English translation

Luu Huynh Chau, Chinese name: Liu Qiong Zhu, born: March 23, 1966, was a Vietnamese singer who used to be idol in Japan in early 1980s.

She is Vietnamese of Chinese descent, born in Saigon, Vietnam. Her father was a very popular dance choreographer who owned a dance troupe and her mother was a singer and main performer in that troupe operated in the legendary Maxim club in Saigon. She already perform with her mom in their family troupe when she was 5. 

March 1975, her mom and their troupe went to perform in Japan with a group consisted of many famous Vietnamese celebrities in what supposed to be 6 months tour to perform all over Japan. Unfortunately, tragedy struck. April 1975, Saigon was fallen, North Vietnam won the Vietnam war, South Vietnam surrendered and ceased to exist, their embassy in Japan closed. Those Vietnamese artists were stuck in Japan although they were allowed to temporary reside there and reapply their visas every 6 months. Luu Huynh Chau, her dad and her little brother who stayed in Saigon only found a way to escape Vietnam in 1979, successfully applied for political asylum in Japan and finally reunited with her mom after 4 years and 4 months.

Living in Japan as refugee, one day she saw the movie "Zessho" starring Yamaguchi Momoe (the biggest 1970s idol) and decided she wanted to become a singer like her. 

"Zessho" (1975)

 

March 1982, she participated in the infamous singing audition show "Star Tanjou!" (that had produced a lot of successful singers including Yamaguchi Momoe) and became the grand champions. She was signed by Polystar and made her singing debut on December 24, 1982. Her debut song was written and composed by the famous singer-songwriter Tanimura Shinji who fully supported her, even frequently played her debut single in his own radio program. In January 1983, she appeared for the first time in the famous singing program "Yoru no Hit Studio", and on February, she held her first concert.

 

 

About this song 

Released on December 24, 1982 as her debut single, this song reached #72 on Oricon chart and sold 17,000 copies, which is her highest chart position and her highest selling song (*in her career in Japan). The song title is somehow the same as the name of the singing audition program she won. 

 

Her live performances:

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1cA411q71A/

^ in "Yoru no Hit Studio"

 

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ej421Z7U6/

 

In her one year career as idol singer in Japan, she has released a total of 3 singles and 1 original album. There's no information about her total sales. She has never appeared in any drama or movie.

 

 

 

 

Luu Huynh Chau seen with other idols:

 

^ (3:40) Luu Huynh Chau seen with other "Star Tanjou!" winners and ex-contestants who had debuted as singers including: (0:08) Mori Masako, (0:15) Sakurada Junko, (0:35) Ito Sakiko, (0:54) Iwasaki Hiromi, (1:16) Kei of Pink Lady, (2:02) Ishino Mako, (2:32) Kashiwabara Yoshie, (3:16) Kyon2, (3:29) Nakamori Akina, (4:16) Matsuo Kumiko, (4:25) Matsumoto Akiko, (4:35) Suita Asuka, (4:46) Kawakami Yukie, (4:59) Ota Takako.   Her idol Yamaguchi Momoe already retired since 1980 so she didn't appear there. 

 

 

^ (1:41) Luu Huynh Chau (white) and Morio Yumi (yellow) watching Iwai Sayuri singing. 

 

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D19S56AU0AAeWKu?format=jpg&name=large

^ with Saijo Hideki

 

 

 

Unfortunately her songs didn't sell. She retired from singing in December 1983 but remain in Japan until she graduated high school. She then moved to the United States and in late 1980s restarted her singing career under the stage name Y Nhi and said to enjoy success in early 1990s as overseas Vietnamese singer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and decades have passed...

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this was Y Nhi (formerly known as Luu Huynh Chau) in 2019