Zhou Xuan (b. 1 August 1918) began life as Su Pu (蘇璞) and was raised by adoptive parents. At the age of 13 she took the stage name of Zhou Xuan (周璇) when she entered the Mingyue Singing Troupe. She began her acting career in 1935, the movie "Street Angel" [1937] being one of her early hits.

Zhou Xuan in the Movie "Street Angel" [1937]

In this film she sang two of her most memorable songs: "Wandering Singing Girl (天涯歌女)" and "Song of the Four Seasons (四季歌)." She continued her singing and acting careers throughout the war years and by 1949 had recorded over 200 records and performed in scores of films. She is perhaps the most famous singer of this period, but I may be biased.

Her personal and professional career declined precipitously in 1951 when she suffered a nervous breakdown resulting from family problems and a disastrous love affair, and despite some improvement, her health continued to decline during the 50s. She passed away in Shanghai on 22 September 1957, the very epitome of the tragic singing star who dies of a broken heart.

Other songs you can listen to include:

• Rainbow Skirt Troupe 霓裳隊
• Roadside Moon 街頭月

Her Movie Credits:

• 狂歡之夜 (1935)
• 風雲兒女 (1935)
• 美人恩 (1935)
• 花燭之夜 (1935)
• 化身姑娘 (1936)
• 喜臨門 (1936)
• 百寶圖 (1936)
• 滿園春色 (1937)
• 三星伴月 (1937)
• 女財神 (1937)
• 馬路天使 (1937)
• 孟姜女 (1939)
• 李三娘 (1939)
• 七重天 (1939)
• 天涯歌女 (1940)
• 董小宛 (1940)
• 三笑 (1940)
• 蘇三艷史 (1940)
• 黑天堂 (1940)
• 西廂記 (1940)
• 孟麗君 (1940)
• 夢斷關山 (1941)
• 梅妃 (1941)
• 夜深沉 (1941)
• 解語花 (1941)
• 惱人春色 (1941)
• 魚家女 (1943)
• 鸞鳳和鳴 (1944)
• 紅樓夢 (1944)
• 鳳凰于飛 (1945)
• 各有千秋 (1946)
• 憶江南 (1947)
• 夜店 (1947)
• 長相思 (1947)
• 清宮秘史 (1948)
• 花外流鶯 (1948)
• 歌女之歌 (1948)
• 莫負青春 (1949)
• 花街 (1950)

Links to Other Sites:

• Lily's Zhou Xuan Pages (Great site! Lots of info if you read Japanese.)
  
  
• Zhou Xuan at www.eatingchinese.org site (with lots of mp3s!)


• And of course no list would be complete without a link to her Wikipedia entry