James Wong Jim


James Wong Jim was a Cantopop lyricist and songwriter based primarily in Hong Kong. Beginning from the 1960s, he was the lyricist for over 2,000 songs, collaborating with songwriter Joseph Koo on many popular television theme songs, many of which have become classics of the genre. His work propelled Cantopop to unprecedented popularity.
He was also well known in Asia as a columnist, actor, film director, screenwriter, and talk show host. He took part in creative directing positions within the entertainment industry in Hong Kong.
Wong died on 24 November 2004 of lung cancer after a four-year battle at the age of 63.

Early life and education

Wong was born Wong Jum-sum in Panyu, in what now is part of Guangzhou, China. He migrated to Hong Kong with his family in 1949.
He completed his secondary education at La Salle College. In 1963, he graduated from the Chinese Department, Faculty of Arts of the University of Hong Kong. Wong received an MPhil degree from the University of Hong Kong in 1983 for his study in Cantonese opera. In May 2003, in the midst of his fight with lung cancer, he obtained a PhD degree from the Department of Sociology, University of Hong Kong. The title of his thesis was "The Rise and Decline of Cantopop : A Study of Hong Kong Popular Music ".

Career and contributions

Wong participated in a variety of media fields including advertising, movies and music. Nicknamed a "genius" for his prodigious abilities, he was best known for his achievements as a lyricist of Cantonese songs in Hong Kong. Beginning from the 1960s, he was the lyricist for over 2,000 songs, collaborating with composer Joseph Koo on many popular TVB TV drama theme songs, many of which have become classics of the genre. His works pushed the development of Cantopop to unprecedented popularity.
While well known and praised for his creative works in the entertainment and advertisement fields, Wong was also famous for his vulgar and indelicate jokes. He had a series of best-selling joke books. He was regarded as responsible for breaking the barrier to many cultural taboos in Hong Kong during the conservative environment in the 1970s. He is best remembered as the person who came up with the slogan "Two kids are good enough" for The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong.
Wong hosted several TV programs, mostly interviews or talk shows oriented towards adults, on both TVB and ATV. One of the talk shows called "Off-guard Tonight", co-hosted by Wong and his close friends Chua Lam and Ni Kuang on ATV, is particularly remembered.
As a singer, he is a tenor with 2.5 octaves in chest voice due to him being a heavy smoker.
In the 1990s, Wong's creative works became less popular, and many entertainment companies featured fewer of Wong's songs. Some TV shows hosted by Wong were also unpopular. Wong decided to return to Hong Kong University to get a doctorate degree in Hong Kong popular culture. His dissertation essay is now in the library of Hong Kong University.
On 24 November 2004, Wong died at the Union Hospital in Hong Kong. His funeral was a low-key family funeral as per his wishes. Hong Kong citizens reflected on his career and accomplishments during this time. In the following days, the news of his death became the primary media headline in Hong Kong, and his compositions were played throughout the week. A remembrance ceremony took place at Hong Kong Stadium, with over 15,000 attending this ceremony.

Personal life

Wong was officially married twice, but had three notable relationships. He had three children with his first wife, singer Wah Wa. Their sons were Wong Yue-hon and Wong Yue-man. Their marriage ended while Hua Wa was pregnant with their only daughter, Ursule Wong.
Wong once said the most important love of his life was Eunice Lam, a writer whom he lived with from 1976 to 1990, but did not marry. Lam was also a radio host, and was the sister of Richard Lam, a Cantopop lyricist. Lam died from cancer in 2018.
Wong's second marriage was to his long-time assistant, Winnie Chan, until his death, but she was never seen with him in public.

Important works in lyrics

Wong received numerous awards for his works.
– Music Awards
– Film Awards