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Mabel Lui

This is the 45th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades.
Before the rise of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantopop – Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, Andy Lau Tak-wah, Leon Lai Ming and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing – there was a “father of Cantopop” who laid the foundation for their success.
His name is Samuel Hui Koon-kit.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the singer, known as Sam Hui, helped popularise Cantopop by infusing his songs with colloquial Cantonese lyrics and Western pop elements.

He was widely praised for the relatability of his songs, which addressed everyday difficulties faced by the working classes.
Hui was born in Guangzhou, China, in 1948. His family fled with him to Hong Kong in 1950. They settled in the Kowloon neighbourhood of Diamond Hill before moving to a public housing estate in So Uk, in Cheung Sha Wan.
Growing up, Hui was immersed in the arts; his mother was a Cantonese opera singer and his father an instrumentalist. By the age of 16, Hui had developed a passion for music; he formed a band called the Harmonicks in 1964.
The band broke up a year later and Hui joined another band called The Lotus as the lead vocalist.
Inspired by The Beatles and rock ’n’ roll musicians, The Lotus mostly performed British and American pop songs. They became quite popular in the late 1960s – although they too eventually disbanded.

Hui caught a big break in 1971 when he joined his older brother, the comedy actor Michael Hui Koon-man, as a host of the comedy sketch series Hui Brothers Show, broadcast in Hong Kong by TVB.
Sam and Michael’s brothers also joined the entertainment industry, Ricky Hui Koon-ying as an actor and Stanley Hui Koon-miu as a film producer. Ricky Hui died in 2011.
On the Hui Brothers Show, Hui began performing original Cantonese songs, one of which was “Eiffel Tower Above the Clouds”.
Inspired by an English poem that his brother Michael wrote after travelling the world, the song’s lyrics reflect an attachment to and fondness for Hong Kong, and recognition of the city as home.


As Hui’s singing career progressed, so did his acting career – in no small part through collaborations with his brothers.
He featured in the 1974 film Games Gamblers Play alongside Ricky and Michael – who also directed. The film used slapstick and verbal comedy and helped establish the brothers as a comedy trio.
To coincide with the release of Games Gamblers Play, Hui released his first Cantonese music album, which bore the same name as the film and was featured on its soundtrack.


Two years later, in 1976, he released the album The Private Eyes, named after the now-classic film starring him and his brothers.
It became Hui’s breakout album; the title track remains his biggest hit to date.
Like the film – which became the highest-grossing Hong Kong production of the 1970s – the song’s lyrics address the challenges workers face, including exploitative bosses.
He sang about everyday life in Hong Kong … over a rock beat. It was an enormous musical breakthrough
Norman Cheng of Polydor Records on Hui’s influence
The most popular hits in Hong Kong back then were Cantonese opera songs or songs in English by artists based in the United Kingdom and United States.
Hui’s songs stood out for their use of everyday Cantonese and for addressing Hong Kong political and social issues. His lyrics often tackled topics in a humorous and satirical manner, which further endeared him to the public.
“Before the release of Games Gamblers Play, all Chinese recordings had a typical, conventional type of instrumental backing – guitars playing a few simple chords, drums that could barely be heard, whereas the lyrics only dealt with love,” Norman Cheng of Polydor Records told the Post in 1979.
“Sam changed all that. He sang about everyday life in Hong Kong, about what people here like and about what they don’t like over a rock beat. It was an enormous musical breakthrough.”

Hui went on to release more than 25 albums in Cantonese and English, and became known for pioneering Cantopop as we know it today.
His contributions to the industry earned him a variety of nicknames, including the “godfather of Cantopop”, “god of songs” and the “Elvis Presley of The Orient”. His good looks contributed to his popularity.
Among his releases were “Money, Money, Money”, a lighthearted take on people’s desire for money, and “Song of Water Use Restrictions”, a nod to the days of water rationing in Hong Kong in the early 1960s.
Another notable song of Hui’s is “Could Not Care Less About 1997”, which was released in 1990, seven years before the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from the UK to China.

At the time many Hongkongers were moving away, concerned about the changes the return to Chinese sovereignty would bring. In the song, Hui encourages people not to worry too much and highlights the adaptability of Hong Kong people.
“I’m a diehard Hong Kong guy. I want to live and die here,” he told the Post in 1984. “I’ll leave only if all personal freedom is lost in Hong Kong. Then I have no choice.”
Hui also appeared in more than 25 films during his career, among them comedies such as The Contract (1978) and Security Unlimited (1981) – both directed by his brother Michael.
Through their films, the Hui brothers helped breathe new life into Hong Kong cinema, which had been struggling since the death of Bruce Lee and was dominated by Mandarin Chinese films.

As well as appearing in films with his brothers, Hui also starred in A Family Affair (1984) and Working Class (1985). He became known for his role as King Kong in the Aces Go Places film series, appearing in five instalments.
It was not all smooth sailing for the singer-actor. In 1985, while filming in Nepal, Hui was found unconscious in his hotel room, having passed out because of respiratory problems. The episode led the public to become increasingly worried about his health.
“It was a real ordeal,” he told the Post in 1986. “My recent illness has not discouraged me from working on location, but I will try to avoid filming on top of a mountain or in places where the temperature is too low.”
Hui seemed to be on the mend in the following months, but by the late 1980s concerns over how concerts affected his stress levels had driven the star to consider retirement.

Hui decided to formally leave the entertainment industry in 1992, but not before hosting a series of farewell concerts in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and the United States.
He has frequently come out of retirement in the years since, performing comeback concerts and embarking on one-off projects, including an appearance in the 2000 film Winner Takes All.
Hui returned to the stage in 2004 to boost Hongkongers’ morale following the Sars outbreak, performing 48 sold-out shows.

The singer-actor is now 76 years old and lives a mostly quiet life away from the spotlight with his Filipino-American wife, Rebecca “Rebu” Fleming.
The couple married in 1971 and have two sons – Ryan is a singer-songwriter and Scott is a film director.
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Sam Hui Koon-kit performs in Hong Kong in 2004. The prolific singer-songwriter is known as the “father of Cantopop” for good reason. He also had a long career as an actor. Photo: SCMP

Sam Hui in 1969. Photo: SCMP

Hui and his wife, Rebecca “Rebu” Fleming, in 1972. Photo: SCMP

The Hui brothers (from left) Sam, Ricky and Michael at a press conference for their film Front Page in 1990. Photo: SCMP

Hui performs in concert in 1987. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Hui, Sylvia Chang and Karl Maka in a still from Aces Go Places (1982).

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Hong Kong’s pop culture icons

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Kelly Chen pictured in 1997. The secret to the Cantopop star and actress’s success? “I’ve just tried my best to grab any opportunity.” Photo: Dickson Lee

Chen (right) is presented with a prize at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards ceremony in January 1996 by Taiwanese singer Wu Chien-lien. Photo: SCMP

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(From left) Edmond So Chi-wai, Remus Choy Yat-kit and Calvin Choy Yat-chi of the Cantopop group Grasshopper at an interview with the Post in 2006. The boy band, formed in 1985, are still performing today. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Calvin Choy Yat-chi, Edmond So Chi-wai and Remus Choy Yat-kit, pictured in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Cantopop diva Anita Mui with Grasshopper at the Chinese Gold Songs award presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Coliseum in January 1989. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Edmond So, Calvin Choy and Remus Choy at the opening of the Aiwa Music Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in August 1991. Photo: SCMP

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(From second left) Edmond So, Remus Choy and Calvin Choy at the Ultimate Song Chart Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, in January 1996. Photo: SCMP

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Kwok (right) alongside fellow Cantopop singers Andy Lau (left) and Jacky Cheung at an RTHK event in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Aaron Kwok, pictured in 1993. Photo: SCMP

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Kwok (left) and Chow Yun-fat in a still from “Project Gutenberg” (2018).

Kwok with his wife, Moka Fang Yuan, in Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Photo: Kenneth Chan

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Carina Lau Ka-ling. Photo: Instagram/@carinalau1208

Hong Kong actress Carina Lau Ka-ling, pictured in 1993 soon after her career breakthrough in a Wong Kar-wai film. Married since 2008 to fellow actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, she is known for her style and class, and some iconic roles. Photo: SCMP

Cheung Siu-fai and Lau promoting TVB series “The Turbulent Decade” in 1986. Photo: SCMP

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Carina Lau in a still from “Ashes of Time” (1994).

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Carina Lau in a still from “In Your Dreams” (2018).

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Chan singing at his own birthday party in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Chan (left) and Jacky Cheung Hok-yau at the Top Ten Pop Stars Election in 1987. Photo: SCMP

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Chan performing at a concert to promote Aids awareness in 1990. Photo: SCMP

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Flanked by singer Anita Mui Yim-fong and actor Chow Yun-fat, Danny Chan’s older brother Chan Pak-ling carries his younger brother’s picture at the singer’s funeral in 1993. Photo: SCMP

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Sharla Cheung, Stephen Chow SIng-chi (centre) and Ng Man-tat in “All for the Winner”. Photo: Handout

Actress Sharla Cheung Man at the Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony in 2005. Discovered in the 1980s by Wong Jing, she starred opposite Stephen Chow, Andy Lau and Chow Yun-fat in a string of 1980s and 1990s box office hits. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Sharla Cheung, Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat in a still from “All for the Winner” (1990). Photo: Win’s Movie Production

Stephen Chow (left) and Sharla Cheung in a still from “Fight Back to School” (1991). Photo: Win’s Movie Production

Sharla Cheung in a still from “Fist of Fury 1991” (1991).

(From left) Ng Man-tat, Stephen Chow and Sharla Cheung in a still from “Fight Back to School”. Photo: Win’s Movie Production and I/E Co. Ltd

Hong Kong actress Sharla Cheung attends the opening ceremony of the Entertainment Expo in Hong Kong in 2005. Photo: Reuters

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US-born actor Daniel Wu, star of Westworld, Tomb Raider and Shinjuku Incident, fell into acting while on holiday in Hong Kong, getting cast in an ad. This led to role after role, and 25 years later, Wu has nearly 70 films under his belt. Photo: Harry C

Wu and Alicia Vikander in a still from “Tomb Raider” (2018). Photo: Warner Bros Entertainment

Wu next to Jackie Chan at a promotional event for “Shinjuku Incident” in Malaysia in 2009. Photo: Handout

Wu (left) and Stephen Fung play gay lovers in the film “Bishonen” (1998). Photo: Far-Sun Film

Wu with his award for best supporting actor for the film “New Police Story” at the 41st Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan in 2004. Photo: Reuters

Wu (centre) on the set of “One Nite In Mongkok” in 2004, with director Derek Yee (left) and actress Cecilia Cheung. Photo: Handout

Wu (right) in a still from “The Heavenly Kings”, the 2006 mockumentary film he directed, alongside “bandmates” Conroy Chan (left), Andrew Lin (second from left) and Terence Yin (second from right). Photo: Handout

Wu in a still from “Into the Badlands” season 1. Photo: James Dimmock/AMC

Wu and Michelle Yeoh in a still from “American Born Chinese”. Photo: Disney+

Wu and Lisa Selesner celebrate their marriage in 2010. Photo: Berton Cheng

How Sammi Cheng became a Cantopop superstar, celebrated actress and style icon, but has endured a rocky relationship with husband Andy Hui

Cantopop singer, actress and style icon Sammi Cheng in 2004 ahead of the release of the film “Yesterday Once More”. Her entertainment career spans five decades, and in 2023 she finally won best actress in the Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: SCMP

Cheng pictured in 1988. Photo: SCMP

Cheng at a performance in 1993. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Cantopop singers Cheng, Priscilla Chan Wai-han and Cass Phang Ling at a press conference in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Cheng (right) in a still from “Lost Love” (2023).

An undated photo of Cheng with Andy Hui. Photo: Weibo

Cheng and Daniel Wu in a still from “Everlasting Regret” (2005). She was nominated for best actress for her part in the following year’s Hong Kong Film Awards.

Cheng alongside Andy Lau in a still from “Blind Detective” (2013), for which she was again nominated for best actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Cheng performs in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Cheng and Hui perform at a concert in 2010.

Cheng with her trophy for best actress for her role in “Lost Love” at the 41st Hong Kong Film Awards presentation ceremony at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on April 16, 2023. Photo: Dickson Lee

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Hong Kong singer and actor Ronald Cheng Chung-kei at an interview with the Post in 2006. The Cantopop star is now one of Hong Kong cinema’s most beloved comedy stars, but his rise to the top has been a bumpy one. Photo: SCMP

Cheng pictured in 1996. Photo: SCMP

Cheng after the incident in 2000 on Eva Air Flight BR005 that led to his arrest for assault. 

(From left) Actors Shawn Yu, Sandra Ng, Cheng and Jacky Cheung attend the premiere of “Golden Chicken 2” at the Windsor Theatre in Hong Kong in December 2003. Photo: SCMP

Cheng (front) in a still from “Dragon Reloaded” (2005).

Cheng and Charlene Choi announcing their divorce, and acknowledging their marriage, at a news conference in 2010. Photo: SCMP

Cheng (left) and Chapman To in a still from “Vulgaria” (2012).

Cheng and his wife, Sammie Yu, at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2018. Photo: AP

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Cherie Chung at an interview with the Post in 2006. Photo: SCMP

Cherie Chung at an interview with the Post in 1995. Once called the Marilyn Monroe of Hong Kong, Chung rose to fame during the 1980s and appeared in almost 50 films – before walking away from it all at the age of 31. Photo: SCMP

Chung modelling a qipao during the semi-finals of the Miss Hong Kong 1979 beauty pageant. Photo: SCMP

Richard Ng and Chung in a still from “Winners and Sinners” (1983). Photo: Eureka Entertainment.

Chung and Chow Yun-fat in a still from “An Autumn’s Tale” (1987).

(From left) Maggie Cheung, Chung and Shingo Tsurumi in a still from “Last Romance” (1988).

Chung and her husband, Mike Chu, in 1992. Photo: SCMP

Chung pursued a long-standing interest in photography. Photo: Handout

Chung at the launch of “Accredited Green Family Scheme” managed by the Friends of the Earth in 1995. Photo: SCMP

Chung at an interview with the Post in 2014. Photo: SCMP

‘The flowers were for me’: when Hong Kong actor Lau Ching-wan found fame, his belief in destiny and his 25 years with wife Amy Kwok

Lau celebrates winning best actor in the 26th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2007. Photo: SCMP

ProfileSam Hui, the ‘father of Cantopop’ whose relatable music and film roles struck a chord

He popularised Cantopop and helped revive Hong Kong cinema after Bruce Lee died. We look at the enduring legacy of the ‘Elvis of The Orient’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}He popularised Cantopop and helped revive Hong Kong cinema after Bruce Lee died. We look at the enduring legacy of the ‘Elvis of The Orient’

He popularised Cantopop and helped revive Hong Kong cinema after Bruce Lee died. We look at the enduring legacy of the ‘Elvis of The Orient’