Singers' daughter wins Hear Me Sing

Jean Goh, daughter of 1970s singers Wu Gang and Xia Hui, beats 400 in local Mandarin singing competition

Jean Goh's win comes with $5,000 cash, a voice-training course in Taiwan and an acting role in a movie.
Jean Goh's win comes with $5,000 cash, a voice-training course in Taiwan and an acting role in a movie. PHOTO: MM2 ENTERTAINMENT

There must be something in the family's genes. Jean Goh, daughter of 1970s singers Wu Gang and Xia Hui, won local Mandarin singing competition Hear Me Sing on Sunday.

Performing soulful renditions of Didn't You Say by Na Ying, Riding A White Horse by Lala Hsu and Crescent Moon Bay by F.I.R., the 25-year-old beat more than 400 hopefuls to snag the title at the contest finals held at Clarke Quay bistro Shuffle.

Her win comes with $5,000 cash, a voice-training course in Taiwan, as well as an acting role in a movie produced by mm2 Entertainment, the Singapore-based entertainment company behind the contest.

Mr Ng Say Yong, managing director of mm2, praises Goh for her all-round talent: "Not only can she sing, she's also a talented actress who has played leading roles in short films."

Her acting resume includes the lead in Wee Li Lin's short Autograph Book (2003) and small roles in 1990s Channel 8 dramas The Price Of Peace and Stepping Out.

Hear Me Sing judges, including veteran songwriter Roy Loi and lyricist Xiaohan, had a 60 per cent say in the result. Public online votes accounted for the remainder.

Goh tells The Straits Times she is most grateful to her mother for her win.

"Right from the start, my mum was the one who was the most 'on the ball' about this contest. She encouraged me to keep going, and she would call all her auntie friends to vote for me," she says with a laugh.

"Now that I actually won, I need some time to let it all sink in."

Even though Goh's parents have not been professional singers since the 1990s - her mother, 61, now teaches music while her father, who is in his 60s, runs an interior design business - she credits her musical lineage for her passion for the performing arts.

"When I was young, my mum put me in choir lessons and my dad made me take violin classes. They also got me involved in musical theatre.

"Our family would also jam together all the time," says Goh, who is the youngest of three children.

In the early 1970s, her parents were known for singing duet covers such as Lilac and Cai Hong Lin. Later, they also sang the theme songs of popular local TV dramas such as Men From The Past (1985) and The Darkest Hour (1991).

Goh, who studied mass communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and creative producing at Chapman University, Singapore, says: "I've always wanted to sing and act, so this competition is a great start for me.

"I don't know where I will go from here, but I'll just take things one step at a time. My friends and family are behind me every step of the way, so that's nice."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 28, 2016, with the headline Singers' daughter wins Hear Me Sing. Subscribe