Contributed by Reynard Cheok
"You need guts to show your talent" Victor Wong, The Singapore Women's Weekly March 1999
For more than 25 years Tracy Huang has dominated the music charts. And her hot new album is another hotseller. So how does she beat the string of pop stars half her age over and over again? Says Tracy, "I didn't know how to express my feelings when I was younger. But I have learned to express myself and my personalities over the years."
In the Chinese music industry, most singers' careers can be measured in months. But Tracy Huang has defied the odds this year she celebrates her 25th successful year as a recording artiste with the release of her 50th album, Crazy for Love.
While other singers get locked in a particular style of music early on, Tracy has kept growing and surprising her audiences. It's no wonder then that Crazy for Love features many upbeat dance tracks, including one penned by a popular Japanese rock guitarist. Tracy's new record company also spent $159,000 creating a slick music video where everyone wears hip black. It's a smart move by a clever woman, clearly designed to make her appealing to younger fans.
Although Tracy was first discovered in Taiwan, it wasn't until she moved to Singapore that she made it big. Her Chinese albums not only became bestsellers, she was also the first Chinese artiste to record successfully in English.
Married "for a very long time" to a Singaporean businessman, Tracy divides her time between Taiwan and Singapore, which she warmly considers her second home. The couple has an adopted child. Though she refuses to reveal her true age ("Age is only important when it comes to wine," she quips), and shuns any discussion about her family, she nevertheless sat down to talk with The Singapore women's Weekly, and unveils a private side of herself that few people have seen.
After having cut 50 albums, how do you keep challenging yourself musically?
To me, creativity comes from taking on new challenges. I'm still curious and ambitious, and there are many things that inspire me. You have to be honest with yourself. Every album represents how I felt at the time. Many people have diaries or journals to record their life, some use photographs or paintings, I use my music.
Do you still remember the day you recorded your first album?
Very clearly! A Taiwanese movie director named Liu Chia-chang wanted a new singer to sing in Mandarin for two of his movies. At that time singing in English was more popular, but I thought Liu was pretty influential and saw it as a good opportunity. I wasn't thinking about being famous, I simply thought the album would make a good souvenir. It took me one day to record the whole album. There was no editing, and I had to sing right through without stopping. Liu was very strict, so I was very nervous. When I sang Moon River, I knew I had mispronounced a word. Liu either didn't hear it or just let it go, and I was too nervous to tell him. To this day, every time I hear that song I'm a little embarrassed about it. I was really lucky to get that job though Liu had auditioned 16 singers before me, but for some reason, none of them had what he was looking for.
What is the most important lesson you've learnt in your life?
In think the most important thing is to never isolate yourself from society. Many women limit their social circle after they are married and forget who they are. I didn't know how to express my feelings when I was younger. I grew up in the countryside and never spoke much. But over 25 years, I've learnt to express myself and my personality through music.
How do you keep your private and public life separate?
You might not believe it, but I've never had to go in front of reporters to make a big announcement or face a scandal. I respect people and they respect me, so I've never had a big problem with the media. This is important because my dad and mother-in-law are very traditional, especially when it comes to family privacy.
So what is the private side of Tracy Huang?
People who know me would say I'm boring! I don't like crowds, I don't go to pubs because I don't drink. The place you're most likely to find me is at record stores. I always spend as much time there as I can searching for good music. Except for that, I'm pretty quiet.
Popularity has its price. What has been difficult for you?
It's not easy when you go out and people recognise you. It makes me, my husband and my family uncomfortable. But I'm not a very active person, so I don't really have to deal with that very much.
Can you share with us your happiest memory?
I'm not sure what my happiest memory is, but I can tell you what the happiest moment in my childhood was the day Auntie Cjan, my mum's friend gave me a pair of red shows. I was three years old, and I loved those shoes to death! Before I had them, I used t run with bare feet in the fields.
You have many fans what is the nicest thing any one of them has done for you?
There was one fan, a doctor named Teng. We never met, but for years he constantly sent me letters. He specialised in reattaching limbs, and he told me my music was what helped him through those long, delicate procedures. He once sent me a surgical stitching needle I was really touched by that. After two years we lost touch, but I still keep his letters in my home in Singapore.
You seem to look better every year. What's your secret?
I think I look younger now, because when I started singing, I would try to make myself look older. People used to wear a lot of make-up then. When I look at my old pictures, it looks like I was living in the Qing dynasty! The secret really, is to look older when you're young, so that when you get old, people don't really notice!
If you couldn't be a singer, what would you have done?
I would have enjoyed being a photographer. I have a friend who's won a lot of awards and her photos are very simple but stunning. I remember we went to Paris, and she took some pictures of me. They are the most beautiful ones of me I had ever seen. That's what I love about photography you can fool people, but you can never fool the camera.
How long will you keep singing?
I always imagine my next album will be my last. That way, when I'm recording, I tell myself, "You had better do a good job- this may be your last chance!"
What advice would you give to budding singers or to anyone with a dream they want to come true?
Trust your talent and enjoy what you do. You shouldn't think about fame, that's the wrong approach. If you believe you have talent, keep trying. Many local singers aren't aggressive enough. They don't possess the initiative to just go out and do something for themselves. They just wait until someone comes along to make them famous. You need to have guts to make your dreams come true go out and show them your talent.