Phuong Hong Ngoc

Phuong Hong Ngoc (1954-    ) is a beautiful Vietnamese singer and former actress of Saigon cinema.

Born in Can Tho, South Vietnam, Phuong Hong Ngoc was one of four children in an upper middle-class family.  Her father was of French/Chinese-Vietnamese Eurasian descent originally from Hai Phong and worked as a French-language newspaper journalist and French professor in the Mekong Delta.  Just as she was about to enter her teenage years, Phuong Hong Ngoc's happy childhood came to an abrupt ending when her father left her mother to marry her mother's younger sister. Her father would go on to have ten more children with his new wife.

Disheartened with her parents' divorce, Phuong Hong Ngoc found solace in music.  That was when her mother enrolled her in legendary vocals teacher Nguyen Duc's music class.  She was first recruited as a member of the musical youth singing troupe formed by Nguyen Duc called ABC where she was then known as Cam Hong.  As she grew older, she became a member of another singing troupe formed by her teacher known as Viet Nhi which included other members such as Phuong Hong Hanh, Phuong Hoai Tam, and Phuong Hong Que.  Along with other members of Viet Nhi Troupe, she performed at various musical live shows and made many appearances on national television and radio programs in South Vietnam.

At the age of 15, Phuong Hong Ngoc began a career in films unexpectedly upon being discovered by legendary film actress Tham Thuy Hang.  While Tham Thuy Hang was wrapping up production of her film, Chieu Ky Niem (Afternoon of Memories) (1969), she was in need of a younger actress to portray herself in one of the scenes.  The actress had seen a resemblance of herself in Phuong Hong Ngoc after watching the young singer on a television program.  The next morning, Tham Thuy Hang contacted the television station herself to inquire about Phuong Hong Ngoc.  After just one screen test, the young singer was cast in a scene for the film, Chieu Ky Niem, and her film career was launched.  Phuong Hong Ngoc would go on to act on several other Tham Thuy Hang-starring vehicles such as Nang (Lady) (1970) and Con Duong Trang (1971), often portraying the younger versions of Tham Thuy Hang's roles in reenactment scenes.  In 1973, Phuong Hong Ngoc costarred with Thanh Nga and Hung Cuong in the film, Nang Chieu (Evening Sunshine), which would turn her into a star.  Among her other films include Tren Dinh Mua Dong (1972) starring Nhat Truong and Thanh Lan, Trieu Phu Bat Dac Di (1973), Nam Vua He Ve Lang (1974) and Gion Mat Tu Than (1975).

In 1985, she along with her husband, actor Ngoc Duc, and their two children, a son and a daughter, left Vietnam for Paris, France to reunite with her father who had resettled there since 1975.   Immediately, she landed herself a job as a singer performing nightly at a cabaret called Capitol replacing singer Huong Lan.  Phuong Hong Ngoc sang nightly at Capitol and also performed at live shows for overseas Vietnamese audiences on occasional weekends for the next four years.  In 1986, she began collaborations with Thuy Nga Paris and appeared on the popular video series, Paris By Night, on volumes 2 through 6.  Among her most memorable appearances on Paris By Night include solo performances of Tinh Yeu Da Mat written by Pham Manh Cuong, Ao Anh written by Y Van and Neu Xa Nhau written by Duc Huy and a duet performance with Elvis Phuong, Cho Nguoi written by Lam Phuong.  In 1988, Thuy Nga Paris released her solo studio album, Bong Nguoi Di.  That same year, she also embarked on a successful tour of the United States performing for Vietnamese communities in several major cities.

While Phuong Hong Ngoc was enjoying her career peak during the late 1980s, she was experiencing difficulties with her personal life.  In 1988, her marriage of 16 years to actor Ngoc Duc ended in divorce.  The following year, she along with her two children left their home in Paris, France to resettle in Houston, Texas where she would remarry to Vietnamese-American businessman, Ly Anh Tuan.  Four years later, the couple would welcome the birth of a daughter, Bernadetta.  Phuong Hong Ngoc has since also become a grandmother.  Her eldest son is now 40 years old, married with three children.

Phuong Hong Ngoc at Tieng Xua Cabaret in Ho Chi Minh City (9/19/15)

During the 1990s, Phuong Hong Ngoc had settled into married life and for the most part had put both her singing and acting careers behind her.  But then in 2007, Phuong Hong Ngoc returned to the spotlight when she reunited with two former members of the Viet Nhi singing troupe, Phuong Hoai Tam and Phuong Hong Que, to perform as a trio on volume 55 of the popular live show music video series produced by Asia Entertainment.  Their performance of Chieu Lang Em written by Truc Phuong was so well received by viewer audiences that Asia Entertainment invited the three ladies to return on four more volumes of the live show music video series.  The exposure from the Asia Entertainment videos brought about a resurgence in Phuong Hong Ngoc's singing career.  She has since fulfilled many live show bookings throughout the United States, Canada and Vietnam.  Recently on September of 2015, Phuong Hong Ngoc performed at Tieng Xua Cabaret in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  She has since been invited back for another engagement this past January 17, 2016.

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