Jam Hsiao is one of Taiwan’s leading singers and is known as the King of Golden Melody. Hsiao did not fit well in school, having been a delinquent since primary school. He tried smoking in 3rd grade and was involved in a brawl at 14. His first inklings of professional singing started at the age of 17 while in high school where he began working as a restaurant singer.
Hsiao’s rise to fame really started in May 2007 when he was just aged 20 and was accepted to the first season of a TV show, One Million Star, the Taiwanese equivalent of American Idol. It soon became apparent that Hsiao was a serious challenger for the competition. He won the first two rounds but lost in the third round. The show’s massive success, however, propelled Hsiao to the stratosphere. The show’s rating shot to a historical high and Hsiao became the third most searched celebrity in Yahoo! Taiwan, and his name the second hottest keyword for Taiwan Show Business in Google. Hsiao still kept performing in the same restaurant which now pulled in full houses during his shift. Many record companies understandably wanted to sign him and he was invited to many variety shows.
It was not only the record companies that were vying for him. His powerful vocals and young talent did not go unnoticed by Taiwan’s Queen of Pop herself, A-Mei, who invited Hsiao to sing with her in the duet Moment of the First Sight in her 2007 album Star. The song became an instant No. 1 hit. He carried his newfound momentum into the Golden Horse Award, Taiwan’s most prestigious film event where he performed a medley of four nominated original themes. Hsiao was still a 20-year-old student and working freelance.
Jam at 2012 Macau concert
Hsiao’s much-anticipated record signing came with one of the “big four” record companies, Warner Music, more specifically Warner Music Taiwan. Hsiao entered a four-year contract. His first album which was self-titled, Jam Hsiao, debuted in June 2008 and became No.1 on Taiwan’s G-Music, Top 20 Weekly Mandarin and Combo Charts and Five Music Chart. His album also became No.1 in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
During this period, Jam Hsiao made his foray into acting. He certainly proved his acting chops and gained many positive reviews in his cameo in the popular Taiwanese drama Fated to Love You. His acting achievement culminated in playing the lead role in the 2011 action film The Killer Who Never Kills which won him the Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer.
His second album released in July 2009 was met with even greater success. Four out of the twelve songs on the album were written and produced by Hsiao. Having already reach superstardom, Hsiao announced his first large-scale live concert, Mr. Rock Concert, in Taipei Arena scheduled in December 2009.
His pre-concert initiative involved releasing his third album, Love Moments in November 2009. It included 10 covers of songs originally sung by top female singers recorded in a live-band style. These two albums contributed to a very successful year and added five more No.1 hits to his repertoire.
Mr. Rock Concert was sold out within minutes. Dressed in his signature lavish styles, he performed songs in Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese, English and Korean all without dancers or guest-singers. He also incorporated his drumming and keyboard skills on stage. Each concert incorporated local elements and was tailored accordingly. The concert tour was met with enthusiastic praise.
His fourth album Jam Wild Dreams received very good reviews and became the best-selling album of 2011 in Taiwan, with 50,000 copies sold. The album saw him take on the role as album producer for the first time. Hsiao was invited to perform in a trio with Li Jian and Khalil Fong on CCTV New Year’s Gala. Every year the gala is played on the screens of many television sets of Chinese families. It was a massive opportunity and event for Hsiao. His persistence in going through his performance despite suffering from an illness that affected his voice became a hot topic and he was lauded for his perseverance.
His second production of concert tour started in August 2011. Each initial and subsequent show scheduled sold out in a matter of minutes.
Jam_Hsiao – Taipei New Year’s Eve Party 2011
In 2012, Hsiao released his first full English album, consisting of eleven covers of known classics. This album was change in style by Hsiao from Mr. Rock to Mr. Jazz.
In November 2012, Hsiao released another Chinese album, It’s All About Love. This time, Hsiao showcased another one of his diverse talents again with by directing a music video for his song, Marry Me.
In June 2014, Hsiao released his sixth album, The Song and became the 2014 World Cup Ambassador for Taiwan. In September 2016, Hsiao formed the band Lion, together with Lee Q Wu, Tsou Chiang and Liu Chao-chu. They released their self-titled album on September 16.
In 2017, Hsiao, together with his band, Lion, participated in singing competition Singer 2017 and got third overall.
In May 2018, Jam Hsiao’s highly-popular and critically-acclaimed Mr. Entertainment world tour kicked off. Presented by StarPlanet, his recent stop in Malaysia for his world tour was a great success.
Hsiao has not lost a step in his career which has spanned over a decade. Multi-talented with a powerful and flexible singing voice, Hsiao’s albums are heavy sellers and his concerts are a spectacle to behold. Only 32 years young, his stellar career will continue to be watched with great interest.