The “Father of Taiwanese Pop Music”, Steven Liu Chia-Chang (刘家昌), sadly passed away two days ago (2nd December 2024) at age 83. The cause of death has been reported to be cancer, which has been confirmed by his family members.
His family posted an official statement yesterday (Tuesday, 3rd November), on his Weibo account, saying that he passed away peacefully and that his funeral will be done privately, attended by only close friends and family. They have requested space and time to mourn the Taiwanese star’s death on their own.
Before his death, Steven Liu and his second ex-wife, Chang Chia-Chen (章家珍), better known as the actress Chen Chen (甄珍), had been involved in an inheritance dispute that spanned several years. In 2018, the pair reconciled for a short while; however, last year, in 2023, old resentments resurfaced, bringing the issues back into the light.
This led to the continued dispute, putting the two back on bad terms, with the stars airing their dirty laundry for the world to see. They exposed each other, with Steven saying that Chen Chen had been taking money, calling her and their son greedy. The actress responded by calling him out for his gambling addictions, and abusive behaviour.
Regardless of everything, fans would still be saddened when their favourite artists passed away, and even more so if they were someone who contributed so much to not just the Taiwanese music industry, but also the film industry, as an actor and director in numerous films. Our hearts go out to Steven Liu’s family and friends. Many condolences to them as they grieve their loss.
His last wish, mentioned in one of his Weibo posts, was for everyone to be confident in themselves and to sing the words to his song “I Am Chinese”. So, in his honour, let’s sit back and sing along to this beloved song.
Sources: Weibo(1)(2), Dim Sum Daily, See Hua, sinchew.com.my, ETtoday星光雲
Janae Lee contributed to this article.
