Famous showman of Southern entertainment industry passes away

Mr. Duy Ngoc - one of the four famous stage and music show organizers of Saigon's entertainment industry in the 20th century - passed away at noon on January 25, at the age of 80.

The funeral of Mr. Duy Ngoc will be held at his private home in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Previously, he had a near-death experience due to liver cancer.

Showman Duy Ngoc was born in 1936 in a family of nine siblings. His father was in the car business at that time and no one in his family followed the path of art. At the age of 17, thanks to his tall appearance and good voice, Duy Ngoc sang in many tea rooms in Saigon and attracted the attention of the audience. After a while, he followed the path of being a showman. He used the money he saved from his singing career to rent a theater and organize very successful performances. Many art programs organized by showman Duy Ngoc had the participation of famous artists such as: Ut Bach Lan, Thanh Duoc, Hung Cuong, Mai Le Huyen, Bach Tuyet, Che Linh, Thanh Tam...

Showman Duy Ngoc.

Any organizer of a grand concert in Saigon in the past, and up to now, whenever mentioning the "four monsters" of the Southern entertainment industry, they always mention four names: Hoang Bieu, Ngoc Giao, Si Dang and Duy Ngoc. They are called the "kings of grand concerts", operating on all stages in Saigon for nearly three decades in the 60s, 70s and 80s of the 20th century. At the big theaters in Saigon at that time such as: Quoc Te, Quoc Thanh, Tran Hung Dao, Hao Hue, Hoang Kiem... These four "kings" all signed exclusive contracts to operate the theater for 5-10 years.

Mr. Duy Ngoc is considered a prestigious show producer in the art world because he dares to organize stage and music performances with investment in quality and artistic ideas. In the 1960s, he asked for permission from artist Phung Ha to use the play Phung Nghi Dinh by playwright Moc Quan Nguyen Trong Quyen to organize opera to raise funds for charity. He always kept in mind that in his profession, he must maintain prestige and honor, not "advertise a sheep's head and sell dog meat" in each show just to get money from the audience. In more than 60 years as a show producer, he also performed nearly 600 charity shows.

Not only is he a famous showman, Mr. Duy Ngoc is even more famous for participating in the "National Olympic Boxer" tournament and winning 20 matches and drawing one match.

As a good manager, dedicated and understanding towards artists, Duy Ngoc's passing leaves many people mourning.

Journalist Thanh Hiep - who is closely associated with the Ho Chi Minh City theater industry - shared that his colleagues used to call Duy Ngoc "Uncle Duy Ngoc" or "Uncle Duy Ngoc". "He was always cheerful, gentle and concerned about unfortunate lives. Recently, I heard artist Kim Cuong say that he visited his grandmother's house to ask for some gifts from the second Tri Am Artist program to give to some poor artists and singers that he knew. Sister Kim Cuong said that at that time, Duy Ngoc's complexion was very bad, he was breathing hard but he still tried to smile, and discussed with Sister Hai about the need to help poor artists and singers. But now he has passed away", journalist Thanh Hiep said.

Singer Dan Truong and manager Hoang Tuan were heartbroken when they heard the news of manager Duy Ngoc's death. The male singer said that manager Duy Ngoc was very lovable and respected singers, so everyone called him "father". He was a dedicated professional, and whenever a singer had difficulty in doing a show, he would help promote it. "I remember that he used to love to beautify himself. When he took on the role of MC, he would change three to four suits," the male singer recalled the manager's graceful image on stage.

On his personal page, singer Dam Vinh Hung mourned the person he affectionately called "dad" - the affectionate way Southerners call their father. In Dam Vinh Hung's heart, Mr. Duy Ngoc was a legendary show producer of the South. "I hope Dad rests in peace, everyone will always remember his name," he wrote.

Singer Thanh Thao was shocked by the sad news. Producer Duy Ngoc has been with her since she first started singing. She confided that she had just promised that if he did a Tet show this year, she would support him wholeheartedly. "A person we call dad very dearly, who is always by my side in all my live shows, present at all my family's intimate parties, because for a long time, dad and I have considered ourselves family. Dad left so quickly, I didn't have time to bring banh tet over for you to eat. I just hope you will rest in peace, dad," she said.

Director Tran Vi My said: "Mr. Duy Ngoc is a legendary show producer in the South. He is the one who has organized the most shows up to this point. The famous stars in the South have all 'eaten' from Mr. Ngoc from reformed opera, music, and comedy."

According to VnExpress