:: English Name : Jimmy Lin
:: Mandarin Name :Traditional Chinese: 林志穎; Simplified Chinese: 林志颖 (pinyin: lin2 zhi4 ying3)
:: Cantonese Name : Lam Chi Wing (Jyutping: lam4 zi3 wing6)
:: Also known as : Xiao Zhi (小志) / Little Whirlwind
:: Date of Birth : October 15, 1974
:: Birth Place : Taipei, Taiwan
:: Zodiac : Tiger
:: Horoscope : Libra
:: Blood Type : O+
:: Height : 5'8" (173 cm)
:: Weight : 128 lbs (58 kg)
:: Religion : Buddhist
:: Family Members : Farher, mother, 1 elder brother, 2 younger brothers and 1 younger sister
:: Education : Zhong Xiao Primary School , Huai Sheng Secondary School,
Graduated from Hwa Gang with Drama & Photography
:: Favorite Colors : Red, yellow, black, and white
:: Favorite Movie : Always by Steven Spielberg
:: Favorite Foods : Ice cream and chocolate
:: Hated Foods : Durian and sour or spicy food
:: Favorite Fruits : Watermelon and banana
:: Favorite Drinks : Milk and water
:: Favorite Season : Summer
:: Favorite Clothings : Jeans and jackets
:: Favorite Books : Comics
:: Favorite Expression : Smile
:: Favorite Sports : Swimming, bowling, roller blading, golf, and baseball
:: FavoriteCollections : Stamps, cameras, model cars, and magazines on cars
:: Age of entering Entertainment Circle : 17 (1992)
:: Most Respect Person : Father
:: Biggest Dream : Becoming a professional car racer
:: Owns cars : Porsche 996, Ferrari F430 (red), Ferrari F575 (black), Hummer H3, Ford, Lamborghini Gallardo (yellow), and several motorcycles
:: Owns Business : a racing team (Jimmy Racing), a car dealership, a racing consulting company in Zhuhai, a restuarant in Taipei (Dream Family Cafe)
A very touching article about Jimmy's rise to stardom overnite, the low point in his career after the army, all the hardships and criticisms he endured when he started racing. Translated by Ladycoco
** Click here **
Biography
(Original 2005 by Nuozha, Last update 27/1/2009 by KOSE)
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 Childhood (1974) Lin came into the world in the living room of his home in Taiwan, on the 15th of October, 1974. Eventually, he was the 2nd child in a family of 5 children. As a child, while Jimmy charmed everyone around him with his angelic smile, he was also known for his pranks. He was greatly interested in cars and this was reflected in his schoolwork. There was once he wrote in his essay, that he will chase the stars in a car with wings |
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The rise to stardom (1992-1994) At the age of 16, while he was still schooling in Hwa Gang, Lin was discovered during a performance in school. He was then also the star of the campus. At first he declined his first manager’s offer to enter showbiz, but later took up the offer. In 1992, at the tender age of 17, he became a superstar overnight at the release of his debut album, “Not Every Love Song has Fond Memories” (不是每个恋曲都有美好回忆 ). His sweeping fame across Asia and even U.S.A gained him the nickname “Little Whirlwind.” He was also known as one of the Little Four Heavenly Kings in Taiwan. He later went on to release 13 albums, together with their special editions and compilations, and has since filmed many movies and series, as well as endorsed many products. Throughout his singing career, he also received many awards for his hit songs and albums. |
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Military hiatus (1994-1996) Jimmy enjoyed great popularity till 1994, when he had to serve compulsory military service. Despite knowing it would affect his showbiz career tremendously, he did not seek special treatment from the government. In October that year, he entered the military like any other ordinary male of his age. Despite his fame, Jimmy did not have an easy life in the military. In a 2005 talk show, Jimmy revealed that in addition to the arduous training, he was bullied by seniors, and was expected to perform better than other soldiers. Although he did not expect star treatment, Jimmy was shocked to be treated badly for being a celebrity. In spite of all these, Jimmy performed well as a soldier, and received awards for excellent performance. He served primarily in the entertainment section of the military. After 2 years in the military, he returned to showbiz in 1996. |
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The post-military years (1996-1999) However, as was expected, Jimmy was overshadowed by many newcomers in his absence. Despite the difficulties he faced in re-entering showbiz, he worked hard and even set up his own company, Jimmy Creative, which produced his recent 5 albums under the music label “Forward”. The most noteworthy album was “Scarecrow” (稻草人)(1999), which contained a song of the same title. That song is regarded by many fans as the masterpiece of his singing career. |
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Racing career (1997-Present) In 1997, Jimmy decided to realize his dream of car racing. In one of the races that year, he encountered a crash which nearly cost him his life. Seconds after limping out of the wreck, the car exploded. The only reminder of the accident now is a few metal plates in the foot that was crushed. Despite the accident, Jimmy did not give up on racing, and constantly strived to better himself. With regard to this, he often says, “When I race, I am not racing against others, but against myself.” On October 23rd, 2005, Jimmy also hosted the first "Jimmy Cup", a racing event where mainly male celebrities race. Jimmy's aim is that the publicity generated by his event will help to spread the message of traffic safety to the masses, and promote the love of car racing. He raced in China in the past few years. In 2005 he opened a racing consultant company with friends in Zhu Hai. It has its own racing tracks and also developed and tested car products. It has a racing school that trains racers and organizes races. He also opened a car dealership, Road-Star, in Taipei. It buys, remodels, and resells antique cars. He also designs and sells other related merchandize. His racing team, Jimmy Lin Rally Team, won 3rd place in China Rally Races in 2006. He ranked 8th personally. A lot of people can’t believe in his achievements and said that he must have received monetary help from his father. On the contrary, he said, “My father only gives me spiritual support. I made my own money. He may never become an F1 racer but he has proved himself on the race tracks. In 2001 he took home 7 winner’s cups and became the grand champion of the Taiwan Super Car races, winning all 6 races of the year. Then sponsors followed and he was able to make money out of racing. Auto events invite him as guest of honor. In 2006 he formed his own racing team, The Jimmy Lin Rally Team, to participate in the China Rally Championship. It was reported that he spent RMB10M on his team. The outstanding records of The Car God in showbiz: 2001 Taiwan Super Car Races, champion of the year 2001 Asian Renault Formula Challenge, 1st place 2005 ranked 3rd among all Chinese professional Rally racers 2006 Star Race, 1st place 2007 China Rally Championship at Beijing, 5th place 2008 Pan Delta Super Racing Festival, 1st place round 1, 2nd place round 2 |
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Acting and singing career (2000 - Present) While being a racer, Lin has not neglected his showbiz career. Jimmy concentrated on filming after his last album “Going for a Walk” in 2000. The grandest production in recent years was “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils”(天龙八部), where he took the role of the Dali crown-prince Duan Yu. Despite drawing flak for his acting, Jimmy continues to work hard and experiment with different roles. Despite having not released an album since 2000, Jimmy continues to sing for series/film theme songs, and give regular live performances for various events. Jimmy sings at mini concerts, fund-raising events, festivals and even state events. He was one of the celebrity performers at the Third "Beijing 2008" Olympic Cultural Festival (2005), where the theme motto "One World, One Dream" was officially announced. In addition to his showbiz and racing career, Jimmy set up a business on the Web with his brother, naming his own brand "JR" (Jimmy Racing). The online venture sells goods ranging from sunglasses to bikinis. It has since grown in scale from operating solely on auction sites, toselling his goods on shopping sites. http://buy.yahoo.com.tw/gdsale/gdgroup.asp?gdid=37279 Jimmy Lin returns with his latest CD Jimmy F1ght 2006 closely followed by his passion for sports cars. In 2007, Jimmy's first idol series, My Lucky Star (放羊的星星), was very successful in ratings. It was also the highest rating idol series in 2007. Jimmy's popularity has come back. This year 2009, he is planning to release new EP with concert tour and concentrate on shooting movie and series. Early this year, Jimmy just finished Chivas Musical Tour in China, this musical helps him a lot in the coming concert tour. His latest series, Shao Lin Si Chuan Qi 2 started on January 26, 2009 at Henan TV station. His new movie, The Frightening Christmas Eve, will start filming in March. |
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Societal contributions Jimmy has been ambassador for many youth and government campaigns, in Taiwan and other places. On October 17th, 2003, Jimmy was presented with the 'International Outstanding Youth Award' by Governor of San Francisco. He was the first Chinese in history to receive this award. The award was mainly to commend him for starting a series of fund-raisings for schools, for being the anti-drug ambassador, and for participation in public community events. The Governor also declared the same day for that year as “Jimmy Day”. |
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Jimmy trivia 1) Jimmy was the youngest singer ever to hold a concert at the Coliseum, Hong Kong. He was only 18 years old. 2) He was also the first singer to hold a concert within the Suntec City Fountain of Wealth, Singapore, in 1999. 3) He wrote a book on his military life, entitled “Army Diary”. |