Teresa Teng

From Wikipedia:

Teresa Teng (January 29, 1953 - May 8, 1995) (鄧麗君 / Dèng Lìjūn); was an immensely popular and influential Chinese pop singer from Taiwan. Teresa Teng's voice and songs are instantly recognized throughout East Asia and in areas with large Asian populations. It is often said, "Wherever there are Chinese people, the songs of Teresa Teng can be heard." Her songs also enjoy huge popularity among Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Indonesian listeners.

Teng was known for her folk songs and romantic ballads. Many became standards in her lifetime, such as "When Will You Return?" (何日君再來) and "The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代表我的心 - Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin). She recorded songs not only in her native Mandarin but also in Taiwanese, Cantonese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and English.

Teng's singing style conveyed simplicity and sincerity. Yeh Yueh-Yu, a professor of Cultural Theory at the University of Southern California said, "It was the sweetness in her voice that made her famous. She had a perfect voice for folk songs and ballads, and she added traditional folk song stylings into Western-style compositions." Her voice was also described as being "like weeping and pleading, but with strength, capable of drawing in and hypnotizing listeners." Songwriter Tsuo Hung-yun said Teng's voice was "seven parts sweetness, three parts tears."

Teng, a lifelong sufferer from asthma, died in 1995 from a severe respiratory attack while vacationing in Thailand. She was 42.

A rare Youtube English interview with Theresa in 1982 (sorry, unable to embed)

When will you return (Japanese)

Another version

A comment on Youtube: What an Angel, what a voice..........so pure, beautiful...I'm a 61 y/o Texas cowboy, don't speak a word of any Asian language, but love this dear lady with all my heart. She makes me love my Asian brothers and sisters, world wide. She died way too soon, but left a lasting legacy that few if any, ever do...God bless her, and may her beautiful music live on for eternity,blessing, comforting all who are suffering.

Grave Site