41-Year-Old Singer-Songwriter Dies After Illness: What We Know About Khalil Fong’s Death

Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter Khalil Fong has died at the age of 41. Fong passed away on Friday, Feb. 21 after battling an unspecified “relentless illness” for five years, his record label, Fu Music, announced.

“The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” the statement added.

Born in Hawaii on July 14, 1983, Fong, whose Chinese name was Fong Tai-tung, The New York Times reports, was just 5 when his family relocated to Shanghai. After later settling in Hong Kong, Fong began learning guitar and writing music as a teenager, and soon found himself submitting demo tapes to record labels. Crediting Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder as his biggest influences, according to The Strait Times, Fong, who sang in both Mandarin and English, became known for blending R&B and soul music to create Mandopop.

He released his first studio album, Soulboy, in 2005, and followed it with nine more, including This Love (2006), Orange Moon (2008), Back to Wonderland (2012), and Journey to the West (2016). He scored hits with songs like “Love Song,” “Special Person,” “Spring Breeze,” and “Love Love Love.”

Fong, who founded the independent label Fu Music in 2016, also produced and wrote songs for Cantopop and Mandopop stars including Eason Chan, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and A-mei.

Fong’s career was cut short by health problems. In 2010, he was diagnosed with pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung, and was hospitalized several times. CAN Lifestyle reported doctors believed the condition was caused by overwork. The singer reportedly continued receiving treatment for the condition into recent years, according to 8Days, and he largely retreated from the public following the release of his award-winning album Journey to the West in 2016. His last live performance was at the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore in 2019.

Fong released his final album, The Dreamer, in October 2024. The album was recorded “during various stages of illness,” he told fans. Although the musician didn’t offer any details about his specific health condition, he explained that “in my condition, it was both a challenge and a relief from the rather tedious circumstance I was in…While my condition has improved significantly, it will still be a while till I’m fully recovered. In life we are each faced with challenges but through it all let’s not forget how to be dreamers.”

Outside of his music career, Fong was also an author who in 2018 released a six-book bilingual series of graphic novels for children called Emi The Dream Catcher.