Golden Melody Award-winning singer Khalil Fong was reported to have passed away on the 1st, at the age of 41. His funeral was discreetly held on the same day in Dali, Yunnan. The sudden news of Khalil Fong's death sparked a lot of speculation, with reports suggesting that Khalil folded the instruction manual of his painkillers into origami cranes shortly before his death, and that he continued storyboarding even during chemotherapy, working on creative projects until his last moments. However, Khalil Fong's manager only confirmed the funeral in Yunnan and did not respond to other rumors.
Following Khalil Fong's passing, many clips from his life surfaced online, including those featuring his father, Les Fong. Khalil Fong, born in Honolulu, Hawaii, was deeply influenced by his drummer father and grew up listening to a wide range of Western music. He later taught himself guitar, drums, and piano, aspiring to become a singer-songwriter working in both performance and production. There are reports that his father passed away in 2023, and unexpectedly, two years later, Khalil followed in his father's footsteps as they are now reunited in heaven, raising concerns about his mother's mental well-being.
This event has yet to be confirmed, but it is said that Khalil's father had lived in Dali, Yunnan between 2021 and 2023. A netizen reportedly encountered Khalil’s father in Dali in 2022 and shared several videos from the encounter. One video, posted in May 2022, shows Les Fong wearing a gray hat and a short-sleeved shirt with a blue shirt layered over it, playing music with other musicians. His appearance and voice led some to describe him as an “elderly version of Khalil Fong.”
Having lost her closest loved ones within two years, Khalil Fong's mother has worried some netizens about her current mental state. Some even noted that a few days before his death was announced, Khalil’s mother was still interacting with others in a social group, “accompanying everyone in their shared practice,” making it hard to imagine her feelings at that time.
News Source: Sing Tao Daily