Huu Phuoc

Huu Phuoc (1932-1997) was one of the most popular actors of the Southern Vietnamese folk opera stage known as "cai luong".

Born in Soc Trang, Huu Phuoc began his professional career in 1954 when he was discovered by musician Muoi Luong in Can Tho.  Soon after, he would began recording for various major record labels in Vietnam such as Hoang Son, Asie, Tu Hai and Continental.  Huu Phuoc would become the best-selling "cai luong" recording male artist of the 1950s, 1960s up until the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

Huu Phuoc had starred in numerous well-received "cai luong" plays while in South Vietnam prior to 1975 including Con Gai Chi Hang, Tam Long Cua Bien, Nua Doi Huong Phan, Tinh Mong, Gio Nguoc Chieu and Doi Mat Nguoi Xua, for which he was awarded with a Thanh Tam Award, South Vietnam's equivalence to a Tony Award, for best actor in 1960.  Among his leading ladies included Thanh Nga, Phung Ha, Ut Bach Lan and Thanh Huong.

Huu Phuoc and daughter, Huong Lan

In 1977, Huu Phuoc and his family left Vietnam to resettle in Paris, France.  He continued with his career in France for the overseas Vietnamese community and appeared in many "cai luong" productions produced by Thuy Nga Paris during the 1980s.  In 1988, he along with Thanh Duoc, Viet Hung, Dung Thanh Lam, daughter Huong Lan, Phuong Mai and Bang Chau performed in a reprisal of Tam Long Cua Bien for the overseas Vietnamese community in Southern California at the Anaheim Convention Center in front of an audience that was 7,000 strong in attendance.  This would be followed by another successful reprisal performance of Nua Doi Huong Phan in Orange County, California and Oakland.

Huu Phuoc was a father to five children, including two daughters that had followed in his footsteps becoming well-known performers in the Vietnamese entertainment industry, Huong Lan and Huong Thanh, and his youngest son, Steve Tran, who is now an actor of French cinema.  He died on February 21, 1997 in Paris, France.