Trot industry's great star the late Song Daekwan passed away, and already one year has gone by.
The late Song Daekwan died on Feb. 7 last year. He was 78. The cause of death was cardiac arrest, and a representative for Song Daekwan said, "The teacher did not have any chronic illness or underlying conditions," adding, "He had recently said his condition was not good and was hospitalized. Then he suddenly died of cardiac arrest."
The sudden sad news plunged the music world into deep mourning. The late Song Daekwan debuted in 1967 with "Injunghan Ajeossi" and after years of obscurity, he hit his prime in 1975 when "Haettulnal" became a big hit and he swept various awards. After that he released hit songs in succession such as "Honjaramnida," "Jeong Ttaemune," "Chapyoo Han Jang," "Keun Sori Ppeongppeong," "Gohyang-i Namjjokirhaetji," followed by "Bunwigi Johgo," "Saranghaeseo Mianhae," "Ne Bakja," and "Yuhengga," solidifying his position as the top trot singer representing Honam alongside Nam Jin.
When he passed away, countless seniors, juniors and colleagues in the music industry could not hide their grief. Hyun-sook and Bae Il-ho, as well as Yang Jieun, In Soon-yi, Na Tae Joo and Kim Yang expressed their longing for the deceased. In particular, singer Taejin-ah, who was a close friend and rival of the late Song Daekwan and had a friendly rivalry with him, visited the wake and was so shocked that he had difficulty speaking.
Taejin-ah's son Iru also said, "Losing a life friend and brother makes my father's appearance so pitiful. I really wanted to see the two of them perform together on stage again," adding, "Great uncle, may you rest in peace there forever. It was an honor to serve as your nephew."
The broadcast world also joined in mourning for the late Song Daekwan. KBS2's "National Singing Contest" aired the final performance in which the deceased had appeared as a guest singer during his lifetime, and "Immortal Songs" and KBS1's "Music Stage" aired tribute videos honoring Song Daekwan, who served as a godfather of the trot world. Amid so many people's condolences, the late Song Daekwan, as president of the Korea Singers Association, went to rest with a eulogy from Taejin-ah and a condolence speech from Kang Jin.
At the funeral service, Taejin-ah said, "Kim Soo-chan often imitated Brother Daekwan. A scene of Soo-chan imitating him appeared on TV. At that time Daekwan laughed heartily and said, 'That kid is really something, isn't he? He'll become big. He imitates me so much,'" and to send the deceased off with a smile he asked Kim Soo-chan to do an impromptu impersonation. Kim Soo-chan, with tears on his face, performed an imitation of "Haettulnal" and an impersonation saying, "Taejin-ah could never even dream of having this kind of talent~," which made viewers even more moved.
Later, Taejin-ah appeared on MBN's "Exclusive World" and said, "After Brother Daekwan passed away I couldn't sleep for five days, I didn't eat and only drank alcohol. That's why I developed an illness from drinking," adding, "It's like one of my right arms was torn away," expressing his grief. On TV Chosun's "Trot All-Star Battle: On Wednesday Night," he also passionately sang Song Daekwan's hit "Chapyoo Han Jang," shouting, "Brother Daekwan, I truly loved you and you are my eternal companion. I miss you!"
Meanwhile, on the 6th broadcast of TV Chosun's "Golden Friday," a special program was prepared with Taejin-ah to mark the late Song Daekwan's first anniversary. Through the broadcast Taejin-ah added emotion by saying, "He was the companion I loved most among seniors and juniors," and "I never considered Song Daekwan a rival."
[Photo] OSEN DB
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