James Wong Jim (18 March 1941 – 24 November 2004), born Wong Cham-sum, courtesy name Yik-kan, was a Hong Kong lyricist, composer, advertising man, writer and actor, and a leading figure of cross-media creation regarded, with Jin Yong, Ni Kuang and Chua Lam, as one of the 'Four Great Talents of Hong Kong'. Originally from Panyu, Guangdong, he was born in Guangzhou and moved with his family to Hong Kong in 1949. He studied at La Salle College and then at the University of Hong Kong, graduating in Chinese in 1963, taking a master's degree in 1983 and a doctorate in 2003 with a thesis on the rise and decline of Cantopop. He worked in advertising, later running an advertising agency of his own and creating memorable jingles. From the 1960s he wrote lyrics for film and television, producing more than two thousand songs, among them the theme of the TV series Below the Lion Rock, the title song of the TV drama The Bund, A Man Should Be Self-Reliant for the film Once Upon a Time in China and A Laugh from the Sea for Swordsman, as well as enduring pieces such as Ask Me, My Chinese Heart and the theme of The Legend of the Condor Heroes. With the composer Joseph Koo he formed the celebrated 'Koo-Wong' partnership, writing many television theme songs, and he also wrote the lyric of Song of Yesterday for the film A Better Tomorrow. He won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film Score four times, for A Chinese Ghost Story (1988), Terracotta Warrior (1991), Once Upon a Time in China (1992) and The Lovers (1995), and in 1990 received the Golden Needle Award from RTHK's Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs, followed by further tributes from the music industry. He wrote the song Ask Me for the 1976 film Jumping Ash, sung by Chan Lai-si to music by Michael Lai. He also hosted talk shows, notably Tonight's the Night with Ni Kuang and Chua Lam from 1989 to 1990, and was known for his witty, outspoken style; his essay collection The Uncollected Collection, gathering his newspaper columns, was a long-selling work, and he acted in many films. He died of lung cancer at the Union Hospital in Sha Tin on 24 November 2004, aged 63, and was mourned by large numbers of the public and the entertainment world. From 1965 he worked as a television host at Rediffusion and wrote his first film lyric, and with Joseph Koo he staged the celebrated Koo-Wong concerts in 1998 and 2000. He also wrote columns, essays and scripts, making him a leading figure of Hong Kong cross-media culture.
James Wong's lyrics and melodies entered homes through television and film, and songs such as Below the Lion Rock, A Laugh from the Sea and A Man Should Be Self-Reliant became part of Hong Kong's collective memory. Known as the 'Koo-Wong' partnership with composer Joseph Koo, he wrote many classic television theme songs and helped establish the foundations of Cantopop and television culture. A four-time winner of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film Score and a recipient of the music industry's Golden Needle Award, he was one of local pop culture's most representative creators. His outspoken style as a talk-show host also influenced Hong Kong television.
Achievements
- 1988 · Won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film Score for A Chinese Ghost Story
- 1990 · Received the Golden Needle Award at RTHK's Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs
- 1992 · Won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film Score for Once Upon a Time in China