Singer Choi Baek-ho revealed a deep slump that made him consider quitting his singing career.
On the 17th, MBN 'Kim Ju-ha's Day & Night' episode 8 featured Choi Baek-ho, the troubadour of the music world celebrating his 50th year since debut, who appeared and calmly recounted the ups and downs of his musical life and the time he endured.
That day Choi Baek-ho cited the 1980s as his toughest period, unlike the time when he drew attention early in his debut by winning rookie awards and having consecutive hits. He recalled, "The first three albums did well, but subsequent works were repeatedly ignored," and "At some point, invitation calls noticeably began to decrease."
Choi Baek-ho said, "I kept releasing albums and tried everything I could, but without results I thought, 'Should I stop now?'" and added frankly, "I know very well what extreme despair young people feel. I also hit rock bottom."
He described his feelings at the time as "the sensation of someone grabbing the back of your neck and pushing you off a cliff." He added, "That feeling was so overwhelming that I even thought about quitting being a singer," and calmly revealed pain he could not fully express in words.
Afterward, at the suggestion of an acquaintance, Choi Baek-ho headed to Los Angeles (LA) in the United States. He said, "I heard they were going to start a Korean-language station and I was even promised a salary," and "I thought it was a new start."
However, the situation in the United States was not easy either. Choi Baek-ho explained, "There were two station bosses, and one of them seemed not pleased that I was coming," and "In the end I was assigned a 10-minute radio show from 11:50 a.m. to 12 p.m." He said that excluding commercials and music, actual speaking time was only about three to four minutes.
Even so, he did not give up. Choi Baek-ho said, "Maybe they thought I would quit if it were like that," and "But the 10 minutes actually felt less burdensome. Because it was short, I could enjoy it more." He smiled and, saying "My name is Baek-ho, after all. I'm not easy to deal with," gave meaning to the time he endured.
Meanwhile, 'Kim Ju-ha's Day & Night' airs every Saturday at 9:40 p.m.<
[Photo] OSEN DB, MBN 'Kim Ju-ha's Day & Night' broadcast screen capture
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