The 63-year-old Hong Kong singer and actor Alan Tam says he still feels like a 25-year-old and stays in shape by jogging every day, even after a two-hour concert or a TV show.

He returns to Beijing for the concert Encore, one year after his last performance in the city, which saw tickets sell out within a week.

While his last concert in the capital saw Tam running around a lot, Encore will feature his classic ballads, such as Half Dazed, Half Awoken, Love Trap and Flower in Water. About 10,000 fans are expected to attend the three-hour concert.

Tam was among the first group of Hong Kong singers to enter the mainland market during the 1990s. He held his first concert in Beijing in 1993, after appearing on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala in 1990, singing Flower in Water, in Mandarin, which became an instant hit.

Tam made his name in the 1970s singing romantic Cantopop ballads and was still going strong in the 1980s, with hits such as Love in Autumn and Embrace.

He credits his early success to the help of his band, The Wynners, which he formed with friends and disbanded in 1978. They performed mostly in English and their fashionable looks and original songs helped make them a teen sensation in Hong Kong at the time.

Tam has more than 1,000 songs under his name and has held more than 500 concerts around the world. He calls the Hong Kong Coliseum his second home.

Tam is also a respected actor and took the Best Actor Award at the Golden Horse Award for his role in If I Were For Real, in 1980.

He also runs his own music company to help young musicians. For his 2009 album, Mr Tam, he worked with the pioneering Hong Kong rock band, Mr, injecting electronic and rock music into his songs.

His nickname, "Principal Tam", originated in the 1980s, when he held concerts every summer and his loyal fans always attended, just like at school.

"Maybe because my father was a professional soccer player, I was born with endless energy," he jokes.

Tam is often asked to give advice to young celebrities and he usually responds that he would continue to sing even if he only had one fan.

"It's too easy to get music today and there is less respect for the music. You hear a new song, or a new singer, but soon you forget about them because new songs and singers keep arriving. If you want to stand out and last, you have to persist," he says.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/13/2013 page15)