Giang Tu

Giang Tử (1944-2014) was a famous Vietnamese singer.  

His given name at birth was Nguyễn Văn Giang. Originally from Hải Phòng, North Vietnam, he was brought up in a middle class family which consisted of 8 children, altogether.  After his family had migrated to the South, at the age of 12 his father enrolled him in music class taught by renowned musician Y Vân.  He would later learn vocals from singer Duy Trác.  Throughout his career, Giang Tử has often acknowledged these two men as his greatest musical influences.

For much of the 1960s up until the Fall of Saigon in 1975, Giang Tử was one of the most popular singers in South Vietnam, particularly with his interpretations of Vietnamese songs arranged in the bolero tempo.  In 1968, he scored his biggest hit with the recording of what has since been considered to be his signature song, Căn Nhà Màu Tím (written by Hoài Linh).  The following year Giang Tử became one of the highest paid male recording artists in South Vietnam with two lucrative recording contracts signed with Dư Âm and Việt Nam, both of which were among the largest record labels based in Saigon at the time.  Among his other popular recorded songs included Chuyến Đi Về Sáng (written by Nhật Trường), Cô Hàng Xóm (written by Nguyễn Bính) and Nhật Ký Đời Tôi (written by Thanh Sơn).  He also recorded duets with various female artists such as Hương Lan, Trang Mỹ Dung, Yến Linh and Giáng Thu.  Despite such restrictions implemented under the new regime after the Fall of Saigon in Vietnam toward the performing arts sector, Giang Tử was able to forge ahead with his career in music.  He collaborated with various theater and performance artist troupes such as the Kim Cương Theater Troupe which is headed by legendary actress Kim Cương, Hương Miền Nam and Xiếc Tuổi Trẻ.  He married actress Minh Thu during the 1970s and the two became parents to a daughter.  At the beginning of the year 2010, Giang Tử and his wife left their native Vietnam to resettle in Houston, Texas where they would be reunited with their daughter who had already taken up permanent residence in the United States a number of years prior.  Immediately, he began collaborating with various major overseas Vietnamese music production labels such as Thúy Nga, Asia Entertainment and Vân Sơn Entertainment.  Among his most memorable appearances on music video were solo performances of such songs like Tôi Chưa Có Mùa Xuân ( written by Châu Kỳ), Thành Phố Sau Lưng (written by Hàn Châu), Những Ngày xưa Thân Ái (written by Phạm Thế Mỹ), Trường Cũ Tình Xưa (written by Duy Khánh), Đưa Em Vào Hạ (written by Trầm Tử Thiêng), Hồi Tưởng (written by Lê Minh Bằng), Chuyện Ba Người (written by Quốc Dũng) and Bông Cỏ May (written by Trúc Phương).  Giang Tử has also performed duets and as part of a trio with other artists on music video such as Hương Lan, Ngọc Minh, Phương Hồng Quế, Đan Nguyên, Chế Linh and Trường Vũ.

Giang Tử passed away on September 16, 2014.  He was 70.