Thai Chau

Thai Chau (1951-    ) is a popular Vietnamese singer.

Born as Truong Chieu Thong in a family of five children altogether, he grew up in a showbiz family with a background of Southern Vietnamese folk opera known as "cai luong".  Thai Chau's mother was the legendary "cai luong" actress Kim Nen, while his father was the vice-president of the prestigious Kim Chung Cai Luong Theater Company.  Despite such ties with the "cai luong" stage, Thai Chau's interests from an early age were in Vietnamese popular music instead.  

At the age of 15, while in Vung Tau Thai Chau landed his first steady singing gig performing nightly at a café owned by musicians Nguyen Dinh Nghia and Tran Xuan Nga after they had watched him perform during open mic Lan Dau Cung Nhu Lan Cuoi (The First Time Just Like the Last Time), a song written by Minh Ky that was first made popular by his idol, singer/actor Hung Cuong.  Three years later, Thai Chau would be among the lineup of nightly performers for a nightclub at Khach San De Nhat (Premiere Hotel) in Saigon, which was run by singer/actress Mai Le Huyen.  Through an introduction from legendary performer Tran Van Trach, Thai Chau would join Ngoc Chanh's Shotguns band shortly thereafter.  His recordings for Ngoc Chanh's Shotguns record label included songs like Co Tham Ve Lang, Xuan Nay Con Khong Ve and Linh Hon Tuong Da, along with several duets with Thanh Tuyen, Phuong Dung, Son Ca, Diem Chi and Anh Khoa.  Among other record labels Thai Chau had recorded for prior to 1975 included Son Ca, Kim Dang, Thanh Thuy, Hoa Mi and Truong Son, owned by legendary singer/songwriter Duy Khanh.  Thai Chau had become one of the most popular young male singers of Vietnamese popular music in the early 1970s.  His other popular hit songs during this period included Ong Lai Do, Bai Thanh Ca Buon and Tinh Chet Theo Mua Dong.  

During the first several years after the Fall of Saigon, the careers of Thai Chau and many other famous singers of Vietnamese popular music prior to 1975 were deeply affected by certain restrictions implemented by the new communist regime which included the closing down of previous music venues and dance halls and a ban on many Vietnamese songs written and composed in South Vietnam from 1954-1975.  However, such restrictions had not been imposed on more traditional genres of Vietnamese music such as "cai luong" and "vong co".  Like Thanh Tuyen and Phuong Hong Que, Thai Chau switched over to performing "vong co" in order to earn a living during these difficult initial years after the Fall of Saigon.  When such restrictions were finally lifted during the 1980s, his career would then take on a full resurgence as a Vietnamese singer of pop music.  Again, his popularity would make him one of the most successful male singers in Vietnam.  It has been reported that during the 1980s up until when he left Vietnam to live abroad in 1991, Thai Chau along with singer/actress Thanh Lan were the top two entertainers mostly missed by overseas Vietnamese audiences worldwide.

In 1991, Thai Chau was able to leave Vietnam upon the sponsorship from his mother who had been living abroad in Canada.  Shortly thereafter, he would make his way to Southern California where he would resume his career as a Vietnamese singer.  Immediately, Thai Chau collaborated with numerous overseas Vietnamese music production labels on audio recordings and video appearances for Thuy Nga Paris, May Productions, Bien Tinh Productions, Nguoi Dep Binh Duong and Tinh Productions.  During the 1990s, he recorded a series of successful solo studio albums overseas, as well as many well-received duet albums with other artists such as Huong Lan, Ai Van and Phi Nhung.  He was reunited with his former boss, Ngoc Chanh, when he became a featured performer at Ngoc Chanh's Ritz Nightclub in Anaheim, California.  Thai Chau toured extensively performing for overseas Vietnamese audiences across the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.  In recent years, Thai Chau has made numerous return trips to Vietnam and has performed on many shows in his homeland.  Despite a career that has lasted over 40 years, his star power among audiences continues to show no signs of dimming anytime soon.

Thai Chau is a father to three grown children who now all reside outside of Vietnam.