compose. In the past year, he rarely left the house due to limited mobility. He had his routine at home–he would scroll through his phone, watch television, draw, and play with his grandchildren when they came to visit. It was a simple, happy, but orderly life. His biggest wish was that Hong Kong would get better and better, especially after seeing the recent turn of events.”

Produced Iconic Songs

Good friend Gigi Wong (黃淑儀) shared that she received the news of Joseph’s passing at 4 a.m. from the Chinese Canadian Artists Federation of Vancouver. The last time she saw Joseph was at the beginning of last year when she invited him and Sandra Lang (仙杜拉) to dinner. He was in good spirits and did not have any health issues then. Gigi was sad to learn of his passing, as there were many friends had wanted to visit him in Vancouver.

Meeting Joseph in the 1960s and collaborating on many songs together, Liza Wang (汪明荃) regarded Joseph as a mentor and friend. “We had both joined Enjoy Yourself Tonight <歡樂今宵>, and I would collaborate with Joseph and the band every night. When I started to film dramas, Joseph composed many theme songs for me to sing such as Love and Passion (水千山總是情), Yesterday’s Glitter <京華春夢>, and Over the Rainbow <天虹>. Every time he finished writing a song, he would hand it to my record label. All of his songs were perfect for me and guaranteed to be hits.”

Adam Cheng (鄭少秋) stated that Joseph’s passing was a big loss for the music industry. His musical works were very popular with the public, and he custom-tailored songs for each singer. “He would highlight your strengths, and this was the main reason why his songs were so popular. It was a rare gift that his songs were loved by so many different groups. I was very lucky to be able to sing The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber <倚天屠龍記>, Lu Xiaofeng <陸小鳳>, and Five Easy Pieces <輪流轉>. Joseph Gor, we really respect you and will always remember you.”

Frances Yip’s (葉麗儀) classic song The Bund <上海灘> was also composed by Joseph. Currently in Australia, Frances shared that Joseph was her mentor who brought her into the Hong Kong music industry. Saddened by his passing, Frances praised him for being very nice and not having a temper. Even if she did not sing well, he never criticized and would only say, “Why was it like this?”

To commemorate Joseph’s life and achievements, TVB released a special program last night. Hosted by Albert Au (區瑞強) and Heidi Chu (朱凱婷), the show invited many artistes to share stories about their collaborations with Joseph. Guests included: Andrew Tuason (杜自持), Tsui Yat Kan (徐日勤), Cheng Kwok Kong (鄭國江), Lee Lung Kei (李龍基). The show also featured telephone interviews with many singers including: Paula Tsui (徐小鳳), Frances Yip (葉麗儀), Teresa Cheung (張德蘭), Elisa Chan (陳潔靈), Annabelle Louie (雷安娜), Johnny Yip (葉振棠), and Sandra Lang.