Cho Yong-pil

About

Known for such K-pop hits as "Dear Friend," "The Lady Outside the Window," and "Return to Busan Port," this South Korean vocalist recorded close to twenty albums between 1979 and 2013 and received such prestigious music honors as the 1984 CBS-Sony Golden Disc Award and multiple MBC and KBS Best Artist Awards.

Before Fame

He began his music career as a guitarist, establishing and playing with a late 1960s and early 1970s country music band called Atkins. He released his hit debut vocal single, "Dorawayo Busanhange," in 1975.

Trivia

In the early 1980s, he became the first Korean vocalist to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Family Life

He was born and raised in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province.

Associated With

He became inspired to pursue a career in music after listening to a recording by the American soul musician Ray Charles.