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Jay Chou, born 18 January 1979, is a World Music Award-winning Taiwanese musician, singer, producer, actor and director. In 1998, he was discovered in a talent contest where he showcased his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular Chinese singers. Trained in classical music, he combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock, and pop genres, covering issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization.

In 2000, he released his first album titled Jay under the record company Alfa Music. Since then, he has released one album per year, selling several million copies each. His music has gained recognition throughout Asia, most notably in countries such as China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and in overseas Chinese communities, winning more than 20 awards each year. In 2007, he was named one of the 50-most influential people in China by the British think tank Chatham House. He starred in Initial D (2005) for which he won Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). His career now extends into directing and running his own record company JVR Music.

Early life

Jay Chou grew up in the small town of Linkou, Taiwan. Both his parents were secondary school teachers: his mother Ye Hui Mei (traditional Chinese: 叶惠美; simplified Chinese: 叶惠美; pinyin: Yè Huìměi) taught fine arts while his father Zhou Yao Zhong (Chinese: 周耀中; pinyin: Zhōu Yàozhōng) was a biology instructor. His mother noticed his sensitivity to music and took him to piano lessons at the age of 4. During his childhood, he was fascinated with capturing sounds and songs with his tape recorder, something he carried everywhere with him. In the third grade, he became interested in music theory and also started cello lessons. As an only child, he enjoyed being the family's center of attention; he loved to play piano, imitate TV actors, and perform magic tricks. His parents divorced when he was 14; as a result, he became reclusive and introverted. Although he had friends, he often preferred to be alone listening to music, contemplating and daydreaming. At Dan Jiang Senior High School, he majored in piano and minored in cello. He showed talent for improvisation, became fond of pop music and began to write songs.[2][3]

Chou graduated from high school with inadequate grades for university, so he prepared for military service, which was compulsory for all Taiwanese men at the age of 18. However, a sports injury triggered by an unexplainable and severe back pain eventually led to the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, a hereditary spine inflammation disease; as a result, he was exempted from conscription.[4][5] Meanwhile, he found himself a job as a waiter. Without his knowing, his friend had entered both their names in a talent show called Super New Talent King. Chou played the piano accompaniment for his friend, whose singing was described as "lousy". Although they did not win, the show's host Jacky Wu—an influential character in Taiwan's entertainment business—happened to glance at Chou's music score and was impressed with its complexity. Wu hired him as a contract composer and paired him with the novice lyricist Vincent Fang (Chinese: 方文山; pinyin: Fāng Wénshān).[3]

Over the next two years he wrote songs for Chinese pop artists, and also learned recording and sound mixing; his dedication was apparent as he even slept in the music studio. There were no plans to make him a singer because his mentor Wu thought he was too shy and not good-looking. Wu's music studio was later sold to Alfa Music, and the new manager Yang Jun Rong asked him to release his own album. Chou already had an arsenal of songs he wrote for others but had been rejected, so among those he chose 10 for his debut CD Jay that was released in 2000. The album established his reputation as a musically gifted singer-songwriter whose style is a fusion of R&B, rap, classical music, and yet distinctly Chinese. His fame spread quickly not only in Chinese-speaking regions, but in non-Chinese countries as well throughout Southeast Asia.[6][7][8] Since 2000, Chou has released one album per year, each selling several million copies (see Discography), and has been recognized with hundreds of awards.[9] In 2003, he was the cover story of Time magazine (Asia version),[3] acknowledging his influence on popular culture. He has held two world tours, "The One" (2002) and "Incomparable" (2004), performing in cities such as Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Las Vegas, and Vancouver. Unlike most singers, Chou has an enormous amount of creative control over his music.[3] He is not only the songwriter but also the producer in all of his albums; since 2005 he is also the music director and also directs his own music videos.

While continuing to release an album yearly, he also entered the movie business with his debut role as the lead actor in Initial D, for which he won Best Newcomer at the Golden Horse Awards in 2005.[10] The following year, Chou was cast as a supporting character in the world-wide release of Curse of the Golden Flower, starring international Chinese stars Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li, giving Chou his brief but formal introduction to North American audiences. In February 2007, he finally fulfilled his childhood dream of being a director in Secret, in which he also played the main character.[11] In March 2007, his 8-year contract with Alfa Music ended. Chou, his manager Yang Jun Rong, and lyricist Vincent Fang co-founded a new record company, JVR Music (which is an acronym for Jay, Vincent, Jun Rong) through which Chou will continue his music career and fulfill his goal of fostering new singing talent.