HK singer-songwriter Khalil Fong dies at 41 after battling illness for five years

Renowned Hong Kong singer-songwriter Khalil Fong, known for hit songs such as Love Love Love (2006), Singalongsong (2008) and Tour For Three (2008), has died at 41.

He “faced a disease with a positive attitude for five years”, announced Fu Music, the independent label Fong founded, on microblogging site Weibo on March 1. It did not clarify what health issues he had been suffering from.

“Fong left this world peacefully and serenely on the morning of Feb 21, 2025, heading to another realm of life to continue his mission and dream,” it said. “The music and graphic novels he left behind are eternal spiritual treasures.”

Born in 1983 in Hawaii, Fong moved to Hong Kong in the late 1990s after living in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

He was introduced to music at a very young age by his father, a professional drummer. Fong would play the drums at home and perform as a guest vocalist at his dad’s gigs. He picked up the guitar when he was 15.

Fong, whose biggest influences include American singers Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, gained recognition for his debut album Soulboy in 2005.

He also produced and wrote songs for Cantopop and Mandopop stars such as Eason Chan, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and A-mei, as well as Hong Kong singer Fiona Sit, who was often rumoured to be Fong’s girlfriend due to their close relationship.

The pair maintained that they shared a platonic bond.

Fong last performed in Singapore at the Esplanade Concert Hall in 2019 for a solo concert as part of Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts.

In 2010, he was reportedly diagnosed with pneumothorax, in which air leaks into the space between one’s lung and chest wall, and struggled with it over the years. The condition can cause chest pain and shortness of breath.

After the release of his penultimate album Journey To The West in 2016, Fong took a step back from his music career due to health concerns.

For this album, he won Best Mandarin Male Singer at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Melody Awards in 2017.

He also bagged Best Single Producer at the awards show in 2021 for his track Noodles, from his 2020 pandemic EP Home Sweet Home.

In 2018, Fong began releasing a six-book series of graphic novels for children titled Emi The Dream Catcher, about a girl who has vivid and lucid dreams. An extension book titled The Seeds Of Capacity (Phase 1) was released in 2022 and was meant to help young readers understand the six books preceding it.

All were written by Fong and he oversaw their art direction and put out accompanying theme songs.

In an interview with The Straits Times in 2019, he said he had plans to release a total of 30 titles in the series over the next 10 years.

In October 2024, Fong – a long-time vegetarian – dubbed his latest album, The Dreamer, a “sick” one.

“It was recorded during various stages of illness. In my condition, it was both a challenge and a relief from the rather tedious circumstance I was in,” he said in an Instagram post. He added in the post then that his condition had “improved significantly”.

“In life, we are each faced with challenges, but through it all, let’s not forget how to be dreamers.”

A slew of Fong’s celebrity friends paid tribute to him on Instagram on March 1.

Singaporean singer JJ Lin posted a photo of him and Fong and said they were in touch recently.

“Why did you leave suddenly? I don’t want to believe it. We haven’t had time to write songs and sing together,” said Lin, 43. “You have always been so gentle, sincere, humble and calm. Thank you for the energy, works and light you have brought to this world.”

American singer-songwriter Wang Leehom, 48, praised Fong’s uniqueness and artistry, adding that he was “kind, gentle, shy and thoughtful”.

Wang recalled an incident in which both singers were having a vegetarian meal together, writing: “(Fong) quietly said, ‘As long as there is one single candle, there is no way darkness can exist.’

“His music, ways of thinking and spirit are all like that candle, and have illuminated the hearts of countless people. He has left, but his light will not die.”

Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao posted old photos of them together, sharing that though they have not seen each other in many years, they often kept in touch and Fong had sent him a voice note in early 2025. The pair shared many interests outside of music, including chess and magic tricks.

Hsiao, 37, wrote: “I feel such pain losing you. I can only think, ‘You’re an angel now. We will see each other again.’”

He also posted a photo of a bowl of red bean soup on his Instagram Stories, set to Fong’s cover of Red Bean, a 1998 song by Chinese singer Faye Wong. The updated track is included in Fong’s cover album Timeless (2009), which also features Wonder’s You Are The Sunshine Of My Life (1973).