Wong Ka Kui

Wong Ka Kui (10 June 1962 – 30 June 1993) was a Hong Kong musician, singer and songwriter and the leader and co-founder of the rock band Beyond, where he was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter.

His younger brother Wong Ka Keung was the band's bass guitarist.

Wong grew up in So Uk Estate, Sham Shui Po.

When he was a junior in secondary school, he was introduced to European and American music by a schoolmate.

It was then that he became a big fan of David Bowie.

Until the age of 15, he taught himself to play guitar on an acoustic guitar which was pre-owned by a neighbor.

Thereafter he bought a second-hand electric guitar, a red maplewood Fender Stratocaster.

He was once bullied by a bandmate due to his poor guitar playing.

He once worked as an office assistant, mechanic, and scenery decorator for a TV company after his graduation from secondary school.

Wong was also a salesman in the same insurance company of drummer Yip Sai Wing.

In 1980, Wong met drummer Yip Sai Wing through the boss from a piano company, and later teamed up with William Tang (鄧煒謙) on lead guitar and bassist Lee Wing Chiu (李榮潮).

In 1983, the band entered a contest by "Guitar Magazine" under the band name "Beyond", created by Tang who made a vow to transcend themselves in pursuit of attainment.

The band thereafter added Wong Ka Keung on bass in 1984 and Paul Wong on lead guitar in 1985.

After that they held their first and only self-funded concert Waiting Forever (永遠等待演唱會) (1985).

In 1986 Lau Chi Yuen (劉志遠) joined the band as lead guitarist and keyboardist to record the band's first album Goodbye Ideals (再見理想) (1986) and EP Waiting Forever (永遠等待) (1986) without the assistance of outside record company.

Until under the assistance of KINN's MUSIC LTD, operated by manager Leslie Chan (陳健添), Beyond's images and music became more accepted publicly.

Beyond released the album Arabian Dancing Girls (亞拉伯跳舞女郎) (1987) and Modern Stage (現代舞台) (1988).

In 1988, Beyond signed Cinepoly's contract with proprietor Chan Siu Po (陳少寶) and made the album Secret Police (秘密警察) (1988).

They won awards in Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation by a hit from this album "The Grand Earth (大地)".

In 1989, the band won awards by the song "Truly Love You" (真的愛你) from the album Beyond IV (1989) in Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation and both RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards.

In 1990, Beyond won awards by the song "Glorious Years (光輝歲月)" from the album Destiny Party (命運派對) (1990) in Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation.

Wong also won "the Best Lyrics Award" individually rather than with the band.

From 1990 to 1991, Beyond paid more attention to the social issues and ongoing events around the world.

The music and lyrics in the song "Glorious Years" (光輝歲月) was created during Wong's visit to New Guinea in 1990 and it is a tribute to former South-African president Nelson Mandela.

In the 1990s, Wong began to feel limited by the Hong Kong music industry; he once said that "there's only the entertainment industry but not a music industry in Hong Kong."

Beyond thus decided to focus on their career in Japan.

In 1991, the band visited Kenya and witnessed the grinding poverty and misery there.

Wong was again enlightened to write music and lyrics in the song "Amani" from the album Hesitation (猶豫).

Upon their return, a number of songs were written addressing the serious problems of Africa.

The Beyond Third World Foundation was created in the same year with profits from the redistribution of an early album.

In January 1992, the band signed a worldwide management contract with Japanese record label Amuse.

During the year, they released an album called Continue the Revolution (繼續革命).

In May 1993, Beyond returned to Hong Kong with a new album Rock and Roll (樂與怒).

Wong's signature work "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" (海闊天空) won the Best Original Song award in Hong Kong.

Before they went back to Japan, Beyond held unplugged live concerts in Hong Kong and Malaysia, which were Beyond's last concert with Wong Ka Kui.

Beyond arrived in Japan in January 1993 to record new material and engage in media appearances.

On 24 June 1993, the band appeared at a Tokyo Fuji Television game show called If Uchannan-chan is Going to Do It, We Have to Do It!.

Fifteen minutes after the show commenced, an accident occurred.

The stage floor was very narrow and slippery and Wong and host Teruyoshi Uchimura both slipped and fell 2.7 meters off the platform, live on air.

Wong landed head first to the ground and immediately slipped into a coma when Uchimura landed on Wong's chest.