Idol reject casts off

September 6, 2004

Former American Idol contestant William Hung performs his version of the Ricky Martin song She Bangs.

William Hung, the most famous castoff of popular American reality television program American Idol, says he can now sing better and soon hopes to fulfil a dream of joining the young millionaires club.

Hung, who found fame through a stiff dance and tuneless hatchet job of Ricky Martin's She Bangs, said his singing now hits the right notes after music lessons in preparation for his debut album Inspiration.

''I think it's better now and I feel more relaxed and comfortable when I sing,'' Hung, who arrives in Singapore on September 10 to perform, told Reuters in a telephone interview from his home in Los Angeles.

The 21-year-old, currently on a two-year break from a civil engineering course at the University of California at Berkeley, said his foray into entertainment is paying well. He is no big spender but plans to buy a house and car, he said.

When asked if his earnings have hit the million-dollar mark, Hung said with an evasive laugh that he was ''hopeful'' but he has university loans to pay first.

In his brief six-month brush with stardom, Hung's entertainment resume has expanded swiftly. Along with a debut album, Inspiration, which has sold about 380,000 copies, a forthcoming Christmas album and a Hong Kong movie are also in the works.

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In Singapore, Hung will perform at a charity concert and judge a local talent show where he can play the role of caustic critic like American Idol's Simon Cowell, who is known for stinging remarks and who initially dismissed Hung's routine.

''I will not be like him,'' Hung said.

''Everyone has their potential and I don't wish to hurt anyone's feelings. I will only give rounded and constructive comments,'' he said firmly.

In a scene rebroadcast widely around the world, Cowell panned Hung's performance early this year. ''You can't sing, you can't dance, so what do you want me to say?'' he asked, as fellow judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul fought back laughter.

In a line that helped to earn him a cult following that is especially strong in Asia, Hung defended himself, saying: ''I already gave my best, and I have no regrets at all.''

Hung, speaking in the Chinese Cantonese dialect, said he was slightly affected by Cowell's cutting remark in that audition.

''But I remained composed because I was psychologically prepared before I went for the contest,'' he said.

As the hype surrounding Hung fades in the United States, he is being aggressively marketed in Asia.

Several countries such as Singapore and Malaysia are launching their own Idol contests and many auditioners fearlessly mimic Hung's tuneless crooning, hopeful of being catapulted to fame as an Idol castoff.

For his part, Hung has his own ambitions for Asia, hoping to perform with Chinese pop superstars such as Leon Lai, Andy Lau and Faye Wong.

Still, criticisms of Hung's talent abound and many anti-Hung Web sites ridicule his career and popularity. One even circulated a rumour he had died. But Hung appears unfazed.

''If these reports are true, then I will reflect and improve myself but if they are baseless, then I won't let it affect me,'' Hung said.

''I am working hard to improve my singing and dancing.''

- Reuters