Duy Truong

Duy Trường (1978-    ) is a popular overseas Vietnamese singer.

He was born on June 9, 1978 in the small district-level town known as Hồng Ngự of Đồng Tháp Province located in the Mekong Delta near the Vietnamese-Cambodian frontier.  He was given the full name, Trần Quốc Dũng, at birth.  In 1993, he along with his family left their native Vietnam for the United States.  During the first several years in the United States, they resettled in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  But his dreams of one day pursuing a career as a professional Vietnamese singer eventually lured him to Southern California, home of the largest Vietnamese-American community and considered as the unofficial entertainment capital for overseas Vietnamese communities worldwide.  Toward the end of the year 2000, he began collaborating with Vân Sơn Entertainment as a recording artist billed under the name, Quốc Dũng (not to be confused with Quốc Dũng, legendary musician/songwriter and husband of singer Bảo Yến.)  After recording a solo studio album, Nàng Yêu Hoa Tím (2001), and a duet studio album with singer Tâm Đoan, Tình Trong Mưa (2001), along with three forgettable appearances on Vân Sơn Entertainment's live show music video series (volumes 18, 19 & 20), he decided to leave the label within only a year.  He then signed with Tình Productions and changed his professional stage name from Quốc Dũng to Duy Trường, which is a combination of the names of his two music idols, Duy Khánh and Nhật Trường.  While signed with Tình Productions, he appeared on volumes 9 and 10 of the label's popular music video series and recorded a studio medley album as part of a trio along with singers Tâm Đoan and Tường Nguyên, Liên Khúc Buồn Như Phượng (2002).  However, just like his previous experience with Vân Sơn Entertainment, Duy Trường's collaboration with Tình Productions left him somewhat disenchanted with his fledgling singing career.  For the next several years, he put the music business aside and went back to school to pursue a degree in architecture.

In the summer of 2006, Duy Trường was approached by his former singing partner, Tường Nguyên, to record and appear on video as a trio for Asia Entertainment together with Tường Khuê a remake of an old, classic tune orginally made famous by legendary singer Thanh Phong, Ly Cà Phê Cuối Cùng (written by Minh Kỳ and Thế Vinh).  This appearance on Asia Entertainment led to another music video appearance as a trio with the same two singing partners of the song, Cánh Hoa Yêu, for Rainbow Productions.  In 2007, Duy Trường made his debut appearance on volume 86 of Thúy Nga's Paris By Night video series in a duet performance with singer Quỳnh Dung of the song, Ai Khổ Vì Ai (written by Thương Linh).  For the next 8 years, Duy Trường recorded exclusively for the  Thúy Nga label.  Two years after his debut appearance on the Paris By Night stage, Duy Trường teamed up again with Quỳnh Dung and singer Khánh Hoàng to perform a medley of songs as a trio on volume 96 of the video series, in which his performance of Người Lính Già Xa Quê Hương (written by Nhật Ngân) won over the hearts of Vietnamese music lovers worldwide.  This performance has since been considered as Duy Trường's career breakthrough and what had turned him into a bonafide star in Vietnamese entertainment.  Other noteworthy solo performances by Duy Trường include such songs like Nội Tôi (written by Đình Văn), Tội Tình (written by Hàn Châu), Kẻ Trắng Tay (written by Ngọc Sơn), Giận Em (written by Lâm Thái Hiền), Hương Xưa (written by Vũ Hoàng) and Thà Giết Người Yêu (written by Vinh Sử).  Duy Trường has recorded duets with artists such as Hương Thủy, Hạ Vy, Mai Thiên Vân, Phi Nhung and Lương Tùng Quang for the Thúy Nga label.  In addition to his contributions as a singer on the Paris By Night stage, Duy Trường has also acted in comedy sketches featured on the live show video series alongside Bảo Quốc, Việt Hương, Thúy Nga, Chí Tâm and Hoài Tâm.

Việt Hương and Duy Trường
at his concert event in Ho Chi Minh City (6-30-18)

On June of 2015, Duy Trường celebrated the formation of his own music production label with the release of a solo studio album, Thất Tình, at a sold-out concert event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  His latest solo studio album, Còn Gì Em Ơi, was released in 2017.