Singer Lin Yu-chun
"I've had a lot of nicknames, and all of them revolve around the word fat," says Lin Yu-chun, the chubby, 24-year-old Taiwanese singer whose rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" has mesmerized YouTube watchers with about 10 million views in the past month.
Like his online predecessor Susan Boyle, Lin's success was unlikely, especially in Taiwan, the factory for most of the lithe stars in the Mandopop world. Initially, Super Star Avenue — the Taiwan version of American Idol — refused to let Lin perform on the show. "The Chinese entertainment world is more conservative," says Chen Wan-juo, Lin's agent. "People are more narrow-minded about what a singer should look like." After much persuasion from Chen, the program finally gave him a chance. Despite the perfect score the show's judges served Lin for his performance of "Amazing Grace," no one in Taiwan took notice.
At least not until the foreign media did. During his second appearance on the show on April 2, a video of Lin belting out "I Will Always Love You" in a voice eerily reminiscent of Whitney's got picked up on YouTube and, like Boyle, Lin became globally famous overnight. By April 21, Lin was singing live on U.S. talk shows The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Lopez Tonight. And unlike William Hung, the endearing but tone-deaf Chinese student that American Idol followed around for laughs, America's fixation on Lin appears to be based on his talent. "This is the first time this has happened," says Chen. "There is really no one like him in the Chinese market."
Lin himself had dreamed of performing onstage since he was 4, but his strict father thought he was "crazy," threatening to cut off relations with his son if he pursued the career. Despite his family's objections, as a teen Lin joined numerous singing contests, and failed. "For the first three years," Lin said, "I didn't place in any contest, but I listened to what the judges said and kept improving." Luckily, he didn't take the criticisms to heart. "You sing pretty well," one judge said, "but with your looks, you should be a comedian." Facing constant sneers over his appearance, Lin found solace and confidence in his craft. "I thought about giving up, but I love singing too much," says Lin. "I had to keep trying."
After graduating from Yuan Ze University last year with a degree in communications, Lin auditioned for the opportunity to be trained at his current entertainment agency. He was one of 100 chosen out of 6,000 applicants. Chen said he really stood out — not because of his waistline, but for his devotion. After hours of classes, he'd stay to practice more and help others choreograph their work. Lin's dedication inspired Chen to find an opportunity for him to sing on television. "It was very hard in this market to get him a chance," she says.
As it turns out, Lin's ordinary appeal has become his asset. "I'm just like the chubby little boy next door," says Lin. "I used to have absolutely no confidence in my appearance, but now I think, 'This is me.' I want to be myself." He got voted off Super Star Avenue in his third performance, but Lin is used to looking past failure. He plans to put out two CDs, in both English and Chinese, in a couple of months. As for his current nickname, it's Xiao Pang — an affectionate moniker that translates into something like "little chubby." He's grown to like that one. "It's cute and easy to remember," he says. "I can't compete for good looks, but I've found my own personal style."