Kelly Chen

Kelly Chen Wai-lam (born Vivian Chen Wai-man on 13 September 1972) is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.

She has been referred to as a "Diva of Asia".

Chen has great success in the East Asian entertainment industry with nearly 20 million record sales of 38 albums.

Chen was born Vivian Chen Wai-man on 13 September 1972 in Hong Kong.

Her father was a jewelry merchant and her mother was a housewife.

She attended Canadian Academy International School in Kobe, Japan, for high school..

She graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York.

In 1994, while still a student at Parsons, Chen made two commercials, one for Shanghai Beer and one for the Bank of Hong Kong.

Chen returned to Hong Kong in 1994.

She was introduced to an acquaintance who owned a production studio and was chosen to feature in a Jacky Cheung music video.

Chen made her film debut in Whatever Will Be, Will Be (仙樂飄飄) and sang the film's theme song.

In September 1995, Chen performed the song "Mou Tian" composed by composer Steve Barakatt then released a compilation album, Break the Sky, with three other singers, and then her first Cantonese album, Intoxicated Lover (醉迷情人), in December.

It was a success in Hong Kong and furthered her acting and musical career.

1996: Chen released her first Mandarin language album, I Don't Think So (我不以為), in, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore, which sold over 150,000.

Following the album's success, she produced another Cantonese CD in October 1996, Wind, Flower, Snow (風花雪).

"Wind, Flower, Snow" is a very popular song in Hong Kong.

In November 1996, Chen released her first Cantonese single, "Traveler".

in Japan That year also saw her first stint as a Japanese singer when she released two Japanese singles.

1997: Chen performed her first ever concert, Starry Dream of Love (星夢情真), and released the partner CD in June, which sold over 100,000 copies in Hong Kong.

She held three concerts in Hong Kong in June, named the Kelly Starry Dream of Love Concert (陳慧琳星夢情真演唱會).

In July, she released "The beginning is a cunning morning", first Japanese single and her first Japan-based hit.

Chen also provided the voice of Madame Trunk in the animated movie A Chinese Ghost Story.

In the course of five months Chen released four albums.

With the releases of her second Mandarin album, Insight (體會), the compilation Kelly's Best Collection 97, the live CD Starring Dream of Love Live in Concert, and her next Cantonese CD A Movie (一齣戲).

Insight sold 1.34 million in East Asia.

Chen had established herself as a popular singer and actor in East Asia.

1998: Chen embarked the Kelly Starry Dream of Love World Tour (陳慧琳星夢情真世界巡迴演唱會), starting in Australia.

Besides the world tour, Chen performed 10 concerts for school children in Taiwan.

She released her Mandarin album, Love Me Or Not (愛我不愛), the hit single of which, "Diary" (記事本), is well-known all over Asia and became her signature song so far.

This album sold over 2 million copies in Asia.

Chen boosted her status as a Chinese pop music diva in Asia entertainment industry.

1999 and 2000: Starring in the television drama Don't Be a Cry Baby with Japanese star Kyoko Fukada and performing two concerts in Fukuoka, Japan in 1999, Chen increased her Japanese fanbase.

She released a new album, Love of Colours which sold over 300,000 in Hong Kong from 9 December 1999 to 2000, and was the best selling album in 2000.

She also won "The most popular female artist" in 1999 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation.

Her albums sold over 230,000 in Hong Kong in 1999, the best selling female artist in Hong Kong.

2001: Chen released her remix album Kelly BPM Dance Collection in March, which sold over 150,000 copies.

She embarked on the Paisley Galaxy World Tour (陳慧琳花花宇宙世界巡迴演唱會), which started out with one show in Singapore and two shows in Genting Highlands in Malaysia.

(She broke the record of best-selling Hong Kong singers' concerts in Malaysia.) Chen went to North America, where she performed concerts in Chicago, Atlantic City, Los Angeles and Toronto all as a part of her world tour in May.

She later toured China where she performed in Guangzhou, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Chengdu, Shanghai and Beijing.

According to Oriental Daily News, Chen was the highest earning female Hong Kong celebrity of 2014, earning 83 million HKD (US$10.7 million).