Overseas Viet Celebs Since 1975 (Page 2)

Overseas Vietnamese Celebrities Since 1975

After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, a worldwide community of overseas Vietnamese known as "Nguoi Viet Hai Ngoai" or "Viet Kieu" was formed.  Vietnamese nationals who fled their homelands to seek refuge abroad primarily in countries like United States of America, France, Canada, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland now make a total of over 3 million in population.  Today, thriving overseas Vietnamese communities can be found in all four corners of the world.  In addition to having to adapt to the cultures of their new homelands, overseas Vietnamese communities all over the world have also managed to preserve their Vietnamese culture.  Vietnamese performing arts has undoubtedly played an important role in the preservation of Vietnamese culture among overseas Vietnamese communities worldwide.  Here is a tribute to the artists who have helped keep Vietnamese culture alive faraway from home. 

Featured Celebrites on Overseas Vietnamese Celebrities Since 1975 (Page 2): 

Khanh Ha, Tuan Ngoc, Don Ho, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen, Tuan Vu, Huong Lan,
Lynda Trang Dai, Luu Bich, Hoai Linh, Ngoc Lan, Y Lan, Nhu Quynh

Khanh Ha (1952-     ) is one of the most successful overseas Vietnamese female singers, being hailed as one of the divas of Vietnamese pop music.  Born in Da Lat to a family of musical performers, her father being the late legendary musician and performer, Lu Lien, Khanh Ha is one of seven children.  Prior to her entrance into the world of music, her two older siblings, Bich Chieu and Tuan Ngoc, had already become established singers in Saigon.  Khanh Ha began her singing career at the age of 16, when she made her professional debut at the Queen Bee nightclub in Saigon as a featured performer for the "Hippies a Go-Go" weekly revue show promoted by Truong Ky.  Shortly after, Khanh Ha along with her older brother, Anh Tu, formed a group called The Flowers that performed for various nightclubs catering to US military personnel in Saigon and throughout South Vietnam.  Khanh Ha, Anh Tu and younger sister, Thuy Anh, would also become known as the singing trio, Thuy Ha Tu.  Khanh Ha and her siblings' group would go through a series of name changes, as well as changes in personnel, from being called The Flowers to The Blue Jets, and then to finally, The Uptight formed in 1972, with the addition of Lan Anh as the drummer.   

Upon resettling in the United States after the Fall of Saigon, Khanh Ha and the Uptight managed to successfully continue with their careers performing for nightclubs and shows for overseas Vietnamese audiences throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. Despite Khanh Ha's trademark of being able to sing exceptionally in French and English, in 1981 Khanh Ha recorded and produced her first solo album, "Goi Giac Mo Xua", recorded all in Vietnamese and released on audio cassette.  In the years that followed, Khanh Ha and the Uptight would maintain a busy touring schedule, while being more selective with her recording career.  Unlike many of her colleagues, for much of the 1980s Khanh Ha chose to only record for a handful of music production labels, among them Lang Van and Diem Xua Productions which had each produced her solo albums, before
forming her own label, Khanh Ha Productions, in 1988.  Shortly after the formation of Khanh Ha Productions, Khanh Ha and her siblings also embarked on opening up their own nightclub, Chez Moi, in Alhambra, California which remained in operation for a number of years.  During the 1990s decade, Khanh Ha Productions would become one of the most prolific overseas Vietnamese music production labels with comparable levels of production and distribution in the ranks of Thuy Nga Paris, Asia Productions, Nguoi Dep Binh Duong, and Lang Van.  To date, Khanh Ha Productions has produced and released well over 50 albums on compact disc along with several music videotapes on DVD and karaoke laser discs.  In addition to recordings under her own label, Khanh Ha has maintained a long professional association with Thuy Nga Paris and has been a regular performer on the popular music video series, Paris by Night, for over 25 years.  Despite a career that has lasted for more than 40 years, Khanh Ha remains as one of the most popular Vietnamese singers today.  Happily remarried since 1990 to To Chan Phong, Khanh Ha is a mother of two grown sons. 



Khanh Ha:  Vietnamese Diva of Pop Music

Official Website of Khanh Ha Productions
Khanh Ha's Facebook Page

Tuan Ngoc (1947-     ) is Lu Lien's oldest son and the second eldest in a family of 7 siblings that would all become professional singers.  From the age of 4, Tuan Ngoc had started singing on a broadcasted children's music radio program with other musical child prodigies in Vietnam.   Bich Chieu, the eldest member in the family of 7 children altogether , was the first to turn professional and had become one of the most popular singers at major cabarets and dance halls in Saigon.  Tuan Ngoc was the second among his siblings to make a living as a professional singer, when he followed in his older sister's footsteps and began performing for clubs and smaller venues around Saigon which catered to primarily US military personnel and civilians.  By his early 20s, Tuan Ngoc had gained significant popularity with his flawless interpretations of songs in the English language.

As Tuan Ngoc entered the 1970s decade, he continued performing at major nightclubs in Saigon and became associated with both The Top Five and The Strawberry Four, which were two of the most successful pop music groups of South Vietnam in their day.  In 1975, Tuan Ngoc left Vietnam and resettled in Southern California for a number of years.  During the early years of development of the overseas Vietnamese music industry, many established Vietnamese artists such as Tuan Ngoc often found themselves in total frustration which promted the reason for him to eventually relocate to Hawaii sometime in the 1980s.  After several years taking up residence in Hawaii where he had found steady work performing at local clubs for non-Vietnamese audiences, Tuan Ngoc decided to give Southern California and the overseas Vietnamese music industry another chance.  As the

Vietnamese community had become more well established, along with its now thriving music scene, Tuan Ngoc was finally able to resume his career as a Vietnamese singer at full force.  His first notable appearance on audio during this comeback onto the Vietnamese music scene was a duet album he recorded with Thai Hien for Diem Xua Productions released in 1989.  Shortly after, Tuan Ngoc began collaborating with numerous major music production labels within the Vietnamese music industry including Thuy Nga Paris, Asia Productions, and Khanh Ha Productions, formed by his younger sister, Khanh Ha, who had since become one of the biggest names among overseas Vietnamese singers.  Tuan Ngoc's singing career and popularity would reach unimaginable heights in the years since his return to the Vietnamese music scene.  To many performers of younger generations, Tuan Ngoc has become a legendary Vietnamese male vocalist.  Tuan Ngoc is married to legendary Vietnamese composer Pham Duy's daughter, singer Thai Thao, since 1994.  The two continue to perform together on live concert shows for Vietnamese audiences around the world.

Thai Thao and Tuan Ngoc at a Live Performance

Don Ho (1962-     ) is a famous Vietnamese singer who started his career in the United States.  Born in Saigon, South Vietnam, he moved to the United States in 1980 with his family and attended Valley High School in Santa Ana, California.  Upon graduating from high school, Don Ho immediately set his sights on a professional singing career.  His journey to stardom would be a long one, as he began singing for local bands and then onto performing at Vietnamese nightclubs in Orange County, California.  After a few professional recordings for several Vietnamese music production labels toward the end of the 1980s decade, Don Ho began to make a name for himself in the overseas Vietnamese music industry as audiences, as well as music executives of other major Vietnamese music production labels, began to take notice of his unique style of singing.  One particular label was Thuy Nga Paris, the most prolific overseas Vietnamese music production company which produces the immensely popular Paris By Night music video series.  After Don Ho made his first video appearance for Thuy Nga Paris teamed up in an ensemble with other singers for a couple of medleys, he was invited to return in 1992 where he would appear on a Paris By Night live show, this time performing as a solo act with a cover to Paul Anka's classic, "Diana" sung in both English and Vietnamese translated lyrics.  That night the audience rewarded Don Ho with a thunderous applause which singled him out from the rest of the performers.  Almost overnight, Don Ho had become the new singing sensation among overseas Vietnamese communities worldwide.

For the rest of the 1990s decade, Don Ho consistently reigned as the top Vietnamese male vocalist with skyrocketing album sales, sold out live shows across the globe and had a huge following that would only get bigger with each of his unforgettable appearances on the Paris By Night music video.series.  With a lengthy professional association with Thuy Nga Paris of 15 years, Don Ho is undoubtedly one of the most sought after musical performers to have ever graced the Paris By Night stage.  No other overseas Vietnamese male vocalist has ever had such an impact in the Vietnamese music industry, especially with the overseas Vietnamese younger generation.  Among his most popular signature songs include "Dancing All Night", "Trai Tim  Mua Dong" (Winter's Heart), "Tinh Nhat Phai" (Caravan of Life), and a cover of an old Tom Jones' classic, "I Who Have Nothing".


Currently a resident of Santa Monica, California, Don Ho continues to tour relentlessly performing at live shows for Vietnamese audiences around the globe.  In recent years, Don Ho had formed his own music label, Don Ho Productions, and has released several solo studio albums.

Don Ho Production
Don Ho's Official Facebook Page

Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen (1965-     ) is the daughter of the former vice-president of South Vietnam, Nguyen Cao Ky, and a Vietnamese celebrity most famous for being the co-host of the highly popular Paris By Night live show music video series for the past two decades.  Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen was born in Saigon and lived there up until her family relocated to the United States upon the Fall of Saigon in 1975. After leaving Vietnam, she and her parents first spent a number of years living in Fairfax, Virginia before moving to Southern California.  After graduating from Westminster High School in Orange County, California, Nguyen Cao Ky Duiyen went onto further her education at California Polytechnic University where she would earn her 4 year degree followed by her completion of law school at Western State University.  Although she had graduated from law school with honors and impressively had been successful in passing the California Bar exam on her first try, from early on Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen had taken a keen interest in the performing arts and show business which overshadowed her interests in pursuing  a career in law.

After making her debut appearance on the Thuy Nga Paris stage as co-host of the widely popular Paris By Night live show music video series in the early 1990s, the tremendous reception from the audience would serve as confirmation to Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen that she indeed had finally found her niche.  Immediately after her debut stint hosting for Paris By Night, invitations from various other Vietnamese music production companies such as May Productions and Truong Thanh, as well as from promoters of major concert events for overseas Vietnamese audiences poured in all requesting her to grace their stage as master of ceremonies. Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen instantaneously had won over the hearts of Vietnamese viewer audiences whom were mesmerized by her beauty, taken by her charm, and in awe of her style and sophistication.  Thuy Nga Paris had selected Nguyen Ngoc Ngan to co-host alongside Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen for Paris By Night.  From their first professional appearance as co-hosts together on the Thuy Nga Paris stage, the natural chemistry between them appealed greatly to the audience.  Together, Nguyen Ngoc Ngan and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen have been professionally associated with Thuy Nga Paris, as  co-hosts of Paris By Night for more than 20 years now.


Currently single again, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen is the mother of two daughters from her first marriage to cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Li Nguyen.  Her last marriage ended in divorce in 2007 to Vietnamese-American attorney at law and popular Vietnamese personality, Trinh Hoi.  She now resides in Orange County, California and owns an e-commerce website, KyDuyenHouse.com, which sells and distributes her home products to retail customers and wholesalers.










KyDuyenHouse.com
Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen's Facebook Page









Tuan Vu (1959-     ) Overseas Vietnamese singer known for his interpretations of the more traditional type of Vietnamese music.  Born in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, Tuan Vu moved to the United States in 1979 where he first settled in San Francisco, California.  He began his singing career in the early 1980s.  During the latter part of that decade, Tuan Vu was considered the best selling overseas Vietnamese male recording artist of traditional Vietnamese music.  He recorded for numerous Vietnamese music production labels such as Giang Ngoc, Phuong Hoang, Lang Van, Doi Magazine, Thanh Lan, Tu Quynh, Thuy Anh, Nguoi Dep Binh Duong, Asia Productions, and Thuy Nga Paris.  Among his most popular recorded songs are Nguoi Yeu Co Don, Doi Mat Nguoi Xua, Buom Trang, Giot Le Dai Trang, and Co Be Ngay Xua. 

Tuan Vu has performed concerts for overseas Vietnamese audiences all over the world.  In 2001, Tuan Vu returned to Vietnam for the very first time and recorded 3 solo studio albums for the music production label, Rang Dong, based in Vietnam.  He has since returned to Vietnam to do numerous live shows throughout the entire country.  Tuan Vu has recorded duets
with some of the biggest names among overseas Vietnamese female vocalists like Huong Lan, Phuong Dung, Thanh Tuyen, Son Tuyen, Giao Linh and Thien Trang. 

Huong Lan (1956-     ) a former child prodigy in South Vietnam who at the age of 5 made her professional debut on the traditional Vietnamese opera stage known as cai luong alongside her famous father, Huu Phuoc.  Five years later, she would demonstrate her successful transition to Vietnamese pop music during a national television appearance in South Vietnam singing one of legendary songwriter/ singer Duy Khanh's most famous songs, Ai Ra Xu Hue.  During her teenage years, Huong Lan  juggle both careers as a Vietnamese pop singer recording for several major record labels in Saigon, mainly for the Shotguns label, and as a performer on the cai luong stage following in the footsteps of her father.  Ngoc Chanh, the owner of the Shotguns record label, had found many of her recordings for his label through the years quite impressive.  He had seen strong star potential in Huong Lan and, therefor, revealed to Huu Phuoc toward the end of 1974 that he had plans to produce a solo studio album for his daughter and would hopefully turn her into a pop music star. Unfortunately, such plans would not come to fruition due to the political situation during the months right up to the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975.

Huong Lan married fellow cai luong performer Chi Tam in 1976 and welcomed the birth of a son shortly thereafter.  Due to new govermental restrictions imposed on Vietnam's performing arts sector after 1975, Huong Lan' had to put aside her career as a pop music singer during the last 3 years she spent in Saigon before moving to France in 1978.  Once in Paris, the joys of beginning a new life and breaking away from oppressive communism would only be short-lived.  In order to provide for her family, Huong Lan found work as a cook for a small family-owned restaurant in Paris.  Just when life seemed to offer more than its fair share of challenges, Huong Lan's marriage fell apart and ended in divorce in the year of 1982.  Right around this time was when she was approached by Thuy Nga Paris to record music for the label.  Financially strapped and in deep depression, she used recording music as a form of healing as she poured out her emotions in song.  Her poignant interpretations on songs she had recorded, particularly with her cover of Ngay Ve which she appeared on video for Paris By Night in 1984 was widely received and turned her into one of Thuy Nga's most popular recording artists overnight. As her singing career was starting to take flight, Huong Lan made the decision to relocate to Southern California which by the 1980s had the largest concentrated population of resettled former Vietnamese nationals.  

While Huong Lan had managed to maintain a lengthy tenure with Thuy Nga Paris, she had also partaken on numerous collaborations recording for other major Vietnamese music production labels based in the United States during the 1980s like Thanh Lan, Lang Van, Thuy Anh, Da Lan, Doi Magazine and Asia Productions. Huong Lan's reign as the most popular female singer of traditional Vietnamese pop music would last for almost a decade.  Upon resettling in Southern California in 1985, Huong Lan befriended Nam Tran who was the executive producer and host of a weekly Vietnamese language television show called Vietnam Program which aired every Saturday morning on KSCI Channel 18,  Initially seen as a way to promote her music and gain for herself a wider audience, Huong Lan started making frequent guest appearances on the television program.  Her popularity with viewer audiences coupled with her show of dedication prompted Nam Tran to make Huong Lan the show's permanent co-host.  For many consecutive years, Huong Lan kept at her hectic schedule of performing weekly at Ritz and Caravelle Nightclubs in Anaheim, California, performing at live shows in faraway destinations every other week, recording for a handful of different music production companies simultaneously, taping a weekly television program, and even running her own music retail store, Huong Lan Music.  And not to mention, on top of all that, she was also a single mother raising two young sons then.  Most of Huong Lan's fans and her public were not aware of the challenges in her personal life, since she hadn't ever shown neglect toward her career.

In the years that followed, Huong Lan's personal and professional life would change for the better.  In 1988, she starred in a live production revival of a cai luong classic, Tam Long Cua Bien, with an all-star ensemble cast that included her father, Huu Phuoc, Thanh Duoc, Viet Hung, Dung Thanh Lam, Bang Chau and her childhood friend, Phuong Mai.  As the second half of a major concert event that combined both Vietnamese pop music and cai luong, the cast performed at the Anaheim Convention Center in front of an audience that was 7,000 strong.  This would be followed by another triumphant cai luong live production of Nua Doi Huong Phan, where Huong Lan again played the lead alongside veteran cai luong performers such as Huu Phuoc, Dung Thanh Lam, Kieu My Hanh, Ha My Lien, Thanh Duoc, Phuong Mai, and newcomer, Bich Ngoc.  The tremendous success Huong Lan and her cast enjoyed from both live productions also brought about a resurgence in popularity of the cai luong stage, as well as introducing the traditional Vietnamese opera to a whole new generation of younger Vietnamese-Americans.  The following year, Huong Lan would return to the Anaheim Convention Center stage for another cai luong live production.  This time she and ex-husband, Chi Tam, would reunite to portray the lead roles for Lan & Diep.  Audience turn-out for the Lan & Duep performance nearly totaled 10,000.  In the year 1989 was also a turning point in her personal life as Huong Lan became a newlywed.

While at the top of her game, Huong Lan accepted an invitation to perform on a concert tour of Vietnam with other overseas Vietnamese singers Duc Huy, Thao Mi and Quoc Anh in 1994.  She would later regret making this decision and having agreeing to tour Vietnam. With the fairly recent normalization of relations between Vietnam and the United States having taken place then, any former Vietnamese national who had either done business in Vietnam or had any ties with the current regime back in the homeland was often met with extreme animosity from the predominantly anti-communist overseas Vietnamese communities.  For Huong Lan, this was no different.  When information of her accepting the invitation to tour Vietnam hit the press within Vietnamese communities in the United States, Huong Lan was branded by many as a communist sympathizer and a traitor toward the overseas Vietnamese community.   Even some of her most loyal fans turned their backs and boycotted her live performances.  During this time, many show promoters avoided booking Huong Lan for fear that the controversy surrounding her would have a negative effect on ticket sales. A fallen star she had become, Huong Lan's career for the future was now filled with uncertainties.

Like the saying, time heals all, fortunately for Huong Lan, the matters that had brought a halt to her career and life back in 1994 would eventually be resolved by just that.  Since then, she has been able to regain and salvage her rapport with her public and fans.  A bonafied, legendary Vietnamese artist, now in her 50s Huong Lan remains active in her singing career, dividing her time between Vietnam and the United States where she continues to record music, appear on music videos and perform at live shows.  Among her most popular songs recorded are Chiec Ao Ba Ba, Con Thuong Rau Dang Moc Sau He, Long Me, Hinh Bong Que Nha, Chuyen Mot Nguoi Di, and Cay Dan Bo Quen.

Lynda Trang Dai (1968-     ) a pioneer in dance and hip hop music among Vietnamese singers, this singer first got her start in the mid 1980s in Orange County, California and was hailed as the Vietnamese Madonna.  Originally from Nha Trang, Vietnam, Lynda Trang Dai first moved to the United States at the age of 10 with her family.  She has become one of the most popular performers of Paris By Night and first rose to prominence as the lead singer of Anh Tai Music Band and a regular performer at Ritz Nightclub in the 1980s.  Her provocative dance moves, choice of dress attire, and high energy stage performance have contributed to becoming a household name among overseas Vietnamese audiences for the past three decades.

In the 1990s, Lynda Trang Dai's collaborations with numerous Vietnamese music production labels include Thuy Nga Paris, Lang Van, Doi Magazine, and Giang Ngoc.  Most popular were her series of karaoke and videotapes such as Lynda in Macau, Lynda in Hong Kong, Lynda in China, Lynda in Thailand, etc.  Married to fellow

performer, Tommy Ngo, with children, this Vietnamese queen of pop continues to wow audiences worldwide and makes her home in Irivne, California.  Lynda Trang Dai currently is owner of a sandwich shop, Lynda's Sandwiches, in Garden Grove, California.

Luu Bich (1962-     ) the youngest in a family of 7 siblings, all of which are accomplished Vietnamese singers, Luu Bich was the last member to pursue a professional singing career. From her first appearance on the Paris By Night video series in 1988, Luu Bich has been consistently one of the music video series' most popular performers.  Viewer audiences of Thuy Nga Paris instantly took notice of her beauty along with her rich, soulful singing voice.  Luu Bich's earliest recordings had been for her older sister's music label, Khanh Ha Productions, which include a duet album with To Chan Phong, as well as a pair of well-received solo studio albums, Hay Noi Yeu Em Dem Nay and Khi Tinh Bay Xa.  Luu Bich has since launched her own production label, Luu Bich Productions, that has produced and released her studio recordings since its inception.

Long before her debut on the Paris By Night stage, Luu Bich began her career as a music performer as a member of her siblings' pop music group known as the Uptight in 1983.  At first, Luu Bich hadn't given much thought to pursuing a full-time career as a singer.  However, as audiences began to take notice of the youngest sibling who was also lead keyboardist and until then sang mostly background vocals for the Uptight at live shows, which eventually brought about for Luu Bich a change of heart. Upon setting her sights on a solo singing career, Luu Bich has recorded and released a series of highly successful studio solo albums.  An extremely popular live show performer, Luu Bich has graced many stages performing to sold-out crowds all over the world.  For the past two decades, Luu Bich has enjoyed a lengthy collaboration with Thuy Nga Paris and continues to make appearances on the Paris By Night music video series.

Luu Bich on Facebook

Hoai Linh (1969-      ) is a Vietnamese comedian and film actor who first rose to prominence from his performances on comedy sketches produced by Van Son Entertainment in the mid 1990s.  Born in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, Hoai Linh began his career as an entertainer in Ho Chi Minh City prior to resettling in the United States with his family in 1993.  When he first arrived in the United States, he settled in Orlando, Florida with his family.  With the initial intentions of learning a trade, Hoai Linh at first was content to performing for various Vietnamese weddings and gigs around Orlando. However, in 1994 while on a trip visiting Southern California, Hoai Linh's future plans completely changed.

Hoai Linh's portrayal of a Miss Vietnam
Beauty Pageant contestant remains among
his most popular comedic roles to date.

What had been intended only as a brief, temporary stint of replacing Bao Liem as Van Son's sidekick in 1994 resulted in a long, continuous collaboration that lasted for nearly a decade. Viewer audiences were quickly drawn to Hoai Linh's performances in comedy sketches produced by Van Son Entertainment.  Among Hoai Linh's trademarks include his impeccable ability in masterminding all three dialects of the Vietnamese language in which he i, ncorporated brilliantly into his comedy act. Hoai Linh achieved massive success in particular with his comedic portrayals of Miss Vietnam beauty pageant contestants where he appeared in drag wearing different ao dais and speaking in various Vietnamese dialects. Hoai Linh's popularity also led him to numerous appearances on comedy sketches featured on the Paris By Night stage.

Hoai Linh was briefly married to his longtime sweetheart, Thanh Huong, in 1996.  In addition to being a father to a biological daughter, Hoai Linh also has been an adoptive father to two sons, Hoai Lam and Cao Huu Thien, also performers.  His two younger siblings are singers Phuong Trang and Duong Trieu Vu.

With his time divided between the United States and Vietnam, Hoai Linh has also partaken in an acting career starring in a string of movies produced in Vietnam.  Among his most popular movies include Nu Hon Than Chet (2008), Bong Ma Hoc Duong (2011), Hello Co Ba (2012), and Nha Co Nam Nang Tien (2013).


Hoai Linh on Facebook

Ngoc Lan (1956-2001) was a popular overseas Vietnamese singer who was most famous for her interpretations of French love songs.  Born in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Maria Le Thanh Lan was the 4th eldest in a family of 12 children.  Resettled in the United States first in Minnesota in 1980, she began her career singing for weddings and parties with a local band.  In 1982, she moved to California and began recording for various music production labels such as Da Lan and Asia Productions.  Shortly after, promoter Ngoc Chanh took notice of her talent and offered her an exclusive contract to perform at the Ritz Nightclub in Anaheim.  In 1986, she released her solo self-produced studio album entitled Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan.  In the years that followed, she collaborated with another label, Giang Ngoc, to record her next two solo studio albums, Nguoi Yeu Dau (My Precious Love) (1987) and L'amour Tinh Ta (Our Love) (1988).  Both of these albums went on to become two of the best selling albums in the overseas Vietnamese music industry.

Ngoc Lan during a live performance in Ottawa, Canada (1991)

In 1989, Ngoc Lan began a long collaboration with May Productions which produced 7 more of her solo albums and two solo music videotapes, Nhu Em Da Yeu Anh (As If I've Always Loved You) (1990) and Mat Troi Ben Kia Mua Ha (Sunny on the Other Side) (1991), both of which revolutionized the overseas Vietnamese music video production industry. In 1992, Ngoc Lan took a break from performing due to the sudden death of her sister who had been shot during an armed robbery incident along with her personal health matters which she had kept private from her public.

Ngoc Lan returned to performing in 1994 after getting married to a fellow performer, Kelvin Khoa, earlier in the year.  At her return performance event held in the fall of 1994 at the Anaheim Marriott, many audience members noticed that she was quite off during her performance. It then became evident that she was suffering from multiple sclerosis.  Despite her failing health, Ngoc Lan continued to perform and record in the years that followed until it was no longer possible by 1998.  She passed away on March 6, 2001 leaving behind millions of grieving, adoring fans worldwide. Ngoc Lan was just only 44 years old.

ILoveNgocLan.com
NgocLanRemembered.BlogSpot.com
Ngoc Lan Remembered on HubPages
Ngoc Lan Remembered on Facebook

Y Lan (1957-     ) is a famous overseas Vietnamese singer.  Born in Saigon to legendary Vietnamese singer, Thai Thanh, and legendary film actor, Le Quynh, Y Lan is the eldest of five children.  Growing up, Y Lan was hesitant to pursue a career in singing and instead focused primarily on her studies and becoming a businesswoman.  While in Vietnam, Y Lan had owned a cafe that hosted other artists who remained in Vietnam after 1975.  Y Lan did not begin her singing career until the late 1980s in the United States when she was approached by the owner of Diem Xua Productions.  Almost instantaneously, Y Lan became a singing phenomenon with such recordings of songs like Quynh Huong, Ao Dai Viet Nam, and Vet Sau.  Audiences immediately took notice of her beauty and unique singing voice which was reminiscent of her legendary mother.  This would lead Y Lan to numerous music video appearances for Thuy Nga Paris and Asia Productions.

During the early 1990s, Y Lan had performed exclusively for Ritz Nightclub in Anaheim.  Her stage presence and style of dress helped make her one of the highest paid performers at live shows among overseas Vietnamese singers.

 A breast cancer survivor, Y Lan is a mother to six children. Now on her third marriage, Y Lan continues to perform for audiences worldwide and is the owner of her own music production company, Y Lan Productions.

Y Lan Facebook Page

Nhu Quynh (1970-     ) is a popular overseas Vietnamese singer.  Nhu Quynh was born in Hue, Central Vietnam as the eldest of three children, but grew up primarily in Ho Chi Minh City.   In 1991, she entered a national talent contest sponsored by Truyen Hinh Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh City Television Network) and came in first place with the highest marks.  Prior to resettling in the United States in 1993 with her family, she had already embarked in her singing career performing at venues around Ho Chi Minh City and was then known as Quynh Nhu.

After less than a year resettling in Philadelphia, Nhu Quynh was approached by Thy Van and Truc Ho from Asia Productions with an exclusive contract offer and relocated to Southern California in 1994. After a few recorded tracks for Asia Productions, Nhu Quynh made a few appearances on music videos for the label.  Immediately, audiences gravitated to her sweet singing voice as well as her physical attributes on Asia Productions' music video series.  Two songs that would introduce Nhu Quynh onto the spotlight would also become her two signature songs throughout her singing career. The first of these two songs was Nguoi Tinh Mua Dong which appealed to a younger audience and generated many new fans for Nhu Quynh.  The other song, Chuyen Hoa Sim, appealed to a massive worldwide audience of Vietnamese music lovers and turned her into a superstar.

After a little over two years recording for Asia Productions, Nhu Quynh requested to be released out of her contract that would involve a much publicized legal battle.  Nhu Quynh would end up winning her case against Asia Productions and was allowed to be released from her contract with the production label  Nhu Quynh then formed her own music production label, NQ Records, in 1996 and began recording and appearing on music videos for Thuy Nga Paris.  For the next decade, Nhu Quynh would record 10 solo studio albums for the Thuy Nga Paris label.

In 2007, Nhu Quynh made a return to Asia Productions and remained with the label for more than two years.  In 2009, Nhu Quynh left Asia Productions and resumed professional collaborations with Thuy Nga Paris.  Her last solo album, La Giuong, was released in the spring of 2011 and was produced by her own music production label, Nhu Quynh Entertainment, in association with Thuy Nga Paris.

Nhu Quynh became a mother to a baby girl, Melody Dong Nhi, in the year of 2007.  Prior to giving birth, she had kept her pregnancy along with her marriage to husband, Nguyen Thang, a secret from the general public which had sparked a bit of controversy for the singer.

Nhu Quynh Official Website