The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the livelihoods of many ordinary folk, but celebrities have not been spared either.
Hong Kong singer Kenny Bee, a member of Cantopop band The Wynners, told Hong Kong media on June 11 that he has almost "zero income" since early this year.
The 1970s group, of which veteran singer Alan Tam is also a part, were scheduled to perform in Macau in early February, but had to call the gig off due to the outbreak.
Bee, 67, said many musicians and technical crew members have also been hit hard as most of the concerts in Hong Kong were cancelled. He has invited some of them to help him record his songs for his future projects.
In earlier interviews with the media, he said he had written a few songs for The Wynners while staying home.
When asked if he would hold online concerts like what Sam Hui and Aaron Kwok did, he said he had considered doing it. Still, he felt that online concerts were different from physical ones with fans in attendance.
He suggested that on-site gigs be allowed to resume but with no audience.
"We can follow the foreign award ceremonies where there is social distancing between the artists and the staff," he said. "At least there will be some income for the lighting and sound workers even if there is no audience."
Bee, who was attending a press conference to encourage the Hong Kong people to boost the economy through consumption, said he had done his part by spending at shops with his family during the pandemic.
The singer, who filed for bankruptcy in 2002 but was discharged in 2006, is married to his former assistant Fan Chiang, with whom he has two daughters.
He also has a son and daughter from his previous marriage to actress-socialite Teresa Cheung. They had a high-profile divorce in 1999. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
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