Tom Vu

Tom Vu (1957-    ) is a Vietnamese-American real estate investor, television infomercial personality, lecturer and professional poker player.

Born as Vu Tuan Anh on December 5, 1957 in Vietnam, he came to the United States after the Fall of Saigon.  In the late 1980s, Tom Vu became a household name with his infomercials on how to get rich from real estate investments.  He wrote a book, lectured at seminars and released videotapes showing Americans how he had made his fortune.  In the early 1990s, Tom Vu ended up being sued by some of his former students for alleged false advertisements and fraud.

Tom Vu Surrounded by Beautiful Women on His Yacht

Since the late 1990s, Tom Vu has retired from real estate investing and has become a successful professional poker player.  His career earnings as a professional poker player have totaled more than $1,800,000.  Among his winnings have included a ninth place finish at the 2006 Season Five World Poker Tour, earning $216,585 and a second place finish at the 2007 World Series of Poker.  Tom Vu currently makes his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.  

Michelle Banzer

Michelle Banzer (1982-    ) is an American fashion model and beauty queen who was the titleholder of the 2007 Miss Kentucky USA beauty pageant.

Born on December 2, 1982 in Louisville, Kentucky, Michelle Banzer is of Vietnamese, Chinese, Mongolian, Russian, Cherokee, German and Irish descent.  She grew up speaking both Vietnamese and English fluently.  Banzer started her modeling career as a teenager and became known under the name, Michelle Zen.  She has competed in many other major international beauty pageants prior to taking the title of Miss Kentucky USA in 2007 such as Miss Hot Import Nights and Miss Hawaiian Tropic.  In the summer of 2005, Banzer represented the United States in the 33rd annual Miss Intercontinental Pageant where she was second runner-up to Miss Swimsuit and placed in the top 20 semi-finalists.


Michelle Banzer is the second delegate of Vietnamese descent to have ever competed in the Miss USA beauty pageant after Elyzabeth Pham who had been crowned Miss Wisconsin USA in 1999.  She has worked in print, commercial, promotional and runway as a fashion model.




Link(s):

Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time
20 International Celebrities You Didn't Know Are Vietnamese 

Nhu Loan

Nhu Loan (1981-    ) is a famous overseas Vietnamese singer who had first risen to prominence in 2001 as a performer on the popular live show music video series, Paris By Night, produced by Thuy Nga Paris.

Born as Le Thi Nhu Loan on April 20, 1981 in a town called Bao Loc in the province of Lam Dong located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, she moved to the United States with her family resettling in Orange County, California at the age of 11.  She began collaborating as an exclusive artist for Thuy Nga Paris in 2001 and first appeared on the Paris By Night stage on volume 62, filmed in Paris, France, performing as part of an ensemble a couple of songs along with several other female singers such as Bao Han, Truc Lam, Truc Linh, Thien Kim, Loan Chau, Nhu Quynh and Lynda Trang Dai.  Despite such stiff competition appearing alongside such popular singers, Nhu Loan was still able to capture the viewer audience with her alluring presence and angelic voice.  The producers of Paris By Night were also aware of her star quality and decided to take the gamble on the very next volume of allowing her the opportunity to perform a solo.  Nhu Loan made her debut solo performance on volume 63 of the Paris By Night series, released in 2002, with a song called Men Say Tinh Ai written by Hoai An.  Her debut solo performance which entailed a flawless choreography, a group of beautiful back-up dancers and a seductive Nhu Loan, herself, clearly showed that a new star had been launched on the Paris By Night stage.

Nhu Loan has maintained her long tenure with Thuy Nga Paris which has lasted over 15 years.  She has recorded many duets with various other artists for the Thuy Nga Paris label such as Tran Thai Hoa, Diem Suong, Nguyen Thang, Thanh Truc, Tu Quyen, Lam Nhat Tien, Toc Tien, Don Ho and most of all, Luong Tung Quang.  Thuy Nga Paris has released two duet albums featuring Nhu Loan teamed up with another vocalist, Sunday Buon (2003) with Bao Han and Ta Da Tung Yeu (2012) with Luong Tung Quang.  Her first solo studio album, Tinh Lang Cam, was released by Thuy Nga Paris in 2006.  The year 2011 saw the release of The Best of Nhu Loan, a compilation album featuring a selection of songs she has recorded since signing with the Thuy Nga Paris label ten years prior.  Nhu Loan continues to record for Thuy Nga Paris and is a regular performer on the popular Paris By Night live show video series to this day.   She has performed at live shows for Vietnamese audiences all over the world.  Her good looks have also enabled Nhu Loan with an additional career as a fashion model through the years.  She is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Vietnamese singers today.

Link(s):

30 Most Beautiful Viet Celebs of 2015
Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time
Nhu Loan Facebook Fan Page
Nhu Loan on MySpace

The Son

The Son (1965-    ) is a famous overseas Vietnamese singer.

Born and raised in Saigon, South Vietnam, The Son started his professional singing career at the age of 22 while he was still in college at the Saigon Conservatory of Music.  In 1991, he gained national prominence as part of a pop music duo with singer Thuy Tien.  For the next three years, the duo performed nightly as headliners at major cabarets and music venues in Ho Chi Minh City.  Their rising popularity had also led to live show performances in other cities and towns throughout Southern and Central Vietnam.

With an established singing career with full potential of reaching even higher success in Vietnam, The Son decided to take a gamble when he left his native homeland in 1994 to resettle in the United States with his family.  Shortly after his arrival in Southern California, he was approached by Thuy Nga Paris, the largest and most prolific overseas Vietnamese music production label, with a contract as an exclusive recording artist.  The Son exploded onto the overseas Vietnamese music industry with his first appearance on the Paris By Night stage on volume 29, which had been filmed at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, performing Tinh Thu Cua Linh written by Nhat Truong.  The overwhelming response from viewer audiences with The Son's debut performance on Paris By Night prompted the label to release a solo studio album with the same title track at the beginning of the following year.  For the duration of the 1990s, he was one of the most popular performers on Paris By Night and among the bestselling recording artists under the Thuy Nga Paris label.  On volume 43 of Paris By Night, released in 1998, The Son surprised many of his fans with his cover of Phlippe Lavil's La Femme Qui Dit Jamais Je T'aime (Nguoi Dan Ba Vo Tinh written by Truong Huy), in which he sang in both Vietnamese and French perfectly.  It was then revealed to his overseas Vietnamese fans that prior to resettling in the United States, one of his trademarks during the early years in his career had been his ability to cover songs in French at live performances nightly in the cabarets and music venues of Ho Chi Minh City.  On May of 2001, The Son was reunited with his former singing partner, Thuy Tien, with their duet performance of Xin Hay Quen Di written by Nguyen Quang on volume 62 of Paris By Night, filmed in Paris, France.  Among his most popular solo studio albums released by Thuy Nga Paris include Nhung Chieu Khong Co Em (1996), Le Tinh Buon (1997), Tinh va Tien (1998) and Chieu Hoang (1999).  The Son had also recorded several well received duet albums with other artists for Thuy Nga Paris such as Hoang Lan, Huong Lan, My Huyen and Thien Kim.  He had enjoyed one of the longest professional associations with Thuy Nga Paris from 1994 until 2014 and has performed at live shows for Vietnamese audiences all over the world.  To date, The Son's last released solo studio under the Thuy Nga Paris label was Doi Toi Chi Mot Nguoi (2009) and his last appearance on Paris By Night was on volume 111, filmed on May of 2014 at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  After ending his long tenure with Thuy Nga Paris, The Son began collaborations with Asia Entertainment in 2015.


Link(s):

The Son on Facebook

Ngoc Duc

Ngoc Duc (1935-2012) was a popular actor of stage and film in South Vietnam who had first risen to prominence in the early 1950s as the leading man starring opposite leading actress Tuy Phuong for the Nam Dan Theater Troupe in numerous play productions in Saigon.  He would go on to star in many major motion pictures produced in Saigon prior to 1975, most notably Loan Mat Nhung (1970) starring Thanh Nga, Ngoc Phu, Kim Xuan and Thien Trang and Chan Troi Tim (Purple Horizon) (1971) starring Kim Vui, Hung Cuong, Thanh Lan and Mong Tuyen.  Among his most popular plays included Lan va Diep, Song Dai, Bong Chim Tam Ca, Vo va Tinh and Tra Hoa Nu.

Kim Vui and Ngoc Duc at Maxim's in Saigon (1972)

Ngoc Duc was formerly married to actress/singer Phuong Hong Ngoc from 1973 until 1988.  Together, the couple had two children, a son and a daughter.  In 1985, he and his then wife and their two children resettled in Paris, France.  A year following his divorce from Phuong Hong Ngoc, Ngoc Duc repatriated to Vietnam.  He remarried and took up residence in Ho Chi Minh City.  Ngoc Duc passed away on March 25, 2012 after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Legendary Film and Stage Actress Kim Cuong at Ngoc Duc's Funeral (3-29-12)

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.

Link(s):


30 Most Beautiful Viet Celebs of 2015
Another 50 Most Beautiful Vietnamese Women of All Time

Phuong Hong Que

Phuong Hong Que (1953-    ) is a popular Vietnamese singer.

Born as Nguyen Thi Que on June 19, 1953 in Saigon, South Vietnam, she grew up as one of five daughters in a comfortable middle-class family.  Her father was the owner of one of Saigon's most prominent tailor shops that specialized in men's suits.  From an early age, Phuong Hong Que had developed a keen interest in music as she started listening to recordings of famous Vietnamese singers of the day particularly her idol, Phuong Dung.  At the age of 10, she became a protegée of legendary music instructor, Nguyen Duc, and soon after, joined the musical youth singing troupe he had formed in Saigon known as Viet Nhi which consisted of Phuong Hong Hanh, Phuong Hoai Tam, Kim Loan and Phuong Hong Ngoc.  In 1968, Phuong Hong Que was formally introduced to the Vietnamese music industry with an appearance on national television in South Vietnam performing her very first recorded song, Mot Nguoi Di written by Mai Chau.  Her natural charm and presence captured on the small screen in South Vietnam would lead to numerous invitations to appear on other national televised music programs such as Tieng Thuy Duong hosted by Chau Ky, Truong Son hosted by Duy Khanh and Chuong Trinh Pham Manh Cuong hosted by Pham Manh Cuong, himself.  Phuong Hong Que had become one of South Vietnam's most popular rising young stars and recorded for several major record labels in South Vietnam such as Kim Dang, Nghe Thuat-Tam Anh, Premier, Hoa Mi, Thuong Ca, Song Nhac, Asia, Viet Nam and Du Am.  As a live performer, she headlined for various cabarets and music venues throughout Saigon and toured extensively all over South and Central Vietnam in support of ARVN troops during the Vietnam War.  Among Phuong Hong Que's most popular songs prior to 1975 included Gio Nay Anh O Dau, Vuon Tao Ngo, Chuyen Tinh Hoang Hon, Doi Nga Chia Ly, Tinh Yeu Mau Tim, Ke Den Sau and Pho Dem.

The comfortable lifestyle Phuong Hong Que had grown accustomed to for years as a rising star in the music industry of South Vietnam all of the sudden came to a screeching halt after the Fall of Saigon.  Like many other artists who had performed in support of ARVN troops in the Vietnam War, she was then banned by the new communist regime from working in Ho Chi Minh City as a professional singer and prohibited from using her professional stage name, as well.  During these difficult years, Phuong Hong Que was forced to find other ways to make money in order to survive.  She set up a vending kiosque that would grow into a local convenience store on the first floor of her house selling anything from cigarettes, fabrics, books to clothing.  Although she was able to make ends meet in a new career as a businesswoman, Phuong Hong Que could not stay away from her love of music and live performing.  A couple of years would pass before she would begin collaborations with several singing troupes that performed at live shows held in smaller towns in provinces of rural Southern Vietnam billed under the name Hong Que.  By 1980, Phuong Hong Que would regain her right to work performing at live shows in Ho Chi Minh City.  That was when she joined the Kim Cuong singing troupe, formed by the legendary stage and film actress, billed still under the name of Hong Que.  Another artist with similar restrictions imposed during this time was singer Thanh Lan who was then billed as Lan Thanh at live performances in Ho Chi Minh City.  Eventually, the communist regime in Vietnam would loosen such restrictions and allow all performance artists that had gained prominence prior to 1975 the full usage of their original professional stage names.

In 1979, Phuong Hong Que met and married a physician.  The couple would have two children, a son and daughter in the years that followed.  With the onset of tourist arrivals, predominantly Viet Kieu, former nationals of Vietnam, in 1986 Phuong Hong Que became one of the first entrepreneurs to cash in on Vietnam's newly developed booming tourism industry when she along with two of her close friends partnered to open up Phuong Hong Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.  Equipped with a full bar and stage, the restaurant at night would transform into a cabaret which quickly became a favorite spot among Viet Kieu tourists.  Meanwhile, Phuong Hong Que had also enjoyed a career resurgence as a professional singer during the 1980s.  Despite her success, she decided to leave behind her life of stability in Vietnam to begin a new life in the United States.  This decision was by far not an easy one as her husband of 12 years had chosen to remain in Vietnam.  According to Phuong Hong Que the key factor in making her decision had to do with the futures of her two children.  In 1991, she along with her mother, younger sister and two children left their native homeland to resettle in Orange County, California.

Cover Photo of Duet Album
of Thai Chau and Phuong Hong Que, Ngay Do (2006)

Upon her arrival in the United States in 1991, Phuong Hong Que immediately resumed her career as a Vietnamese singer for the overseas Vietnamese community and began collaborations with Thuy Nga Paris.  As a regular performer on the Paris By Night stage, Phuong Hong Que appeared on 10 volumes of the popular live show music video series released during the years between 1992 until 1995.  Among her most memorable
appearances on Paris By Night include her solo performances of Chieu Cuoi Tuan, written by Truc Phuong, a medley of Chuyen Hen Ho and 7 Ngay Doi Mong, written by Nhat Truong and Noi Buon Chau Pha, written by Le Dinh along with several duets with other singers like Duy Quang, Anh Khoa and Son Ca.  During the Tet season of 2008, Phuong Hong Que appeared on Paris By Night Volume 85, with singer Ngoc Dan Thanh performing a duet medley of songs written by Nhat Truong, Phut Giao Mua and Ngay Dau Mot Nam.  This would mark her first return return to the Paris By Night stage in over a decade.  Phuong Hong Que has also enjoyed a long standing professional association with Asia Productions which has spanned more than two decades beginning in 1994 when she was among the lineup of singers featured on the very first volume of the label's popular live show music video series.  She has made appearances on many more volumes of Asia Productions' live show music video series which have included several duets with Tuan Vu, Thanh Phong and Giang Tu, as well as a string of memorable performances as a trio together with her former singing partners, Phuong Hong Ngoc and Phuong Hoai Tam, both of which had been members of the Viet Nhi Singing Troupe.  Phuong Hong Que has recorded for several major overseas Vietnamese music production labels such as Giang Ngoc, Truong Thanh and Tu Quynh and has also formed her own music production label, PHQ Productions, which has released over a dozen of her solo studio albums since its inception in 1991.  Among her most popular albums produced and released by PHQ Productions have included Dan Ong (1993), Boi Bac (1994), Giong Le (1995) and Chuyen Tinh Khong Doan Ket (1996).  Phuong Hong Que has also recorded several well-received duet albums together with other singers such as Thai Chau, Nhat Truong and Tuan Vu.

In addition to her career in music, Phuong Hong Que has also been a successful businesswoman since relocating to the United States.  Among the businesses she has owned have included a travel agency in which she had opened up during her first year living in the United States, a flower shop named Melody Flowers located in Garden Grove, California which remains in operation to this day, and an import/export business she had started during the late 1990s.  Phuong Hong Que lives in Fountain Valley, California in a house she had purchased just two years after arriving in the United States from Vietnam.