HK Heavenly King Jacky Cheung plans to sing for another decade or more

Hong Kong actor-singer Jacky Cheung is promoting his concert albums recorded from his A Classic Tour tour.. Photo: Universal Music

Jacky Cheung, who turned 60 in July, declared he wants to continue singing for many more years.

He said this during an online press conference from The Peninsula hotel in Hong Kong on Tuesday (Dec 21). He was promoting his concert albums recorded from his global tour, titled A Classic Tour, from 2016 to 2019.

The singer-actor performed 233 shows – kicking off in Beijing, then travelling to cities such as Paris and Las Vegas, before rounding up in Hong Kong. More than 4.5 million fans attended the shows.

The concert albums, which will be released on Thursday (Dec 23), come in four editions – a hardcover Blu-ray edition and a CD version recorded at the Hong Kong Coliseum, featuring more Cantonese songs; and two similar editions recorded at the Taipei Arena, which have more Mandarin numbers.

Many songs performed at the shows, such as The Goodbye Kiss and Love Is Eternal, are featured on the albums.

Cheung, known as the God of Songs, heard and watched all the performances in the new albums before they were released.

He said: "I actually know the whole production. Every detail of the process, from performance to post-production... It is my hard work from beginning to end and can reflect my singing career."

Referring to the 233 shows, he added that he has no desire to top this figure in future tours.

There are plans to go on tour again, depending on the Covid-19 situation.

Since the pandemic broke out, Cheung – who has two daughters with his wife, former Hong Kong actress May Lo – has been spending more time with his family, looking after his pets and becoming a "housekeeping expert".

He can even repair dishwashers, he said, as well as fry rice and cook noodles. "Living a regular life is basically my strength," he added.

While work life has slowed down during the pandemic, he did participate in the One World: Together At Home online global concert in April 2020, which also featured stars such as American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth and Irish singer Niall Horan.

In July this year, Cheung released the Cantonese song, The Meaning Of Perseverance.

He also revealed that he might film a new movie next year. One of his roles in recent years was in the Hong Kong drama Heaven In The Dark (2016), which earned him a Best Leading Actor nod at the Golden Horse Awards.

Although he is still getting offers to appear in movies, he feels he has to be selective as many of the roles are younger than his actual age.

"In my 30s or 40s, I had no issue playing teenagers. But now that I am in my 60s, I will find it hard to play a 30something. I am an old fox."

The Jacky Cheung A Classic Tour concert albums is released on Dec 23. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network