Born Cheung Fat-chung in British Hong Kong, Cheung studied abroad in England from the age of 12 until returning to Hong Kong in 1976 to pursue a career in show business. He achieved wide popularity with his 1984 self-titled album and its single "Monica", whose upbeat dance production introduced a new popular trend to Cantopop in addition to the contemporary pool of sentimental ballads. Cheung's continued success with a string of hit albums in the mid- and late-1980s, most notably 1987 best-seller "Summer Romance", won him numerous awards, including Most Popular Male Artist at the 1988 and 1989 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards. In addition to music, Cheung had breakthrough movie roles as a disillusioned teenager in "Nomad" (1982) and as a police officer torn between justice and brotherhood in "A Better Tomorrow" (1986). He announced his "retirement" from music and emigrated to Canada in 1989 in the wake of the political turmoil in mainland China, but remained active in his burgeoning acting career.