Bich Loan

Bích Loan (1949-    ) is a famous Vietnamese singer best known for her interpretations of American rock and roll and pop music.  She is the lead singer of the popular band of South Vietnam known as the CBC.

The CBC, which is an acronym for "Con Bà Cụ", is comprised of Bích Loan on lead vocals, her sister, Bích Liên, her sister-in-law, Marie Louise, also on vocals and her two brothers, Tùng Linh and Tùng Vân, guitarist and drummer, respectively.  Since their inception on July 1, 1963, the CBC has been one of the most respected rock bands from South Vietnam.  During the 1960s and early 1970s, the CBC performed at various nightclubs and venues in South Vietnam which catered primarily to US military personnel and civilians.  With Bích Loan on lead vocals, the CBC became known for their covers of many popular songs originally recorded by such American and British pop artists like Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles and The Mamas and the Papas.  For many years during the early 1970s, the CBC headlined nightly at the Au Ma Cabane Nightclub in Saigon.  On May 29, 1971, the CBC headlined at Vietnam's Woodstock Festival of Rock and Roll held in Saigon.  In 1972, the CBC made a cameo appearance in the film, Người Cô Đơn, directed by Hoàng Thi Thơ and starred Thanh Nga, Vân Hùng, Túy Hoa, Ngọc Đức, Huy Khanh, Hoàng Long and Kim Ngọc.  In the film, Bích Loan and the CBC performed the songs written by Hoàng Thi Thơ, Con Tim và Nước Mắt and Tình Yêu Tuyệt Vời.  While on tour in India in the spring of 1974, Bích Loan and her siblings applied for amnesty in Australia.  After being denied amnesty by the Australian government, they were taken in by Tibetan monks in India.  In 1975, they successfully applied for amnesty with the US Embassy and resettled in Houston, Texas.

Bích Loan and Bích Liên 
at the CBC Club in Houston
 during the 1990s

Bích Loan and Tùng Linh of the CBC

For many years, the CBC ran their own successful nightclub in the Vietnamese community of Houston, Texas known as the CBC Club.  In 1986, the CBC released a studio album, Mây Lang Thang, for the Thanh Lan label with solo tracks recorded by Bích Loan, Bích Liên and Marie Louise along with tracks recorded by special guest stars Thanh Tùng and Jo Marcel.  In 1987, Bích Loan and the CBC appeared on volumes 4 and 5 of the Paris By Night video series produced by Thúy Nga with performances of the songs, Giã Từ Đêm Mưa (written by Văn Phụng) and Mây Lang Thang (written by Nam Lộc), respectively.  Bích Loan and the CBC have continued to perform for overseas Vietnamese audiences as well as mainstream American audiences all over the United States.  In addition, they have also performed in concert for overseas Vietnamese audiences in Canada, Europe and Australia.  In 2014, they celebrated their 50th year as a band with a sold out show held in Houston, Texas.  With no signs of slowing down anytime soon, Bích Loan and the CBC continue to be among the top Vietnamese-American bands today.

Link(s):

The CBC Band Facebook Page