Alex Chu (born Chu Hun-gon September 2, 1979), known simply as Alex (), is a Korean-Canadian singer and actor. He is the male vocalist of the South Korean

electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a r ...

band

Clazziquai Clazziquai Project (Hangul: ), also known as Clazziquai, is a South Korean electropop band that combines several genres including electronic music, acid jazz and house. The band's first short unofficial albums were released online in 2001, spread ...

Biography

Having immigrated to Canada with his family, Alex rose to fame upon returning to South Korea years later as part of the group

. The group's popularity skyrocketed after featuring on the soundtrack of hit drama series ''

My Lovely Samsoon ''My Lovely Sam Soon'' (, lit. ''My Name Is Kim Sam-soon'') is a South Korean television series based on the internet novel of the same title by Ji Soo-hyun, which was published on March 9, 2004. Touted as the Korean version of '' Bridget Jones's ...

''. In 2008, the group announced a temporary hiatus, and its members debuted as solo artists, including Alex. In 2009, Clazziquai returned with the release of Mucho Punk. Alex Chu became part of the MBC reality show ''

We Got Married ''We Got Married'' () was a South Korean reality variety show that aired on MBC from 2008 to 2017. The show paired up celebrities who pretended to be married couples and completed various challenges together. The show ran for four seasons and ...

'' and was matched with Korean trot singer Jang Yoon-jeong in the Lunar Special episode, and actress/model

Shin Ae Shin Ae (Hangul: 신애, born March 13, 1982) is a South Korean actress and model. Career Although debuting as an actress on SBS drama series ''Medical Center'' in 2000, as well as being a model for major endorsement companies such as LG Cyon ...

for the rest of the series. The show also stars Crown J,

Andy Andy may refer to: People *Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pia ...

of Shinhwa,

Seo In-young Seo In-young (Hangul: ; born on September 3, 1984), also known as Elly, is a South Korean singer, dancer, model, television host, and actress. She was a member of girl group Jewelry and featured on the reality show ''We Got Married'' with Cro ...

Jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...

Solbi Kwon Ji-an (; born 30 September 1984), commonly known by her stage name Solbi (), is a South Korean singer, painter, and television personality. She made her singing debut in 2006 as a member of the K-pop group Typhoon, and gained widespread ...

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

, Saori and

Jung Hyung-don Jung Hyung-don (; born February 7, 1978) is a South Korean comedian and television host. He is best known for his roles on the variety shows ''Infinite Challenge'' and ''Weekly Idol''. Early life and education Jung was born in Gimcheon in Nort ...

. Alex and Shin Ae left the show after Episode 8 for Alex to record his first solo album ''Vintage Romance''. They were replaced by

Kim Hyun-joong Kim Hyun-joong (; born June 6, 1986) is a South Korean actor, singer and songwriter. He is a member of the boy band SS501 and played roles in the Korean dramas '' Boys Over Flowers'' and ''Playful Kiss''. After debuting with SS501 in 2005, K ...

SS501 SS501 is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the EP ''Warning'', which included their first number one song, "Never Again ...

and

Hwangbo Hwangbo Hye-jeong ( ko, 황보혜정; born on 16 August 1980), better known as Hwangbo, is a South Korean singer and rapper. She debuted in 1999 as a rapper in the group Bros, before joining the K-pop girl group Chakra in 2000. After Chakra d ...

Chakra Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...

. However, due to popular demand, the couple reunited in Episode 13. Alex and Shin Ae made their exit from the show on November 16, 2008. Alex debuted in his first drama series ''

Pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...

'' as one of the main cast. The drama aired from January 4, 2010 to March 9, 2010 on MBC. On June 2, 2011, Alex released his second solo album, ''Just Like Me''. On June 1, 2012, Alex opened a new Italian restaurant, D'asti Plate, in January 2018 known as D'Asti NY. He partnered with three of his close friends to open the restaurant, which is located in the Shinsadong area of Seoul. In 2013, he appeared in the KBS variety show ''

Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education ''Our Neighborhood Arts and Physical Education'' (), also known as ''Cool Kiz on The Block'', was a South Korean television sports variety show which premiered on 9 April 2013 on KBS2. It was the replacement show of ''Moonlight Prince''. The prog ...

'' to participate during the bowling matches from episode 6 to episode 9. In 2016, Alex started hosting a variety show ''

My Neighbor, Charles ''My Neighbor, Charles'' () is a South Korean reality-variety show that airs on KBS 1TV The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean telev ...

''.

Personal life

Alex Chu was booked without detention by Gangnam Police in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

for driving while intoxicated in Seoul on July 18, 2012. Chu had

blood alcohol content Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes; it is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume or mass of blood. For exampl ...

of 0.134%.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Collaborations

Soundtrack appearances

Television shows

TV drama

Variety show

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, Alex 1979 births Living people Korean-language singers of Canada K-pop singers Male actors from Vancouver Musicians from Vancouver South Korean male singers South Korean pop singers South Korean pop pianists South Korean electronic musicians South Korean jazz singers South Korean male television actors South Korean television presenters South Korean radio presenters Canadian musicians of Korean descent 21st-century South Korean singers Jeonju Chu clan Male pianists 21st-century pianists 21st-century Canadian male singers Canadian male jazz musicians Clazziquai Project members