JJ’s back on track after big setback
December 22, 2009
FOR local singer JJ Lin, 2009 has been a rollercoaster ride.
The title of his seventh album Hundred Days was inspired by his recent despondence.
A few months ago, JJ, 28, launched his world tour with a bang and sang non-stop from city to city.
He fell ill as his vocal cords were overstrained.
‘My first reaction was of shock and fear,’ he said. ‘I’ve been singing for so many years. How could something like this happen to me?’
His condition got worse. There was news that he had vomited blood.
JJ added: ‘I even wondered if I would lose my voice forever. I was very frustrated then and was angry every day. I kept blaming myself and the people around me.
‘I became very scared every time the thought that I would never be able to sing again crossed my mind. I was extremely depressed and the days were hard to get through.’
But fretting and staying holed up at home wasn’t going to solve the problem, so he turned to his colleagues, family and friends.
He said: ‘I knew this problem could surely be solved, so I forced myself to quieten down and reflect. I could face the problem after I calmed down and regained my confidence.’
No back-up plans
Although he had already started planning for his fashion retail shop, he did not have any other back-up plans if his music career ends.
‘I’m passionate about music. I told myself that no matter what, I have to recover.’
His parents were also worried about him during that time. Whenever they were free, they would boil soup for him. His mother hid her tears and encouraged him.
JJ now thinks that he has been reborn.
He said he kept searching for his direction in life during that difficult period.
Thankfully, the unwavering support of his loved ones helped him feel secure and he slowly picked himself up.
JJ also bore the brunt of gossip about his love life this year.
A Taiwanese magazine recently accused him of cheating on his girlfriend Yumi with a long-haired girl. He later clarified that the latter was only a friend of a friend and wasn’t even someone who was close to him.
Even his manager Yvonne was dragged into the brouhaha and became a rumoured girlfriend when JJ took her to the hospital for an emergency check-up.
He used to get angry when he saw false reports about himself, but has now grown numb to them.
‘I can’t stop them from writing about me. It’s very common for me to eat and watch movies with girls. It’s unavoidable that we would be photographed,’ he said.
‘But if something is created out of nothing and someone is hurt, I will step forward and seek justice.’
THIS article was translated from the latest issue of U-Weekly.
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