Gary Chaw Biography
Gary Chaw is a Malaysian Chinese singer songwriter born on 9th July 1979 in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia. He is also known as Gary Cao or Cao Ge. He is renowned for his stage presence, wide vocal range, and rich voice.
His parents separated when he was 9 months old and he lived with his grandfather since he was 11 months. He received his early education in Canada when he was 9. He later went on to continue his studies in Engineering at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. However, he left New Zealand before completing his studies.
Gary Chaw Career
Gary Chaw began his career in Taiwan in 2001 at a KTV bar in Malaysia, singing Ting Hai, a song originally sung by A-Mei. He performed in front of its composer and arranger, Michael Tu and he became his reference and supporter to start his career. He also sang Dark Humour by Jay Chou and Duo De Ta by Faye Wong (Cantonese version of “SuperWoman.)
In 2002 Gary Chaw left his home in Malaysia to go to Taiwan to pursue his career in music. He purchased a one-way plane ticket and brought with him only around RM1,600 (about HK$4,000). He tried to get into numerous record companies who criticized him harshly for being ugly and lacking talent. After many failures Gary Chaw became an alcoholic, battled insomnia, unemployment, suffered from severe depression, loss of friends and confidence.He attempted suicide by sedative overdose but he was lucky he survived.
Gary Chaw career took a turn when he stumbled across a homeless cat with no owner which he took home and raised since they were both unwanted by the society. He named it “Lin Lin” and wrote a song for the cat “The world’s only you”. From then on, his career completely changed. After three years of hard work, he signed with Rock Records in 2004.
In 2006 Gary Chaw won Hong Kong TVB8’s Best Newcomer Singer award. His big break occurred with the release of his Mandarin version of Karyn White’s 1988 song “Superwoman”. With this song, he won the Best Mandarin Male singer in the 19th Golden Melody Awards.
In 2008 Gary Chaw composed and sang a song for the 2008 Beijing Olympics that was released in a Rock records CD called “Far away”.
In 2010 he joined BMA and has since been dubbed “Asia Best Male Singer” by the media. His most recent concert tour of Asia, “Welcome to My World” was a great success. Chaw is renowned for his impressive vocal range, such that he was considered androgynous when he made his debut. He has often covered songs that ranged from tenor, such as “Moon River”, to songs that are mezzo-soprano range, such as “Ting Hai”. Including chest and mix voices, his vocal range is from G3 to C6. Gary Chaw also sang “My Way” by Frank Sinatra switching between low tenor to countertenor range.
At the end of 2011 alongside his producer & teacher, Michael Tu, launched “Project SENSATION” – a new music label. At the same time the band released a limited debut single “All I Have to Do is Dream”, solely available in the 1st mini-concert of SENSATION. The new-formed band members included Gary (vo.), and members from MUSA’s: Martin “Musa” Musaubach (piano), Lautaro “LuKa” Bellucca (bass & double bass) & Adriano “Gaofei” Moreira (dr. & per.).
In 2012 June, “Gary Chaw Project Sensation 1: JAZZ” was released. Soon enough the band started their tour in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong during the summertime.
In 2014 Gary Chaw entered I Am A Singer 2, and was the first singer to be eliminated, but returned on the repêchage to finish in the top 5.
In 2015, Gary Chaw entered The Chinese version of The Masked Singer, using the mask of Sun Wukong as a disguise, but was instantly recognised by fans online due to his previous performances in other competitions or appearances. He was the first replacement singer, and came second in leg 2, while being eliminated in the first round in legs 3 and 4, meaning he is at risk of being eliminated from the competition in leg 5.
Gary Chaw
Gary Chaw Albums
- 2006: Superman
- 2006: Blue
- 2008: Super Sunshine
- 2010: Back in Control
Gary Chaw Songs
- Superwoman
- Close To You
- Every Time You Go Away
- Love You
- Fly Me To The Moon
- All I Have To Do Is Dream
- I Just Called To Say I Love You
- So What (Band)
- Rainbow
- So What (B*** Solo)
- Sunday Afternoon
- For Your Love
- So What (Drums Solo)
- Superman
- Ridiculous Hero
- Betrayal
- End Of The World
- Happy Day
- Happy Birthday To Me
- So What (Drums and B***)
- Ai Zhuan **** (Love Turning)
- Super Sunshine
- Zhang Wen (Palm Print)
Gary Chaw Wife
In 2008 Gary Chaw married Wu Sou Ling through registering their marriage without any fanfare or ceremony. In 2016 Gary booked an entire movie theatre for a surprise proposal and he also spent three months and a large amount of money to gather over 100 people to produce a proposal video for his wife.
They have two children a son Joe and daughter Grace. In 2014 together with his kids they participated in “Where Are We Going,Dad? (Season 2).
Gary Chaw Wedding
Taiwan-based Malaysian singer Gary Chaw caught paparazzi off guard yesterday (July 3) when he disclosed in an interview that he had finally thrown a wedding banquet last year, after tying the knot with his wife, Wu Sou Ling, eight years ago.
When probed about the details of the wedding ceremony, the singer grew cautious and simply brushed off the questions and answered, “That’s not important, but we had the ceremony already. It was low-profile”.
Sou Ling also told the media that she did not get a NT$10 million (approximately S$427,500) wedding ring, but instead received another present, a diamond encrusted bangle from Gary. Gary promised to inform the reporters if he plans to have another wedding ceremony for the media anytime soon.
The couple’s marriage reportedly hit a snag when Sou Ling moved out with their two children two years ago due to Gary’s over reliance on alcohol and his drunken outbursts. The 37-year-old singer has since quit drinking and was forgiven by his wife after an elaborate wedding proposal.
Related biographies
Malaysian singer Gary Chaw: ‘I won’t drink any more’
Malaysian singer-songwriter Gary Chaw says he is quitting drinking for life, after he caused a disturbance at a music cafe last month and his wife threatened to leave him.
The 34-year-old had said he would abstain from alcohol for a year after a 2009 drunken brawl with Hong Kong singer Justin Lo.
Last month, after a quarrel with his wife, make-up artist Wu Su-ling, he made a scene at Riverside Music Cafe in Taipei, while watching a performance by his band Sensation, said China Times.
A drunken Chaw dragged a female make-up artist on stage and singer Alien Huang, who was in the audience, had to haul him off stage, said the report. Chaw also had a scuffle with his cousin.
At a press conference on Monday, the singer said: “I won’t drink any more.” He said it 16 times in a row, reported China Times, and swore to quit showbusiness if he drank again.
His agent did not appear to trust him, however. Rephrasing the promise, the agent said that if the singer broke his vow, he would donate NT$10mil (RM1.08mil) to an abstinence-related group.
Last month, Wu told Taiwan Apple Daily she had gone on a trip to her hometown in central Taiwan with the couple’s two children for a few days to “calm down”.
She said that she would give Chaw one last chance and that things would be “critical” between them if he had another drunken incident.
On Facebook on Monday, she said she was “100% confident” of her husband this time. “I support you because you deserve it,” she wrote. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network
Source: The Star Online (6 November 2013)
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