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3 January 2023 (aged 91) Richmond Hospital, Richmond, Canada
顧嘉煇名曲精選II- 顧嘉煇訪問 Interview with composer Joseph Koo
Joseph Koo Kar-Fai, GBS (25 February 1931– 3 January 2023) was one of the most respected composers in Hong Kong. He used the pen name Moran (莫然) for Mandarin songs early in his career. He had two siblings: an older sister, the famous Chinese singer/painter Koo Mei (顧媚), and a younger brother, Koo Kar-Tseung (顧嘉鏘).
Koo was sponsored by Sir Run Run Shaw to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the early 60s. Upon graduation he returned to Hong Kong and worked for both the Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest movie studios, scoring, among others, the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon in 1972. Later he joined TVB as their director of music, where from the late 1970s until immigrating to Canada in the 1990s, he collaborated with the lyricist Wong Jim on many memorable TV theme songs. Koo composed over 1,200 songs in his career, many of his songs are now considered as classic Cantopop. He only has 2 notable works as a lyrcist, but they are both very short in length and toal number of words. One was a children's song about the ten numbers, the other was the ending 'Goodnight' jingle for Enjoy Yourself Tonight.
In 1961, he composed his first hit (Mandarin Chinese) song 夢 ( meng means "dream"), which was sung by his sister Koo Mei and later another hit song 郊道. In 1974, he wrote the first Cantonese TV theme song (啼笑姻緣) which was the actual first popular Cantopop song.
Koo received Member of Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1982. In 1998, he received the Bronze Bauhinia Star from the Hong Kong Government. He also received other awards including Music Accomplishment Award (from Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd.), Highest Honour Award (from RTHK Ten Best Chinese Music Program), Best Music Award and Best Lyric Award (from Asia Film Festival), Hong Kong Film Awards, Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards and many others.
In 2012 from 30 November to 3 December, he held a concert titled "Joseph Koo Concert 2012" at the Hong Kong Coliseum, which featured many singers including Adam Cheng, George Lam, Teresa Cheung, and Anthony Wong.
In 2015, he announced his retirement as a conductor, and that he would significantly reduce his musical works and become an oil painter like his sister.
Important works in melody
The Legend of the Book and Sword (書劍恩仇錄), theme song from TV series The Legend of the Book and Sword (1976)
Hotel (狂潮), theme song from TV series Hotel (1976)
The Legend of the Heroic Knights (近代豪俠傳) (1976)
Luk Siu Fung (陸小鳳), theme song from TV series Luk Siu Fung (1976)
Horizon Solitary Traveler (天涯孤客) (1976)
The Great Vendetta (大報復), theme song from TV series The Great Vendetta (1977)
Difficult Even Agreement (意難平), theme song from TV series Against the Blade of Honour (1994)
You Come to My Next Full Moon (圓月下你來依我), sub theme song from TV series Against the Blade of Honour (1994)
Splendid Story (精彩故事), theme song from TV series Corner the Con Man (1997)
Has You Rarely (難得有你), theme song from TV series Corner the Con Man (1997)
Top of the Head, One Piece of the Day (頭頂一片天) (1998)
The Cool Breeze Does Not Dye (清風不染), theme song from TV series Justice Sung II (1999)
The Wine of Mellow Shade (醇酒醉影), theme song from TV series Country Spirit (2001)
The Immortal of the Water Center (水中仙), theme song from TV series Where the Legend Begins (2002)
Beautiful Fate (美麗緣份), theme song from TV series Better-halves (2003)
The Sky is Blue (天這樣藍), theme song from TV series Drive of Life (2007)
Glory Mark (光輝的印記) (2008)
Death
Koo died in Richmond, Canada on 3 January 2023, at age 92. Joseph's son, Koo Chi Ho, revealed that he had suffered symptoms and complications of COVID-19 and decreased appetite and energy weeks before his passing. He was otherwise fit and healthy beforehand.