Cho Yong-pil
Encyclopedia
Cho Yong-pil is a South Korea
n pop
singer born in 1950. Cho is considered to be the most influential figure in Korean pop music and has produced many memorable hits of Korean pop music history, including "Return to Busan Port," "Dear Friend," and "The Lady Outside the Window."
playing the harmonica
, and this inspired young Cho to play music.
Members of Kim Trio: Pa Kim (Plays Guitar), Dan Kim (Plays Drum), Sun Kim (Plays Keyboard).
concert attracted an audience of 1 million, a record for South Korea. In 2005, Cho performed a concert in Pyongyang
, North Korea
, an extremely rare event for a South Korean singer. He performs over thirty concerts per year.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
singer born in 1950. Cho is considered to be the most influential figure in Korean pop music and has produced many memorable hits of Korean pop music history, including "Return to Busan Port," "Dear Friend," and "The Lady Outside the Window."
Early years: 1950–1968
Cho Yong-pil was born in Hwaseong, South Korea. When he was seven, he happened to listen to Ray CharlesRay Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
playing the harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, and this inspired young Cho to play music.
Atkins and Five Fingers Period: 1969–1971
He formed a band called Atkins (Aeteukinjeu 애트킨즈), a country & western group, and played for the U.S. Army. After, he founded Five Fingers (Hwaibeu Pinggeoseu 화이브 핑거스), which played music by black artists.Kim Trio: 1971
In 1971, he joined the band, Kim trio (Kim Teurio 김트리오), which motivated him to perform rock music.Members of Kim Trio: Pa Kim (Plays Guitar), Dan Kim (Plays Drum), Sun Kim (Plays Keyboard).
Commercial Success: 1980-1992
His debut single, "Dorawayo Busanhange" 돌아와요 부산항에 (Come Back to Busan Port), brought him national attention when it was released in 1975, later becoming a hit in Japan. Cho then made a Japanese language version of the song, and sang live in Japan. His first album, Chang bakkui yeoja 창 밖의 여자 (The Woman outside the Window), was released in 1980 and has been followed by many others. In 1980, he had a concert at Carnegie Hall in the city of New York, as a first Korean singer debuted at Carnegie Hall. Having a total of 18 albums, the artist has received numerous awards such as the KBS and MBC Best Artist Award (1980–1986), AMPEX Golden Reel Award (1982) and the CBS-SONY Golden Disc Award (1984).Commercial Decline and Concerts: 1992-Present
His commercial success is declining after the appearance of renowned group, Seo Taiji and Boys and many other young musicians. His studio albums released after 1992 were not quite successful. Noticing this, he announced that he is going to quit appearing on television, concluding that he will hardly make any hits. Subsequently, he focused more on concerts and music performance. In 1993, his BusanBusan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
concert attracted an audience of 1 million, a record for South Korea. In 2005, Cho performed a concert in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, an extremely rare event for a South Korean singer. He performs over thirty concerts per year.
Awards
- Korean Golden Disk Awards, "Empty Space (허공)," (1986)
- Japanese Golden Disk Awards, "Memory of lost (추억의 미아)," (1986)
- CBS-SONY Golden Disc Award (1984)
- AMPEX Golden Reel Award (1982)
- KBS Best Artist Awards (1980–1986)
- MBC Best Artist Awards (1980–1986)