Phuong Hung

Phuong Hung (1969-    ) is an overseas Vietnamese singer.  He is the eldest son of legendary Vietnamese singer Elvis Phuong and nephew of singer Kieu Nga.

He was born as Phạm Phương Hùng on May 8, 1969 in Saigon, South Vietnam.  Being born into an affluent household and having a famous father, one would think that Phuong Hung had a privileged childhood enviable to most others.  However, the reality of his childhood was far from the fairy tale assumption the public might have had looking from the outside.  While Phuong Hung and his two younger siblings were still toddlers, tragedy struck when their mother was killed in a motorcycle accident in Saigon.  With his father's successful singing career in full swing, Phuong Hung and his siblings were left in the primary care of their paternal grandmother.  Just when it seemed that a sense of normalcy had been restored under his grandmother's wings, another turn of events would take place in 1975 with the Fall of Saigon that would once again set challenges to stability during childhood for Phuong Hung and his siblings as the comfortable lifestyle of being raised in a well to do family of South Vietnam was forever changed.

Phuong Hung along with his father and siblings left their native homeland in 1975 to resettle abroad.  After several years spent in Paris, France, his father relocated the family to the United States.   During these years, his father was remarried to dancer/actress Cat Phuong who would graciously step  in the role of a doting mother to her stepchildren finally giving them a stable family life.  However, the marriage would end in divorce sometime in the late 1980s.

While growing up, Phuong Hung had developed a keen interest in music like his father, as well as a deep appreciation in French music.  After high school, he relocated to Houston, Texas and began his professional singing career for the Vietnamese community there.  As audiences took notice of his powerful voice along with his exceptional abilities of singing in three different languages:  Vietnamese, English and French, Phuong Hung began making a name for himself as a headliner at various major venues such as the Queen Bee, CBC, New Diamond and Baby's Club in the Vietnamese community of Houston.  His popularity would steadily grow through the years taking him to live shows performing for overseas Vietnamese audiences throughout the United States.

Toward the end of 1997, Phuong Hung was offered a contract with Lang Van, one of the most prolific overseas Vietnamese music production labels with its headquarters based in Orange County, California.  In the fall season of that year, he traveled to Toronto, Canada where he would film the live music video for the song he had recorded for Lang Van, Vết Thù Trên Lưng Ngựa Hoang written by Pham Duy and Ngoc Chanh.  It was during this trip that he would meet and develop an intimate relationship with singer Kha Tu.

Although he had already established a name for himself in various Vietnamese communities throughout the United States with his live performances in the 1990s, his appearance on video for Lang Van would give Phuong Hung exposure to overseas Vietnamese audiences on a much grander scale through the label's distribution worldwide.  His debut album, Loan Mắt Nhung, was released in the summer of the following year under the Kha Tu Productions label.  The album contained many well received songs including the title track written bv Huynh Anh and Cô Hàng Café written by Canh Than.  To celebrate the release of his debut album, Phuong Hung held a sold-out one night engagement at the Majestic Club in Huntington Beach, California on August of 1998.  The beginning of 1999 would start out with the release of yet another studio album by Kha Tu Productions, Cô Nàng Mắt Nai, that he recorded together with Kha Tu and Thien Phu.  Among the most memorable songs on this album included Dấu Yêu Tình Đầu written by Ngoc Le, Yêu Nhau Ghét Nhau written by Vy Nhật Tảo and the title track which was written by Kha Tu, herself.  During the summer of that same year, Phuong Hung went on a successful concert tour of Europe performing alongside Luu Bich, Thanh Ha, Phi Nhung and Kha Tu.  

Phuong Hung and His Dad, Elvis Phuong,
in Houston, Texas (2015)

With the dismantling of his relationship with Kha Tu, Phuong Hung decided to return to Houston in the early 2000s.  He has since set up his own production company, as well as a built-in professional recording studio in his home where he spends a lot of time writing and recording his own songs.  Phuong Hung continues to perform at live shows for Vietnamese audiences all over the United States to this day.

Lilian (left), Phuong Hung (center)
and Trizzie Phuong Trinh(right)
at Wedding of Singer Andy Quach (6/2013)

Link(s):

Phuong Hung YouTube Channel