Agnes Chan

Agnes Chan or Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan (Chinese name : ?陳美齡 or 陈美龄, Japanese name : アグネス・チャン, born August 20, 1955, British territory Hong Kong) is a pop singer , a television personality, a doctor of education, a professor at Japanese universities, an essayist, a novelist and the ambassador of the Japan Committee for UNICEF.

Career

Agnes Chan began singing and playing guitar in her junior high years in Hong Kong, as volunteer work for fundraising events. She had a chance to record a cover of Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game" with

Related Topics:
Guitar - Joni Mitchell

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her elder sister, actress Irene Chan, and it became a hit song in Hong Kong. She became famous througout southeast Asia through several of Chang Che's movies, including Young People and Treason.

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Chan was brought to Japan by Japanese singer/songwriter Masaaki Hirao. In 1972 she recorded her first Japanese pop hit, "Poppy Flower (ひなげしの花)." Her clear voice, pretty looks, and imperfect Japanese made her a teenage idol. In 1973, Chan's third single, "Splendor in the Grass (草原の輝き)," earned her the Japan Record Grand Prix "Rookie of the Year" award.

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Chan enrolled in Tokyo's Sophia University and studied for two years, after which she decided to take a break from the entertainment business and study social child psychology at Toronto University in Canada.

Related Topics:
Sophia University - Toronto University

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After graduating in 1978, Chan returned to Japan to resume her singing career. Her first Cantonese album was released in Hong Kong in 1979. She won a prize for her peace thesis for International Youth Year, 1984. Her first concert in China, a benefit for Song Qingling's child fund, was held in 1985 at Beijing's capital gym for an audience of 54,000.

Related Topics:
Cantonese - International Youth Year - Song Qingling

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Chan's 1984 visit to Ethiopia during a drastic drought and food shortage was covered for the Nippon Television Network's annual "24-Hour TV" charity special. Through these events, she began volunteer work once again, aside from continuing her entertainment career.

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In 1986, Chan married her former manager, Tsutomu Kaneko, and gave birth to her eldest son in Canada. After returning to Japan the following year, she began bringing her infant son to the workplace. This was seen as highly controversial ("Agnes" became something of a buzzword in Japan) and raised the question of a mother's place in the working world.

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In 1989, Chan began studying with Stanford University's department of education. During her stay in the United States, she gave birth to her second son. With Myra H. Strober, Chan investigated the situations of ten graduates from Tokyo University and Stanford ten years after their graduation. This showed significant differences between the men and women of Japan and the U.S., and earned Chan her Ph.D. Chan returned to Japan as a lecturer, essayist, and university professor. In 1998, Chan was appointed the first ambassador of the Japan Committee for UNICEF.

Related Topics:
Stanford University - Myra H. Strober - Tokyo University - UNICEF

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Chan's education had a profound impact on her singing career - by the year 2000, her recordings had taken a darker, moodier tone.

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In 2002, Chan began her work as a novelist with 'Perfect Couple' and 'Bullet Ring.'

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Chan released her first self-cover single "Splendor in the Grass 2005 (草原の輝き2005)." in 2005, and it was used as TV commercial song for a herval tea by Asahi beverage. Chan's latest single is "Flower of Hapiness (??????)". She is currently recording an English-language album slated for release in the United States, including a duet with the legendary Chinese performer, Jackie Chan.

Related Topics:
The United States - Jackie Chan

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