Veteran Taiwanese singer Tang Na dies at 59

Veteran Taiwanese singer-actress Tang Na, who also goes by Nana Tang, died aged 59 of lung cancer on Oct 14.

Her husband, American-Jewish businessman Xue Zhiwei, revealed her cause of death in a statement today (Oct 31). He added that she was interred in the family shrine on Oct 16.

Previously, she was speculated to have passed due to lupus, brain or pancreatic cancer.

According to Zhiwei, also known as Jeffrey Schwartz, Tang Na began experiencing coughing symptoms after a concert in 2021 and was diagnosed with stage four lung adenocarcinoma that same year.

While doctors estimated she had eight to 12 months left to live, she continued to battle the illness for four years.

Zhiwei said: "She discussed with me her wish to pass away peacefully at home. That day, I held her tightly by her bedside until she passed away peacefully."

He also mentioned he will be holding a memorial service for her on Dec 14.

Fellow industry friends also spoke about her passing, including fellow Taiwanese veteran singer Yvonne Cheng.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the 64-year-old was quoted saying in an interview: "I was heartbroken to hear the news about her passing. She was a strong and warm woman who had worked hard for most of her life. I was so happy for her when she got married, because I thought someone would finally take good care of her. But the bad news came so quickly."

Tang Na made her debut as a singer in 1986 with her first album Farewell to the Boundary and acted in the 1985 Chinese movie Clash of the Professionals.

She married Zhiwei in 2017, who opened Taiwan's first-ever Jewish community centre in 2021.

In recent years, Tang Na gradually appeared less on screen, spending her time running the temple with her husband and attending yoga classes, focusing on health and wellness.

She was also involved in a serious car accident 31 years ago when she was hit by a drunk driver, after attending the 1993 Golden Bell Awards celebration banquet.

She later revealed she suffered serious aftereffects, including speech impairment and frequent memory loss.

An earlier version of this article reported that Tang Na died on Oct 16 from pancreatic cancer, based on Taiwanese media reports.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com