Vivian Chow Wai-Man was born in Hong Kong on 20th November, 1967. Not much is known about her childhood, except that she was a single child brought up single-handedly by her mother.

Initially venturing into showbiz as a radio D.J., Vivian was later groomed to become a singer. She also dabbled in some acting, and one of her most memorable roles was as the sweetie-pie daughter of George Lam in "Hearts to Hearts" (1988). Lam also happened to be one of Vivian's favorite singers.

Her fame started to soar when she became one of the first pin-up idols to appear on the trading cards promoted by YES! magazine.