Lin Fan
Lam Fan, current name Lam Ling, is a Hong Kong female singer and former TVB artiste, previously signed with Fitto Records.
Background
Lam Fan was born in Beijing, and spent her early years there. At age 7, she moved with her family to a residence on Kin Wah Street, North Point, Hong Kong Island. She has two younger sisters. Her father was a chemical engineer (later became a chemistry and mathematics teacher at Hon Wah College in Hong Kong), and her mother was a secondary school teacher (later became a seamstress and garment factory owner). Both were Chinese Indonesians.
She studied at Sun Fat College (Primary Section, Caroline Hill branch) and graduated from St. Paul's Co-educational College in 1985. She began piano lessons at age 9, had average academic performance, and excelled in English and mathematics. She participated in her school choir and inter-school music festivals, as a soprano. After school, she helped out at her parents’ garment factory in North Point, and did deliveries at night.
After completing the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, she studied one year of Form 6, then participated in the 5th New Talent Singing Awards in 1986, but did not advance. She also joined the 1986 TVB Miss Television Pageant, and made the top 15. Afterward, she joined the 13th TVB Artiste Training Class and signed a two-year contract with the station.
During her time at TVB, Lam Fan wanted to further her education, so she left Hong Kong in 1988 to study for a diploma in business administration in Melbourne. In 1990, after completing her course in Australia, her father’s friend invited her to work as a lobby manager at Tsuen Wan’s Panda Hotel. She initially worked part-time, later becoming a full-time admin clerk to gain experience.
She met Suen Fu Kam (Ken Suen), who was the runner-up in ATV's 1987 Future Idol Contest, and together they joined the 1992 Fitto Karaoke Contest. They won second place, leading to Lam Fan signing with Fitto Records[1], giving up her hotel job.
Initially, she covered popular songs and performed at karaoke shows. She later recorded her first original Cantonese song "Still Grateful for a Year of Love", followed by "Still Love Me" and her signature song "Tonight"[2]. On 17 December that year, she released her debut solo album Still Love Me, achieving gold record status.
Her second album Empty Heart was released on 19 May 1993. Disagreements with the company over music direction led her to consider leaving the industry. Another reason was that singing was just a passion, not a lifelong career; she also wanted to start a family.
Over the next four years, she worked as an executive secretary at Chase Manhattan Bank’s Hong Kong branch, and later as an office clerk at a factory. She used her legal name "Lam Ling" when job hunting to avoid public attention. In 1998, she started helping her ailing father run a foreign domestic helper agency.
In 2011, she co-hosted DBC’s Happy Imprint for ethnic minorities as a member of the Indonesian Association of Hong Kong Employment Agencies. She continued to perform occasionally.
On 9 August 2013, she announced her comeback with the audiophile English cover album The Sentimental Touch, produced by her husband Ken Suen[3]. Suen’s connection with Star Entertainment boss Cheung Kwok-lun helped secure the album release. Initially, she just helped record demo tracks.
In 2017, she held two solo concerts so her parents could hear her sing live again. She had previously been a guest at various Star Entertainment concerts.
Personal Life
In 1997, Lam Fan married long-time boyfriend and fellow Fitto singer Suen Fu Kam. He was the runner-up and Best Vocal winner in ATV’s Future Idol Contest. They have a son and a daughter.
Singles
- 1992: "Clearly Understand My Heart" (with Lee Ka Fat)
- 1992: "Goodbye is Also a Friend" (with Lee Ka Fat)
- 1993: "Soulmate"
- 1993: "Monsoon"
- 1993: "Loving You Is My Life’s Mistake" (with Choi Chai Man)
- 1993: "When Love Has Become the Past" (with Cheung Chi Kwong)
- 1993: "A Fairy Tale" (Mandarin) (with Wong Lai Yung / Hung Dou)
- 1993: "Pray" (Theme song and insert for Flirting Scholar)
Television
TV Movies
- 1989: The Swordsman and the Spirit Child
Hosting
- 1989: Youth Frontline (TVB)
- 2011: Happy Imprint (DBC Digital Radio)
Concerts
- 2017: Lam Fan Music Concert (HKAPA Jockey Club Amphitheatre)
References
- ↑ My Days at the TV Station: Vol. 23 - Fitto’s Rising Singers Stand News, 2016-03-24.
- ↑ Tonight: Mist, Rain, and Love – AM730, 2016-04-22.
- ↑ Lam Fan Returns with a "B" Oriental Daily, 2013-09-20.
External links
- Hong Kong female singers
- Hong Kong television actresses
- Hong Kong television presenters
- Hong Kong businesspeople
- Singers who debuted in the 1990s
- TVB actresses
- TVB artiste training class
- Sun Fat College alumni
- St. Paul's Co-educational College alumni
- People born in the People's Republic of China
- Hong Kong people of Fujianese descent
- Lam (surname)