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Khánh Ly (born as Nguyễn Thị Lệ Mai; 6 March 1945 in
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
) is a
Vietnamese-American Vietnamese Americans () are Americans of Vietnamese people, Vietnamese ancestry. They constitute a major part of all overseas Vietnamese. As of 2023, over 2.3 million people of Vietnamese descent live in the United States, making them the fourth ...
singer. She performed many songs written by Vietnamese composer
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
and rose to fame in the 1960s. She married South Vietnam journalist Nguyễn Hoàng Đoan in 1975.


Life and career


Early life

Khánh Ly was born to a traditional family and grew up in
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
. As a child, she would fall asleep to her father's soothing voice. His serenades planted a love for music inside her, which grew stronger every day against her family's wishes. In 1954, at 9, she entered a small contest in the city of Hanoi singing "Thơ Ngây"; she did not win. By 1956, she accompanied her mother to the southern regions of Vietnam. At the end of that very same year, she secretly entered a children's talent-search contest produced by Pháp-Á production at Norodom Stage in Saigon. Mai traveled to the contest by sneaking into the back of transport trucks and hitching a ride from Đà Lạt City to Saigon. She won second prize singing Pham Duy's famous song, "Ngày Trở Về". Mai lost to child-star Quốc Thắng who would also later become an iconic figure in the music world. She was only 11.


1962–1966: Debut

Mai's musical career did not officially begin until she debuted at Club Anh Vũ on 43 Bùi Viện Street in Saigon when she was only 17 (1962). At this point, she adopted the stage name Khánh Ly, a combination of Khánh Kỵ and Yêu Ly, both are characters from
Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms The ''Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Kingdoms'' () is a Chinese historical novel in 108 chapters written by Feng Menglong in the late Ming dynasty. Set in the Eastern Zhou dynasty, the novel starts from the Chinese kingdom beginning to break apa ...
, her favorite novel. By the end of 1962, she relocated to Đà Lạt and stayed there for four years performing at various clubs and resorts. Night after night, she serenaded lovers, tourists, and the youths of Vietnam. On a rainy night in 1964, she met Trịnh Công Sơn (TCS), at that time a young composer and a teacher at a school in Bảo Lộc. They became fast friends. Fascinated by her seductive voice, Trinh had asked her on several occasions to accompany him in his performances in Saigon. Still in love with the romantic hills of Da Lat, she declined.


1967–1975: Diva of Saigon

During a trip to
Saigon Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025. The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
in 1967, she ran into Trịnh on the busy streets of Lê Thánh Tôn. After several serenades and coffee at a small shop called Quán Văn, the legacy of Khánh Ly and Trịnh Công Sơn had begun. Within the next several decades, Khánh Ly and Trịnh Công Sơn sang together at small coffee shops, clubs, and even on the steps of Văn Khoa University in Saigon (a liberal arts school). During the escalation of an unwanted and bloody war, his anti-war lyrics in the Yellow-Skin Songs and her luring voice appealed to those who grew weary of the battles and bloodshed; their plea for peace propelled them to the top. From the educating fields of large universities to the unknown and endless farm lands, she was heard, known, and hailed as "Nữ Hoàng Chân Đất" (the barefoot diva) or "Nữ Hoàng Sân Cỏ." (the grassy fields diva) Together, Khánh Ly and Trịnh Công Sơn took the Vietnamese music world by storm. Their phenomenal fame gave her the chance to be the first Vietnamese woman to headline her own show. During the late 1960s to early 1970s, she also collaborated with multiple production companies and played a large part on the recorded tracks from famous videos such as the Phạm Mạnh Cương Program, Trường Sơn Centre, Sơn Ca Productions, Hoạ Mi, Jo Marcel Productions, etc. Up until her emigration in 1975, Khánh Ly achieved disproportionate fame around the world. She opened Club Khánh Ly on Tự Do Street in Saigon along with a small shop named Hội Quán Cây Tre, a gathering place for musicians and students alike. In addition, she was sponsored by the Vietnamese government to hold performances in Europe to promote the worldwide collaboration of the rising generation of Vietnamese students ("Nối Vòng Tay Lớn") ("United Circle of Hands"). She also performed in the United States, Canada, and Japan at the Osaka Fair in response to an invitation from Nippon Columbia Label (a large production company). Here, she recorded an album featuring
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
's songs Diễm Xưa and Ca Dao Mẹ (sang in both languages), which went gold shortly after its debut. These songs became top hits in Japan and remained so for several decades. Khánh Ly was the first Vietnamese singer to achieve international fame.


1975–present: Continue career after The Fall of Saigon

In 1975, Khánh Ly, along with thousands of Vietnamese refugees, crossed the Pacific Ocean and settled in America. Like many, she struggled to find jobs on American soil to provide for her four children. Even though the first few years were difficult, Khánh Ly's renowned status did not fade from the music world. In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Khanh Ly was invited back to Japan on numerous occasions by Nippon Columbia Label, Toci Film, and Japan's largest television station to record and perform. Her second record with Nippon Columbia (1979) went gold short after its release; there were 2 million copies sold in Japan alone. Her third and final album with Nippon also featured classic hits such as Wandering Man. In addition, both Toci Film and Japanese largest television station featured her voice in the theme song to several movies and television series regarding Vietnam's culture as well as the "Boat People" phenomenon; her most notable recording was "Lời Ru Cho Đà Nẵng" in 1987, music by Japanese artist Hako Yamasaki and words by former newspaper editor and Khánh Ly's husband, Nguyễn Hoàng Đoan. She was also featured in the Asian Music Festival held in Japan, along with famous singers from Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the South Pacific. Her fame in Japan continued to escalate when she was named one of the top 10 most famous people along the same line as Gandhi, Gucci, Martin Luther King Jr.s wife, among others. In 1996, Japan's television station NKH and famous producer Hideo Kado produced a short 50-minute documentary about the life of Khánh Ly, which aired on 29 April 1997, 22 years from the day she left Saigon. In September of that year, NKH also published a 270-page biography about Khánh Ly. In the later part of the 1980s and early 1990s, Khánh Ly traveled vigorously and performed in Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and in a concert in East Germany after the Berlin Wall was taken down in 1989. Being a devout
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, she also sang at many church-sponsored events in which her most memorable performance was at the Canonization of 117 Vietnamese Priests in Vatican City (1988) where she met Pope John Paul II. In 1992, during the World's Youth Festival in Denver, Colorado, Khánh Ly had the honor of meeting the Pope for a second time. In 1996, she, several other renowned singers, and songwriter Trầm Tử Thiêng hosted a Charity Concert to raise money to build houses/shelters for 2000 Vietnamese refugees in the Philippines. They raised 2 million dollars, enough to establish a Vietnamese Village on a small island off of the coast of the Philippines. Now she is living comfortably with her husband, former newspaper editor/writer Nguyễn Hoàng Đoan in Cerritos, California, recording for Thúy Nga-Paris by Night, Asia, May Productions, etc., touring the world, and co-owns her own production company, Khánh Ly Productions, which has produced more than 30 CDs, 4 videos, and several DVDs to date. Aside from her paid performances, she is also writing weekly columns for various Vietnamese newspaper and magazines throughout the world (Hồn Việt, Văn Nghệ Tự Do, Văn Nghệ Magazine, Thời Báo, Báo Mai, etc.). Khánh Ly has also devoted the majority of her time to humanitarian acts and charitable organizations for Vietnamese orphans as well as Vietnamese refugees around the world. For the past six decades, Khánh Ly has left a breathtaking legacy that she has written and is still writing for the next generation of Vietnam. She found music boldly, imprinted in history an irreplaceable voice that knows no parallel, and dazzled the world with her graceful, witty, and humble personality. For someone who is the voice of generations, she has only one simple wish: "To breathe my last breath on the stage which gave me life...." On 9 May 2014, she had her first concert in
Vietnam National Convention Center The National Convention Center (NCC; ) is a major convention center located on Thăng Long Boulevard in Nam Từ Liêm district of Hanoi, Vietnam. The convention center was designed by Meinhard von Gerkan and Nikolaus Goetze of Gerkan, Marg and P ...
,
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, at which she performed many famous songs of hers to thousands of fans.


Personal life

She was married the first time to Minh Di and had two children with him. Her second marriage was to Mai Bá Trạc, a soldier of
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
and they had a daughter. After his death in 1975, Khánh Ly later married Nguyễn Hoàng Đoan, a Vietnamese journalist. There were rumors about her love for musician
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
, but Trịnh Công Sơn denied it and said that they were just good friends. In an interview reported by
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
, Khánh Ly said that she was not bothered by the Vietnamese Government's censorship of overseas songs because "singing songs that people don't allow will cause troubles", and "sometimes, what we like is not necessarily what others like".


Discography


Cassettes and CDs

*1967 – Ghi âm trực tiếp tại Quán Văn (with
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
) *1969 – Hát cho quê hương Việt Nam 1 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1970?- Nhạc Tuyển 1 (with
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
) *1970 – Hát cho quê hương Việt Nam 2 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1971 – Băng nhạc Tình ca 1 (with Sĩ Phú, Duy Trác and Thanh Lan) *1971 – Hát cho quê hương Việt Nam 3 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1971 – Tứ quý (with Lệ Thu, Duy Trác, and Tuấn Ngọc) *1973 – Hát cho quê hương Việt Nam 4 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1973 – Như cánh vạc bay (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1974 – Hát cho quê hương Việt Nam 5 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1974 – Sơn Ca 7 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1976 – Khi tôi về *1976 – Như cánh vạc bay (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1976 – Giáng Sinh-Quê hương còn đó nỗi buồn. Khánh Ly, Sĩ Phú, Mai Hương *1976 – Hát cho quê hương Việt Nam 6 (Nhạc Tuyển 1 rerelease) (with
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
) *1977 – Hát cho những người ở lại *1977 – Tình ca mùa hạ *1979 – Người di tản buồn *1980 – Lời buồn thánh (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1981 – Đừng yêu tôi (performed Vũ Thành An songs) *1981 – Giọt lệ cho ngàn sau (performed Từ Công Phụng songs) *1981 – Bông hồng cho người ngã ngựa *1981 – Tủi nhục ca. Khánh Ly (performed Hà Thúc Sinh songs) *1982 – Tắm mát ngọn sông đào *1983 – Ướt mi (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1983 – Bản tango cuối cùng *1984 – Trong tay anh đêm nay, Dạ vũ Valse *1984 – Lá đổ muôn chiều (Tà áo xanh) (performed Đoàn Chuẩn songs) *1984 – Bài tango cho em *1985 – Khối tình Trương Chi (with Sĩ Phú) *1985 – Biển nhớ (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1985 – Bông bưởi chiều xưa (performed Châu Đình An songs) *1986 – Hạ trắng (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1986 – Niệm khúc cuối (with Elvis Phương) *1986 – Thương một người *1986 – Tango tango *1987 – Tình không biên giới *1987 – Ai trở về xứ Việt *1987 – Bên ni bên nớ (performed
Phạm Duy Phạm Duy (5 October 1921 – 27 January 2013) was one of Vietnam's most prolific songwriters with a musical career that spanned more than seven decades through some of the most turbulent periods of Vietnamese history and with more than one ...
songs) *1987 – Như cánh vạc bay (with
Lệ Thu Oanh Thi "Cecilia" Bui, written in Vietnamese as "Bùi Thị Oanh" and known by the stage name Lệ Thu (July 16, 1943 – January 15, 2021), was a Vietnamese-American singer. Born in Hải Phòng, she was well known in South Vietnam in the 1960s ...
) *1987 – Đêm hạ hồng (with Lệ Thu and Thanh Phong) *1988 – Boston buồn *1988 – Tango điên (Vũ nữ thân gầy) *1989 – Kinh khổ (performed Trầm Tử Thiêng songs) *1989 – Mưa hồng *1989 – Đêm hạnh ngộ *1989 – Niệm khúc hoa vàng *1989 – Xóa tên người tình (with Elvis Phương) *1990 – Tình nhớ (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1990 – Tình hờ (with Elvis Phương) *1991 – Vũng lầy của chúng ta (performed Lê Uyên Phương songs) *1991 – Tưởng rằng đã quên *1991 – Lệ đá (with
Lệ Thu Oanh Thi "Cecilia" Bui, written in Vietnamese as "Bùi Thị Oanh" and known by the stage name Lệ Thu (July 16, 1943 – January 15, 2021), was a Vietnamese-American singer. Born in Hải Phòng, she was well known in South Vietnam in the 1960s ...
and Kim Anh) *1991 – Best of Khánh Ly *1992 – Ca dao mẹ *1992 – Bên đời hiu quạnh (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1992 – Một cõi đi về (Im lặng thở dài) (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1993 – Dốc mơ *1993 – Tôi ơi đừng tuyệt vọng. Tiếng hát Khánh Ly, Trịnh Công Sơn và Trịnh Vĩnh Trinh *1994 – Để lại cho em (performed
Phạm Duy Phạm Duy (5 October 1921 – 27 January 2013) was one of Vietnam's most prolific songwriters with a musical career that spanned more than seven decades through some of the most turbulent periods of Vietnamese history and with more than one ...
songs) *1994 – Em còn nhớ hay em đã quên (tái bản từ Bông hồng cho người ngã ngựa) *1994 – Ừ thôi em về (Shotguns record collection từ '70 rerelease) *1995 – Đời vẫn hát *1996 – Ca khúc da vàng, Volume 1 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1997 – Mùa thu xa em: Khánh Ly đặc biệt *1998 – Ca khúc da vàng, Volume 2 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1999 – Ca khúc da vàng, Volume 3 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *1999 – Hiên cúc vàng (performed Nguyễn Đình Toàn songs) *1999 – Nguyệt ca (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *2000 – Đời cho ta thế (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *2000 – Tình thu trên cao (performed Nguyễn Xuân Điềm songs) *2001 – Một sớm mai về (performed Trầm Tử Thiêng songs) *2002 – Nếu có yêu tôi *2002 – Mưa trên cây hoàng lan (performed Nguyễn Đình Toàn songs) *2003 – Còn tuổi nào cho em (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *2005 – Ca khúc da vàng, Volume 4 (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *2008 – TangoGoTango *2009 – Như một vết thương (performed
Trịnh Công Sơn Trịnh Công Sơn (February 28, 1939 – April 1, 2001) was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter. His music explores themes of love, loss, and anti-war sentiments during t ...
songs) *2011 – Nụ cười trăm năm (performed Trần Dạ Từ songs) *2011 – Chưa phai (thơ Cẩm Vân phổ nhạc)


DVDs

*1982 – Khánh Ly in Japan *1988 – Ai Trở Về Xứ Việt *1991 – Một Đời Việt Nam *2005 – Thuở Ấy Mưa Hồng *2012 – Thánh ca dâng Mẹ


External links


Khanh-Ly.com
Official website of Khanh Ly
Khánh Ly
in the Vietnamese Music Database


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khanh Ly 1945 births Living people Musicians from Hanoi People from Da Lat Vietnamese women singers Vietnamese Roman Catholics Vietnamese emigrants to the United States Singers of Vietnamese descent