"King of Song" Cho Yong-pil once again wrote a legend with a solo KBS performance after 28 years. Junior singers poured out praise that crossed generations, once again proving the stature of Cho Yong-pil, a "living history."
On the 6th broadcast of KBS 2TV *"80th anniversary of liberation KBS grand project–Cho Yong-pil, forever this moment," Cho Yong-pil took the KBS solo performance stage for the first time in 28 years since the 1997 "Big Show." Born in 1950 and turning 75 this year, he received applause in robust form before fans who filled Gocheok Dome.
Cho Yong-pil said, "I'm not used to appearing on TV. I thought if not now there might not be many chances to see you," and added, "I thought I would regret it if my voice got worse in the future," as his thoughts on appearing. He then created a cross-generational emotional moment by singing together with fans songs such as "Heogong" and "Come Back to Busan Port."
Even at 75, marking his 57th debut anniversary, he was still perfect. He performed 29 jewel-like masterpieces such as "The Teahouse of That Winter," "Monalisa," "Song of the Wind," and "The Leopard of Kilimanjaro" over three hours, turning Gocheok Dome into a frenzy. Tears from middle-aged fans and cheers from younger generations mixed, making the "King of Song"'s strength palpable.
In particular, Cho Hyun-a was seen on the broadcast captured together with her new father, and Lee Seung-gi drew attention as he sang along to "Song of the Wind" holding a lightstick. Kim Jong-seo also expressed his affection by passionately singing Cho Yong-pil's songs together.
Junior artists did not spare messages of respect. IU said, "The day I went to see Cho Yong-pil's concert with my mother, I became a fan just by being there," and called him "the one and only person whom all generations can love."
Park Jin-Young said, "If someone released a song with a voice like Cho Yong-pil's, they would be a superstar even now," and Shin Seung-hoon praised, "Cho Yong-pil is music itself." Jannabi expressed reverence for the senior by calling him "not the king of song but the great king."
Yoon Jong-shin said, "The arrangements of Cho Yong-pil's concerts are always surprising," and added, "I am still learning musically." Park Jung-hyun marveled, "I was most looking forward to what he would choose to sing," and god expressed their emotion about the stage, calling him "a god of Korean popular music."
Director Park Chan-wook, who used "Pepper Dragonfly" in the film "There's Nothing to Be Done," also praised, "He is my hero. When I heard 'Pepper Dragonfly,' I felt the door to a new era had opened. If I were to make a film starring Cho Yong-pil, it would deal with modern and contemporary Korean history and the evolution of popular music, and how a great artist was born."
Cho Yong-pil smiled and said, "If you don't sing, your voice ages. I practice really hard before going on stage. I know nothing but music in my life. My dream is to die singing on stage. How happy would that be. It's my dream. Although it seems unlikely to turn out that way."
Meanwhile, the documentary capturing behind the scenes of Cho Yong-pil's concert, 'Cho Yong-pil, forever this moment–record of that day,' will air on the 8th at 8 p.m.<
[Photo] KBS broadcast capture
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