Zhang Ju (musician)

Zhang Ju (musician)
Born May 17, 1970
Hunan, China
Died May 11, 1995 (age 24)
Beijing, China
Genres Heavy metal, progressive metal, folk metal
Instruments Bass, vocals, guitar
Years active 1987-1995
Associated acts Tang Dynasty, Breathing, The Face

Zhang Ju (Chinese: 张炬; pinyin: Zhāng Jǜ) (May 17, 1970 – May 11, 1995), was a Chinese musician, best known as the founding bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive metal band Tang Dynasty.

Early life and career

Zhang was born into a Tujia family in Hunan province. As a child, he showed an interest in athletics, winning second place in the national high jump competition.[1] He received his first guitar as a birthday present during his first year of junior high school.

In 1987, Zhang formed the rock group Breathing with vocalist Gao Qi and guitarist Cao Ping, switching to bass as the band did not yet have a bass player.[2] Breathing's first incarnation was short-lived, due to ego clashes and musical differences.[3]

Zhang founded Tang Dynasty in February 1989 with Ding Wu, Kaiser Kuo, and Andrew Szabo, serving as the band's lead vocalist until mid-1991.[4] The band's eponymous debut album, released in December 1992, was an unprecedented success, selling around 900,000 legal copies, and is considered to be the first Chinese heavy metal album.[5][6] Zhang sang lead and co-lead vocals on the track "Legend" and the band's cover of The Internationale, respectively. He sang backing vocals live in addition to handling bass duties.

Zhang Ju was very well-liked among the Beijing rock music circle. His apartment served as a gathering place for musicians, and was where the members of Tang Dynasty ate and slept from October 1989 through May 1990.[4][7]

Zhang also contributed the majority of bass tracks on The Face's debut album, The Instinct of Fire, released in 1995. It would be his last recording before his death.[1]

Death

On May 11, 1995, Zhang was returning home via the Zizhuqiao Freeway Overpass after a rehearsal with The Face.[8] At around 10 PM, his motorcycle collided with a truck at a poorly-lit intersection.[7] Despite efforts to resuscitate him, Zhang died from his injuries, just six days shy of his 25th birthday.[9][10] His death had a profound impact on the Chinese rock scene, elevating him to martyr-like status among fans.[5] Zhang's funeral took place on October 26, 1995 at Lianggezhuang Palace in the Western Qing tombs, and was attended by a roster of famous Beijing rock musicians, including his own Tang Dynasty bandmates.[1]

Zhang's death put Tang Dynasty in a tailspin. The band split with their record label in 1995 and developed conflicts regarding artistic direction, nearly breaking up the following year.[11] Eventually, the band recovered, replacing Zhang with fellow Breathing alumnus Gu Zhong, who has since served as Tang Dynasty's bassist.[3][10]

Tributes

In 1997, a two-disc tribute album entitled Goodbye Zhang Ju (Chinese: 再见张炬; pinyin: Zài Jìan Zhāng Jǜ), featuring interviews and songs by remaining members of Tang Dynasty as well as a number of Zhang's Beijing rock colleagues, was released.[1] One track, "Your Vision", was rerecorded for Tang Dynasty's second album, Epic.[4]

In 2005, the album Gift (Chinese: 礼物; pinyin: Lĭwù), again featuring Zhang's Tang Dynasty bandmates and a score of Beijing rock musicians, was released to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "张炬". Baike.
  2. ↑ "高旗". Baike.
  3. 1 2 "记念那些年的摇滚老炮们 （呼吸乐队篇）". 网易号. 18 October 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Feola, Josh (18 January 2013). "Sex, drugs, and Rush tapes: an extended conversation with musician, writer, Baidu.com evangelist Kaiser Kuo". Smart Beijing.
  5. 1 2 Wallach, Jeremy; Berger, Harris M.; Greene, Paul D. (2011). Metal Rules the Globe: Heavy Metal Music Around the World. Durham, North Carolina, United States: Duke University Press. p. 82. ISBN 0822347334.
  6. ↑ Custer, Charlie (28 January 2011). "30 Years of Heavy Metal". The World of Chinese.
  7. 1 2 "唐朝乐队：保温杯里泡枸杞？我们装的是烈酒！". 知乎. 22 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "唐朝乐队大事记". 唐朝乐队官方网站. 2009.
  9. ↑ "唐朝乐队贝斯手张炬遭遇车祸去世，唐朝有史以来遭受最沉痛打击！". QQ. 4 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 Oz, Diamond (23 October 2013). "Sunday Old School: Tang Dynasty". Metal Underground.
  11. ↑ de Kloet, Jeroen (2010). China with a Cut: Globalisation, Urban Youth and Popular Music. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press. p. 56. ISBN 9089641629.
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