Taiwanese singer Stella Chang's husband is her number 1 fan

Taiwanese singer Stella Chang's husband is her number 1 fan

Popular 1990s Taiwanese singer Stella Chang's concert at the Indoor Stadium at the end of the month, her first here in 20 years, will be filmed for posterity.

Speaking to The Straits Times over the telephone from Taiwan on Monday, she explains: "I've had some health issues. You don't know what will happen in the future. I won't know if I will be able to hold such large-scale concerts in future.

"That's why I've arranged for the concert to be filmed and the footage to be made into a DVD so that I can enjoy the footage at home."

Chang, who had hits in the 1980s and 1990s such as Married and I'm Still Young, held three sold-out concerts in Taiwan last year, five years after her last concert there.

During those concerts, she reportedly revealed that she had surgery to remove cervical lesions in 2010. She also had a health scare last July when a viral infection paralysed her left arm.

The 49-year-old was a force to be reckoned with in the music industry in the 1990s. She released more than 30 albums and earned two Best Female Vocalist nods at the Golden Melody Awards in 1994 and 1997.

After marrying banker Sung Hsueh-jen in 2005, she largely stayed out of show business and turned her attention to being a hands-on mother to her two sons, now aged 10 and eight.

In a jovial mood during this interview, Chang says that it is tougher to be a housewife than a professional singer.

"As a housewife, you have to tackle different issues every day. For instance, you have to care for your kid if he has a toothache or fever. As a singer, all you have to take care of is yourself because you have a strong team to back you up."

Sharing her parenting philosophy, she says that she is particular about her children's nutrition and does not believe in buying them too many toys and expensive clothes.

"Children get tired of toys easily. It's a different matter when it comes to books - I let them pick books to read.

"I don't really buy expensive clothes for them, either - you know, boys are dirty; they are not as clean as girls," adds Chang with a laugh.

Her low-key husband prefers her to stay clear of the show business spotlight. When she held her 2010 concerts in Taiwan, she told the Taiwanese media: "My husband said, 'Hopefully, this will be the last major concert.'"

Her husband had "no choice" but to allow her to return to the stage then.

Why? Because acclaimed Taiwanese producer Jonathan Lee finally had the time to be her concert's music director.

"It was over 20 years ago when Jonathan Lee agreed to be my concert's music producer. It was only until recently that he could fulfil the promise.

"My husband is a fan of Jonathan Lee. My family and friends were also encouraging me to do it. So my husband said okay."

Her husband, 63, is clearly her number one fan. Though he was hospitalised for acute appendicitis, he attended her Taipei concert last month. Midway through the concert, he felt unwell and had to be sent to the hospital.

She says: "He is recovering. I was touched that he came, but my heart ached for him. He must have been in so much pain.

"My new year's wish is for my entire family to be healthy. I hope my husband will get well soon. I also wish for my own good health because it won't do if I collapse. Health is the most important."

BOOK IT / STELLA ZHANG QING FANG LIVE IN SINGAPORE 2016

WHERE: Singapore Indoor Stadium

WHEN: Jan 30, 8 pm

ADMISSION: $98 to $238 from Sports Hub Tix (call 3158-7888 or goto www.sportshub.com.sg), Sports Hub Box Office and SingPost outlets

nggwen@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on Jan 8, 2016.
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