Lin Yu Chun
Encyclopedia
Lin Yu Chun; born March 9, 1986 in Taipei
) is a Taiwanese
singer, who gained fame by appearing on a Taiwanese talent show
, One Million Star
(超級星光大道), singing "I Will Always Love You
" (originally by Dolly Parton
) in the style of Whitney Houston
's cover version
. Lin is well known for his mezzo-soprano
-like countertenor
singing voice, although he has an adult speaking voice.
, Lin became an internet celebrity, receiving more than 10,000,000 views of his performance. Many news sources dubbed Lin "Taiwan's Susan Boyle
". In an interview, Lin Yu Chun explained that he selected
"I Will Always Love You" to show his gratitude to his grandmother for taking care of Lin over the years.
In April, 2010, he visited the United States and performed "I Will Always Love You" and Amazing Grace
on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
. On the same trip, he attended Lopez Tonight
and performed "Saving All My Love for You
" (also a Whitney Houston cover) and Total Eclipse of the Heart
(originally by Bonnie Tyler
) as a duet with William Shatner
.
Sony Music Taiwan
announced they had signed Lin Yu Chun to a record deal. Lin Yu-chun's signing press conference occurred on the May 13, 2010, and was held in Shanghai San Want Hotel, with an after party reception held at Club Frotteurism.
On May 22, 2010, at Dodgers Stadium during a Los Angeles Dodgers game, he sang the "The Star-Spangled Banner
", "God Bless America
" and "Taiwan, Touch Your Heart". On August 11, 2010 Lin sang Whitney Houston
's "I Will Always Love You
" on America's Got Talent season 5
on the YouTube selection episode, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. Lin has been slated to play the role of Liu Lucy for the HBO Asia
produced miniseries Untold Stories of 1949.
's "Amazing Grace
", earning Lin 24 points (his opponent, Zhang Shi-Tang, got 19 points).
On April 2, 2010, Lin sang Whitney Houston
's "I Will Always Love You
", earning Lin 25 points (his opponent, Su Zhi-Yu, got 22 points).
On April 9, 2010, Lin sang Shunza's "Coming Home" - 17 points (his opponent, Zhang Shi-Tang, got 20 points)
On April 30, 2010,Lin sang Celine Dion
's "My Heart Will Go On
" as a guest performer.
On May 14, 2010, Lin sang "I Dreamed a Dream
" from Les Misérables
as a guest performer.
Lin also sang a duet with Kenny G
., performing Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You
".
, Kelly Clarkson
, etc. The song "Under Your Wings" was written new for this album by Grammy-winning musician Walter Afanasieff
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
) is a Taiwanese
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
singer, who gained fame by appearing on a Taiwanese talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
, One Million Star
One Million Star
One Million Star is a television singing competition in Taiwan broadcast on China Television . It first debuted on 5 January 2007, filling the 10 PM to midnight time slot on Friday evenings. The show is hosted by Tao Ching-Ying and is currently shown on Sundays from 8-10 PM...
(超級星光大道), singing "I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
" (originally by Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
) in the style of Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
. Lin is well known for his mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
-like countertenor
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
singing voice, although he has an adult speaking voice.
Biography
Lin was voted off the show, but after a video of Lin singing the song made it onto YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, Lin became an internet celebrity, receiving more than 10,000,000 views of his performance. Many news sources dubbed Lin "Taiwan's Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
". In an interview, Lin Yu Chun explained that he selected
"I Will Always Love You" to show his gratitude to his grandmother for taking care of Lin over the years.
In April, 2010, he visited the United States and performed "I Will Always Love You" and Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
. On the same trip, he attended Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
and performed "Saving All My Love for You
Saving All My Love for You
"Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin with arrangement by Gene Page. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978 on their album Marilyn & Billy...
" (also a Whitney Houston cover) and Total Eclipse of the Heart
Total Eclipse of the Heart
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a song written and produced by Jim Steinman and recorded by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler for her fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night...
(originally by Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler
Bonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
) as a duet with William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
.
Sony Music Taiwan
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
announced they had signed Lin Yu Chun to a record deal. Lin Yu-chun's signing press conference occurred on the May 13, 2010, and was held in Shanghai San Want Hotel, with an after party reception held at Club Frotteurism.
On May 22, 2010, at Dodgers Stadium during a Los Angeles Dodgers game, he sang the "The Star-Spangled Banner
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British Royal Navy ships...
", "God Bless America
God Bless America
"God Bless America" is an American patriotic song written by Irving Berlin in 1918 and revised by him in 1938. The later version has notably been recorded by Kate Smith, becoming her signature song ....
" and "Taiwan, Touch Your Heart". On August 11, 2010 Lin sang Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's "I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
" on America's Got Talent season 5
America's Got Talent (season 5)
The fifth season of America's Got Talent, an American television reality show talent competition, premiered in the United States on the NBC network and on Canada's Global on June 1, 2010...
on the YouTube selection episode, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd. Lin has been slated to play the role of Liu Lucy for the HBO Asia
HBO Asia
HBO Asia is a franchise of HBO in Asia. HBO Asia is now a joint venture of media giants Viacom and Time Warner . Sony Pictures Entertainment and Universal Studios exited the fifteen year-old HBO Asia premium movie joint venture on January 16, 2008....
produced miniseries Untold Stories of 1949.
One Million Star
On March 26, 2010, Lin sang John NewtonJohn Newton
John Henry Newton was a British sailor and Anglican clergyman. Starting his career on the sea at a young age, he became involved with the slave trade for a few years. After experiencing a religious conversion, he became a minister, hymn-writer, and later a prominent supporter of the abolition of...
's "Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...
", earning Lin 24 points (his opponent, Zhang Shi-Tang, got 19 points).
On April 2, 2010, Lin sang Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's "I Will Always Love You
I Will Always Love You
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton in 1973, who first released the song as a single in 1974.-Dolly Parton version:...
", earning Lin 25 points (his opponent, Su Zhi-Yu, got 22 points).
On April 9, 2010, Lin sang Shunza's "Coming Home" - 17 points (his opponent, Zhang Shi-Tang, got 20 points)
On April 30, 2010,Lin sang Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
's "My Heart Will Go On
My Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On" is the theme song/love theme of the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic. With music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings, and production by Simon Franglen, James Horner and Walter Afanasieff ,, it was recorded by Céline Dion...
" as a guest performer.
On May 14, 2010, Lin sang "I Dreamed a Dream
I Dreamed a Dream
"I Dreamed a Dream" is a song from the musical Les Misérables. It is a solo that is sung by the character Fantine during the first act. The music is by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with orchestrations by John Cameron...
" from Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
as a guest performer.
Lin also sang a duet with Kenny G
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
., performing Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You
Saving All My Love for You
"Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin with arrangement by Gene Page. It was originally a minor hit for Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978 on their album Marilyn & Billy...
".
I Will Always Love You (2010) SICP-2778
Lin Yu Chun's debut is a mini-album, "I Will Always Love You", released in Japanese on September 8, 2010 specially for the Japanese market. It contains 4 songs from Lin's upcoming international debut, "It's My Time", and a Japanese-only bonus track, "Hello", a Japanese cover of the Lionel Richie's hit from 1984.Track listing
It's My Time (2010)
Lin's full-length international debut album, "It's My Time", was released on September 17, 2010, as a compilation of English-language pop songs previously recorded by major artists such as Mariah CareyMariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, etc. The song "Under Your Wings" was written new for this album by Grammy-winning musician Walter Afanasieff