Frog Prince 'dared to take risks'

Frog Prince 'dared to take risks'

SINGAPORE - Veteran Taiwanese singer Yu Tian was the first to reach the hospital when his good friend Frankie Kao died.

He told local media over the phone from Taiwan on Tuesday: "Kao's body was still warm when I reached, even though he had died. He left even before I had the time to talk to him. I broke down and cried."

Yu, who had known Kao for more than four decades, reminisced about the good times they had.

The 67-year-old is particularly fond of the times when Kao lived next door as they visited each other all the time.

He recalled: "We would drop by each other's place regularly. It was memorable and fun."

Yu, who is performing in Singapore next month, thinks of Kao as an extraordinaire as he was not afraid of failure and dared to take risks on stage.

"Kao had a very strong identity on stage. He was willing to try new things in his performances during the 1970s, a time when people were more conservative," he said.

He revealed that Kao had some financial difficulties when he was alive, and added that he would gather his good friends from the entertainment industry to help tide Kao's family over this challenging period.

"I'll definitely take care of his wake and provide financial support. Kao's family thanked me for standing by them. We will hold a meeting soon to see how else we can help," Yu said.

"Kao's son looked sad but he didn't cry (when I met him). Maybe he had already cried before that, knowing that his dad was dying."

FYI

WHAT: Yu Tian, Li Ya Ping & Luo Shi Feng 2014 Concert

WHEN: March 9, 8pm

WHERE: Esplanade Theatre

TICKETS: $38 to $148 from Sistic (www.sistic.com.sg or 6348-5555)


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