Veteran Singapore Hokkien singer David Chia dies at 73

SINGAPORE – Veteran local Hokkien singer David Chia has died at the age of 73 on Jan 8.

His daughter Lindy Chia told Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao that her father had been hospitalised during the Christmas period and was discharged on Dec 31, after which he went on a cruise.

But David Chia suddenly collapsed due to a cerebral haemorrhage at about 3am on Jan 2 while the cruise ship was sailing near Melaka.

“Due to the emergency, a connecting boat took my father from the cruise ship to a hospital in Melaka on shore,” Ms Chia, 49, told Zaobao. “My younger brother was with him at the time, and I immediately arranged for an ambulance to take him from the Melaka hospital back to Singapore overnight.”

She added that Chia was not in a good condition after being admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, with tubes inserted all over his body.

“He had been struggling for many days and the family braced themselves for the worst,” she said. “He suddenly got out of bed on Jan 6 and walked around, but that night, his breathing became laboured. He suffered from severe pulmonary edema and was in agony, constantly trying to pull out the tubes. The moment he took his last breath was peaceful and serene. We didn’t want him to suffer.”

Chia, who is better known by his Chinese name Xie Jinshi, told Zaobao in August 2024 that he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer in June that year. He remained positive and optimistic despite significant weight loss during treatment and continued teaching singing.

He joined the local radio drama industry after participating in the Rediffusion Hokkien Singing Contest in 1972, according to Chinese-language evening daily Shin Min Daily News.

In 1979, he secured an opportunity to record Hokkien songs on vinyl records, marking his entry into the music industry. He also performed in lounges and served as a singing coach for decades.

He was slated to perform with local veteran actor-host Marcus Chin on Jan 17 after his year-end holiday, followed by a performance with a wind orchestra on Feb 8.

“My father’s songs and sheet music were all prepared, and he originally planned to start rehearsals after the cruise trip,” Ms Chia said.

She recalled that her father loved to be out and about, and even during his cancer treatment, he could not stay still and did not consider himself a patient.

“He lived a more exciting life than I did,” she said. “He had been to many places – Canada, Las Vegas in the United States and Huangshan in China, and even went whitewater rafting in New Zealand.”

Chia’s wake is held at Block 428 Hougang Avenue 6, with the funeral to take place on Jan 11.