Introduction
Roman Tam, known by the stage name Lo Man (羅文), nickname Law Kee (蘿記), (11 February 1945 – 18 October 2002) was a renowned Hong Kong Cantopop singer. He is regarded as the "Godfather of Cantopop".
Career
Tam was seen as a cultural icon to Chinese communities around the world (including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and, later Mainland China). He had a string of hits in a career spanning 30 years. He was well respected for his singing skills, his positive outlooks, and his insistence on correct pronunciations.
Born in Baise, Guangxi, China with family roots in Guiping, Guangxi. He moved to Guangzhou(Canton) since 1947 at the age of 2. He later immigrated to Hong Kong in 1962 at the age of 17. After forming a short-lived band known as Roman and the Four Steps, he became a contract singer under studios term at TVB. He briefly switched to Asia Television in the early 1990s.
During the 1990s, he accepted many budding singers as his students. Some of which who became famous included Joey Yung and Ekin Cheng. He had sung many well known songs for various TV series including Below the Lion Rock and the 1982 TVB TV series The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
Tam never married. He died in Hong Kong at Queen Mary Hospital from liver cancer. The title of "Godfather of Cantopop" was confirmed in his obituary.
Collaborations
Roman Tam counts Jenny Tseng as his dearest friend and best partner. He recorded a series of duets with Jenny Tseng for the television drama hit "Legend of Condor Heroes." Jenny Tseng still pays tribute to Roman Tam during her concerts.