Growing up under a stick

When Jay Chou was 14 years old, his parents divorced. Growing up in a single-parent family, he was raised by his mother and grandmother, so his grandmother and mother became the two most beloved women in his life. When he started practicing piano at the age of 3, his mother saw his talent in music and was very strict with him. As a result, Jay Chou was deprived of the right to play in his childhood and spent all his days by the piano. . But every time he practices the piano, he always plays absent-mindedly when he hears the playfulness of his companions outside the window. So, his mother held a stick and stood behind him, watching him finish practicing the piano. Jay said: "If I have a solid foundation in music, I have to thank that stick." He also met a very strict piano teacher. Whenever he made a mistake or was not paying attention, he would hit the back of his hand immediately. As a result, Jay's hands were covered with bruises, which made him resist and no longer wanted to learn the piano. But when he calmed down, he couldn't help but want to play the piano. After thinking about it for a few days, little Jay not only continued to practice the piano obediently, but also never thought of leaving music again, no matter how strict the teacher was. When Jay was a child, Jay Chou was very naughty and was often beaten. He once secretly learned from his mother's signature, so that he could steal contact books or test papers with low grades. Sometimes he would deliberately blur the scores on the test paper with saliva, and then tell his mother that he was caught in the rain. In school, if your test scores are not up to standard, you will be slapped on the palm of your hand. Another time, my ears were pinched by a teacher. It didn't get better until I was in junior high school, so I was used to being beaten when I was a child.

A very lonely childhood

Jaylen is an only son in the family, with an introverted and shy personality. When he was young, he once thought about having a younger sibling to accompany him, but he also felt that his parents were already tired of raising him. If he had one more child, the burden of life would be heavy. The life of an only child is a bit boring, but because he is an only child, he has different ideas about life. He can only solve many things by himself and no one can help him, which makes him more independent. Jay frankly said that if he had younger siblings, he would be more considerate of others. His childhood would not be boring and he could play with his younger siblings every day, so he still envies other families with siblings. After his parents divorced, he became more withdrawn and didn't like to talk, so he didn't have many playmates. Most of the time I play with my neighbors and classmates. You can’t say I’m autistic, but I do have a relatively large space of my own. When asked to recall the most memorable thing from his childhood, he actually said it was the big dog raised by his grandmother, because little Jay often played with the dog, and sometimes imagined that he was a general and rode the dog like a horse. He said that if he had brothers and sisters, his thoughts on life would be different from now.

The man of the hour in high school became a waiter

After Jay Chou was admitted to the music department of Tamsui High School in Taipei, because he played the piano well and was good at basketball, he suddenly became A popular figure in the school, he was also the Prince Charming in the eyes of many female classmates. At this time, Jay began to have good friends, and with the encouragement of his classmates, he tried to compose his own songs, and many classmates even rushed to collect them. But while his classmates were nervously preparing to take the college entrance examination, he was still indulged in his music hobby. In the eyes of ordinary people, his future is bleak. Because at that time, a child from an ordinary family, his best choice was to study mathematics, natural sciences and computers in order to find a good job and make a living in the future, while music was a luxury for the rich. Obviously, they think Jay Chou cannot afford luxury. Sure enough, in June 1996, after graduating from high school, Jay Chou couldn't find a job for a while, so he had to apply for a job as a waiter in a restaurant. His daily job is to deliver the dishes prepared by the chef to the restaurant, and then pass them to the guests by the waitress. This job seems simple, but it is not easy to do it. Because there are many guests, it is easy to pass the wrong dishes. And if something goes wrong, not only will the waiter be angry with the customer, but the boss will also deduct his salary.

The opportunity finally came

In 1997, Jay Chou participated in "The Rookie of the Year". Jay, whose performance was not that good, unexpectedly got the favor of Wu Zongxian. After having an in-depth discussion with Jay, he decided to hire Jay as a music production assistant in his record company. I have been working as a production assistant for more than a year. This job requires me to do all kinds of chores, and sometimes I have to help everyone buy lunch boxes. The salary is very small, but Jay is very happy doing it. Gradually, the musical foundation he had laid solidly since childhood made his performance more and more outstanding. The boss Wu Zongxian saw this and decided to give this very talented young man a chance to have his own stage and become a creative artist. singer. One day in December 1999, Wu Zongxian called Jay Chou to his office and said very solemnly: "Aaron, I will give you 10 days. If you can write 50 songs and I can pick 10 from them, then I will I’ll help you release a record.”

Jay Chou was so excited that he ran to the street and bought back a large box of instant noodles. He thought that even if he tried his best, he would still have to make a final struggle. Because he knew that the opportunity his boss gave him might be this one. During that time, he almost composed one song after another, and whenever he was tired, he would take a nap in a corner of the room and wake up to continue composing the next song. In this way, in just 10 days, Jay Chou really produced 50 songs, and each song was beautifully written and composed neatly. After more than half a year of careful production, Jay Chou's first album - "JAY" was produced.

It was an instant hit upon its release. Not only did the record sell well, but it also won two Taiwan Pop Music Golden Melody Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Producer, and Composer.

Since his first album was sold out in 2000, his album sales have been unparalleled. As if overnight, the Chinese pop music scene was almost dominated by Jay Chou's voice alone. Growing up from a restaurant waiter to a household name, Jay Chou said in an exclusive interview with Time magazine: "The dream of stardom is not unattainable. In fact, anyone can do it, as long as you are willing to work hard. I So what I am today is the result of my refusal to admit defeat." Jay Chou hopes that he can become a contemporary musician in the future, rather than a flash in the pan. Indeed, if a person does not want to be a coward who retreats, he should climb up step by step like a snail.