(b Tianyang village in Yunlin province, Taiwan, 29 Jan 1953; d Chiangmai, Thailand, 8 May 1995). Chinese popular singer. Deng came to prominence at the age of 11, as winner of the national radio's song contest. While in her teens she toured South-east Asia with song-and-dance troupes, singing shidaiqu (contemporary popular songs). In 1973 Deng signed a Polydor contract that led her to Japan. From that time until her death Deng was revered as the most popular Chinese singer, admired by millions of ardent fans in the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and throughout South-east Asia. She died of an asthma attack while on holiday in Thailand. The Teresa Teng Foundation was established after her death to promote cultural activities in Taiwan.
Deng was rare among her peers in singing successfully in the different languages and dialects of Japanese and Taiwanese pop as well as Cantopop. She also recorded some songs in English. She possessed a clear and sweet voice, and was worshipped by fans as the embodiment of grace, poise and beauty. Her rise to fame coincided with the opening of China in the late 1970s. Although her recordings and music videos were banned there until the late 1980s, she was nicknamed ‘little Deng’, the one who mesmerized the Chinese population via pirated tapes, in a country that underwent reforms by Deng Xiaoping.
See also China, §IV, 6(ii); Taiwan, §5.
Teresa Teng: Greatest Hits Vol.3, Polygram 3199-321 (1982)
Teresa Teng 15th Anniversary Album, Polydor 817-132-4, 817-133-4 (1984)
JOANNA C. LEE