Taiwan folk singer suddenly collapses and dies on stage

台灣民歌歌手突然在舞台上昏倒死亡

Golden Melody Award winner dies of heart attack while on stage in southern Taiwan


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese folk singer Yen Yung-neng (嚴詠能) suddenly collapsed and died while performing in southern Taiwan on Saturday (Sept. 5).

While taking a break on a bench during a performance at the Daxian Temple in Pingtung County's Wandan Township at 8 p.m. Sunday evening, Yen, the lead singer of the band Takao Run (打狗亂歌團), waved enthusiastically at the crowd when he was introduced by a group of speakers. However, appearing to be experiencing discomfort, he then began to wipe sweat from his face, placed his hand on his forehead, and suddenly slumped forward, collapsing face-first onto the stage.

A nurse who was on the scene immediately rushed onto the stage. Because Yen had no vital signs, she began to perform CPR while others called for an ambulance, which arrived within five minutes.

Yen was then rushed to the Pingtung branch of the Tri-Service General Hospital, but doctors were unable to resuscitate him and he was declared dead at age 50, reported SET News.

Doctors suspect that Yen died of a heart attack, but the official cause of death has yet to be announced. Yen had a history of heart problems, having undergone a bypass operation in 2018, reported Apple Daily.

Yen was nominated for the Golden Melody Award for Best Male Taiwanese Singer in 2010 and 2012, and he won the award for Best Taiwanese Album in 2012. In response to the news of his passing, Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) at 11 a.m. that evening wrote on Facebook that Yen used music "to tell the story of our land," and he thanked Yen for his contribution to spreading Taiwan's music to the world.