News of Feng Fei Fei's death delayed until after CNY

Feng Fei Fei, literally meaning flying phoenix, died of lung caner in Hong Kong on Jan. 3 at age 59. She is survived by her only son. Chiu Wan Kee (趙宏琦), her husband and also a victim of lung cancer, died before her on June 16, 2009. She was cremated in Hong Kong and her remains were interned in Daxi, Taoyuan County, her hometown, earlier this month.

Ever considerate, Feng was adamant shortly before her passing that her attorney did not break the news of her death to the nation until the Chinese New Year holiday was long past. “Breaking such news during the New Year holidays will bring bad luck to others,” she was quoted as saying.

President Ma said he was saddened by the death of the singer, whose performance of two songs wrapped up the 2008 Presidential Inauguration ceremonies, when he was sworn in for his first term, a presidential spokesman said.

The president called her son to offer his condolences immediately after learning of Feng Fei Fei's death, Fang-Chiang Tai-chi told reporters, adding “he sorely misses her.”

Born Lin Chiu-luan (林秋鸞) to a family of modest means in Daxi on Aug. 20, 1953, Feng Fei Fei began her singing career in 1968, when she won the championship in a television singing contest at the tender age of 15.

What followed was not a meteoric rise to stardom, but a life of privation for three long years, during which she tried to make every penny count and counted every penny of her income as an itinerant singer who sang at wedding and festival banquets.

“Sometimes, I had to switch buses several times before I reached the place, which was quite often in remote rural areas. And after the guests were gone, we were treated to a hastily reheated mixture of leftovers that we found so tasty,” Feng Fei Fei told an interviewer.

Her first break came in 1971, when one of her songs was included on a compilation album. She joined a label and released her first album “Wishing You Well” the next year.

Her next major award came in 1974, when she went on a concert trip to Singapore, where she was crowned one of the “top ten Southeast Asian Singers.”

Better known on stage as the hat-wearing diva who never completely revealed her coiffured locks, Feng Fei Fei was known for her huge collection of headwear as well as her unflagging support for causes the nation held dear.

A frequent performer at National Day celebrations and beneficiaries after her first trip to Kinmen in 1978, when she entertained troops stationed on the island, she donated both her time and money generously to charities. Baseball fans still recall the time when she put on the hat of a cheerleader and went to the United States to root for the junior national baseball team playing there. She was named a “patriotic entertainer” in 1981.

She married in 1980 and her singing career continued until 2011, when she had to cancel a pre-scheduled concert because of the damage done to her vocal cords by cancerous cells.

Fans rushed to CD stores today and bought up all stocks of her album in less than 12 hours.

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