Her singles topped US, UK dance charts

Her English album was never released but Sun Ho did have some success with her singles. Ho's husband and City Harvest Church (CHC) founder Kong Hee (left) highlighted to the court yesterday that two of her singles topped various dance charts in the US and UK.

Their foray into the US entertainment market started in April 2003 when Kong received an invitation by pastor Robin Harfouche to speak at her church in the US.

Kong said Dr Harfouche was intrigued by CHC's Crossover Project and even helped circulate videos of Ho "to stir up interest".

From there, Kong said he met with various figures in the American music industry, including publicist Tas Steiner, who Kong said had worked with actors Hugh Grant, Uma Thurman and singer Courtney Love.

Kong was also introduced to producer Justin Herz, who was engaged to produce and promote Ho's first English-language single and album in the US.

In July that year, Ho flew over and recorded some singles.

Her first single, Where Did Love Go, was released in December and went on to top the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Breakout Chart, he said.

Kong admitted it was a minor chart but it served as an early indicator of how popular the song was.

POSITIVE

As for her other single - One With You - it topped the American Billboard Dance Club Play Chart as well as the UK Music Week Dance Chart after it was released in mid-2004, he said. The song stayed on a chart for nine weeks, he said.

A song's placement in the club charts is determined by how many times it is played by authorised DJs in major clubs and not by sales, explained Kong.

"Justin (Herz), Tas Steiner ... they were all quite happy and positive about the results, because, to date... they can't remember another Asian artist or Chinese artist... (who has) topped any Billboard charts yet," Kong said.

From there, it gave Kong the confidence that Ho could succeed in the US music market.

"So they felt that we should do a little bit more, we should keep on taking baby steps, to see if there's really a possibility of her succeeding in the US," he said.

This article was first published on August 13, 2014.
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