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Alexander Lee-Hom Wang (; born May 17, 1976; better known as Leehom Wang or Wang Leehom) is an American singer-songwriter of Taiwanese descent who has achieved success in Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and the rest of South-East Asia.

Biography

Lee-Hom Wang was born in Rochester, New York on 17 May 1976 of Taiwanese parents. He studied music at Williams College and the Berklee College of Music. Hailing from Williams College, a liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Wang furthered his education at Berklee with (Jazz Piano & Composition). He has become one of the many new songwriters and musicians revolutionizing the Chinese music industry. He is active in all areas of musical production, from composing to producing, to arranging pieces, to writing lyrics (although he did not learn to speak fluent Chinese until he was 18), to playing instrumental accompaniments, to directing his own music videos. Wang comes from a high pedigree of academics; he earned a perfect score on his SAT; his father is a neurologist, his older brother, Leo (Lee-De) Wang was a student at Yale University and is presently a doctor residing in Chicago, Illinois, his younger brother, Lee-Kai Wang is a student at MIT in Cambridge, MA, and many of his relatives are doctors. Like much of his family, Lee-Hom had considered pursuing a medical career. However, at the last minute Wang realized his true passion was for music. Amidst criticism from his family, Wang decided to attend Williams College to pursue his dream to become a musician. Although this decision was unconventional, Wang was willing to take the risk.

Music career

In 1995 while vacationing in Taiwan, Wang's rich vocal and fresh appearance allowed him to sign a contract that sparked the beginning of his musical career. He later became the youngest Best Producer of the Year and Best Male Vocalist of the Golden Melody Awards in 1999.

By combining western music with classical Chinese instruments, Wang has given a unique twist to Chinese music. Having eleven Mandarin albums to his credit, Wang has yet to produce an English album but remains one of the main songwriters and producers for Sony BMG. He also owns two Homeboy Music Studios situated in Taiwan and New York.

On his tenth album, Shangri-La, Wang incorporated the often unheard music of Taiwan into a style he coined "chinked out". He experimented with the tribal sounds of Taiwan, Tibet, and Mongolia, traveling the area carrying 15 kg of equipment while fighting bouts of altitude and food sickness. His most recent album, Heroes of Earth, was released on 31 December 2005, and he had infused elements of Beijing opera into the songs, continuing the "chinked out" spirit.

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