Hong Kong singer-songwriter Khalil Fong dies at 41 after battling illness

Khalil Fong, a Hong Kong singer-songwriter known for merging soul and R&B elements into Chinese pop music, passed away on February 21 at the age of 41.

His record label, Fu Music, announced his death on Saturday, attributing it to a “relentless illness” he had been fighting for five years, although the exact cause of death and location were not specified.

Fong’s music, which skillfully combined soulful vocals and a unique blend of soul music with Mandarin pop, found a fan base not just in Hong Kong but also across mainland China and the wider Chinese-speaking world.

Despite the difficulties of introducing soul music in a region where the genre wasn’t widely accepted, Fong was determined to integrate it into the context of Chinese language music.

Fong made his debut in 2005 with the funky and syncopated album “Soulboy,” followed by eight more albums over the decade. His career was later impacted by health issues, causing him to largely withdraw from public view, though he continued to release singles.

His last album, “The Dreamer,” was created during various stages of his undisclosed illness, which he saw simultaneously as a challenge and a relief from his health problems.

Fong was born on July 14, 1983, in Hawaii. Growing up, he was exposed to his father’s collection of blues and soul records from the 1950s to the 1970s. The family moved to Shanghai when Fong was five, then to Guangzhou before settling in Hong Kong.

Fong learned guitar and started writing music as a teenager. His debut album “Soulboy” came out when he was 22, followed by successful albums like “Love Love Love,” “Orange Moon,” and “Timeless,” along with international tours.

Fong often sang in Mandarin and English as he wasn’t comfortable singing in Cantonese, his third language. His original songs and covers of American hits accumulated millions of online views.

In 2016, he founded the independent label Fu Music to pay tribute to both Chinese and Western musical influences. That year, he released “JTW,” a collaboration with South Korean and Taiwanese pop stars.

In 2018, Fong published “Emi the Dream Catcher,” a fantasy graphic novel series he wrote in Chinese and English, focusing on themes of lucid dreaming and social awareness.

Fong’s legacy as a dreamer and advocate for combining different musical styles is remembered in his final album “The Dreamer,” launched in 2024. Despite hoping to tour again and release new music, Fong’s death leaves a void in the music world.

His incomplete farewell song “Not Much Left to Say” poignantly captures his struggle with time, ending abruptly as he contemplates the swift passage of life.