Cho Yong Pil -Fire Cracker of Asia

Cho Yong-pil was born in Hwaseong, South Korea. When he was seven, he happened to listen to Ray Charles playing the harmonica, and this inspired young Cho to play music.

His debut single, "Dorawayo Busanhange" 돌아와요 부산항에 (Come Back to Busan Port), brought him national attention when it was released in 1975, later becoming a hit in Japan. Cho then made a Japanese language version of the song, and sang live in Japan. His first album, Chang bakkui yeoja 창 밖의 여자 (The Woman outside the Window), was released in 1980 and has been followed by many others. In 1980, he had a concert at Carnegie Hall in the city of New York, as a first Korean singer debuted at Carnegie Hall. Having a total of 18 albums, the artist has received numerous awards such as the KBS and MBC Best Artist Award (1980–1986), AMPEX Golden Reel Award (1982) and the CBS-SONY Golden Disc Award (1984).

Cho is considered to be the most influential figure in Korean pop music and has produced many memorable hits of Korean pop music history, including "Return to Busan Port," "Dear Friend," and "The Lady Outside the Window."

Posted in: Korea