Hong Kong artiste Alan Tam has shut down claims of a discord between him and late pop icon Leslie Cheung.
In the 1980s, the press would frequently pit them against one another as they were the most successful male Cantopop singers at the time. This led to heated arguments among their fans.
Speaking on an online show recently, Tam said he and Cheung had a friendly relationship despite rumours saying otherwise.
Tam, 73, said: “The fans were not sensible enough ... if Leslie were alive, he would say such notions were foolish.”
Tam also reminisced about his close bond with late singer-actress Anita Mui, adding that revisiting old photos and videos of them together with Cheung would make him feel sad.
The singer, who is also part of The Hong Kong Celebrity Football Team, humorously referred to Mui as his “younger brother” as she had a habit of entering the male locker room whenever his team changed clothes.
Tam, Cheung and Mui, alongside late pop idol Danny Chan, were some of the biggest names in Hong Kong's Cantopop scene. They were collectively known as “Three Kings and a Queen” in the 1980s.
In a 1988 interview with a magazine outlet, Cheung spoke out against the much-rumoured rivalry between him and Tam.
“Maybe the problem is that people – the press like to compare us. First it was Danny Chan, now it’s Alan Tam,” he said.
Chan died at the age of 35 in 1993 after being in a coma for 17 months. Cheung and Mui passed away in 2003.
Cheung died by suicide at 46. It is reported that he had been suffering from depression.
Mui died at the age of 40 from cervical cancer.
Those suffering from problems can reach out to: Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or WhatsApp 019-261 5999); Jakim’s Family, Social and Community care centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929 or www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia for a full list of numbers and operating hours).
