Wei Wei

Wei Wei was born on September 28, 1963, in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. From an early age she showed talent in singing and dancing: she began studying singing at age four, received professional training at six, and was performing on stage by eight.

In 1985 Wei participated in a national singing competition held in Wuhan, achieved good results, and was selected as one of the "12 Stars of the Chinese Music Scene." The following year she placed second in the popular music category of the CCTV Young Singers' Contest. In 1986, as one of China’s first national representatives abroad, she took part in the Sopot International Song Festival in Sopot, Poland, winning a special singing award and the Miss Photogenic title. That same year she finished second in the popular singing category of the professional division at the 2nd CCTV National Young Singers Television Grand Prix, officially launching her performing career.

Her early performances also included serving as one of the lead vocalists on the theme song "Let the World Be Filled with Love" for the First 100 Singers Concert, and in 1987 she was designated a first-class performer. In 1988 she again won a special singing award and the "Singing Miss" award at the Sopot Song Festival in Poland. That year she also received multiple awards at international music events in Yugoslavia and the Belgrade International Vocal Competition. Her recording of "Let the World Be Filled with Love" won a national gold prize.

In 1989 she rose to fame after performing "Dedication of Love" on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. At the same time her work "Folk Song" won an Outstanding Work Award at the Shanghai–Paris World Singing Competition. In 1990 she was ranked first in the 2nd "Top Ten National Film and Television Singers" list and repeatedly received honors on music charts. In 1991 her songs "Rainbow," "Fate Is Not a Pulley" and "Close and Loving" ranked highly on related charts, and she was also named the most beloved mainland singer.

Around 1992 Wei made a series of international appearances, including the Miss Asia Awards ceremony and performances in Japan, and she performed repeatedly at the Olympics and other major national events. In 1993 she visited Los Angeles for performances and then released her first English album, Forever a Lover. In 1994 she held a concert in New York and received several music awards.

In 1995 she, as a representative of Asia, performed the Atlanta Olympics theme song "Glory of the Warrior," and continued to appear on the international stage. In subsequent years she gave solo tours in multiple countries, took part in many charity activities, and repeatedly won domestic and international music awards and honors, including being named one of China’s Top Ten Outstanding Women.

In her personal life, she married Swedish pianist Michael Smith in 1994 and they had three sons. The couple divorced in 2004, and she then returned to China.

In recent years she has remained active in the performing arts, participating in Olympic theme promotions, cross-border performances and music composition. Her work spans many musical styles, she has released numerous albums, and she has served as a guest and judge at important cultural and charity events.