KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Iconic Taiwanese singer Liu Wen-cheng passed away from a heart ailment.
The news was confirmed by Liu’s former manager Hsia Yu-shun who received the information from Liu’s family, Asia One reported.
According to Hsia, he wanted to talk to Liu in December but was informed the singer had passed away a month earlier at his Las Vegas home.
It is unclear why Hsia decided to release the news of Liu’s death on Wednesday (February 15).
Liu entered showbiz in 1975 and his stardom spread to China and the rest of South-east Asia.
Among his biggest hits were Late and Soft Rain in March.
He temporarily left the industry in 1984 and relocated to the United States, only to return to Taiwan two years later to set up a company where he groomed singers like Eric Moo, Annie Yi and Fang Wen-lin.
He eventually left the industry in 1991.
According to 8days, Liu died one week shy of his 70th birthday.
He was alone at home then, and his body was discovered by his younger sister the next morning.
He was once hailed as the ‘First Ancestor of Idols’ for the impact he left on the music industry and bagged three Golden Bell Awards for Best Male Singer before the age of 30.
Said to be from a wealthy family, Liu lived a comfortable life as a property investor following his retirement from the entertainment industry.