Career
He is regarded as the "Godfather of Cantopop". Tam was seen as a cultural icon to Chinese communities around the world (including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and, later Mainland China). He had a string of hits in a career spanning 30 years.
He was well respected for his singing skills, his positive outlooks, and his insistence on correct pronunciations.
Born in Baise, Guangxi, China with family roots in Guiping, Guangxi. He moved to Guangzhou(Canton) since 1947 at the age of 2.
He later immigrated to Hong Kong in 1962 at the age of 17. After forming a short-lived band known as Roman and the Four Steps, he became a contract singer under studios term at TVB. He briefly switched to Asia Television in the early 1990s.
During the 1990s, he accepted many budding singers as his students.
He had sung many well known songs for various television series including Below the Lion Rock and the 1982 TVB television series The Legend of the Condor Heroes. Tam never married. He died in Hong Kong at Queen Mary Hospital from liver cancer. The title of "Godfather of Cantopop" was confirmed in his obituary.
He recorded a series of duets with Jenny Tseng for the television drama hit "Legend of Condor Heroes." Jenny Tseng still pays tribute to Roman Tam during her concerts.