HONG KONG - Their friendship goes back to the early 1970s when they were members of the Cantopop band The Wynners.

So it is not surprising that Hong Kong singer-actor Kenny Bee was one of the celebrities to send birthday greetings when veteran singer Alan Tam turned 71 on Monday (Aug 23).

Bee, 68, posted several photos on Weibo to mark the occasion, writing in Chinese: "Countless happy hours together. Wishing my good brother good fortune and longevity, always smiling and always singing good songs. Happy birthday, Alan!"

The photos showed him and Tam performing in concerts, sharing meals and being on the same plane.

There was even a recent photo of the Wynners reunion at a concert. The other members of the band are lead guitarist Bennett Pang, 72, drummer Anthony Chan, 69, and bassist Danny Yip, 71.

Tam himself also posted several photos, and wrote that there were earlier birthday bashes with other Hong Kong celebrities such as actor Eric Tsang, actress Bernice Liu and singer Gin Lee.

Known affectionately as Principal Tam due to his stature in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, the singer also posted photos of the many cakes he received, including one with the big number 25. The youthful-looking celebrity is famous for insisting that he is "forever 25".

He also shared a video from the Alan Tam International Fan Club, in which he said one of his birthday wishes is to hold a concert soon.