When I first met Larry Lai in the mid 60s, it was amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy stage at St. John's Ambulance Brigade Headquarters in Beach Road. He was the Master of Ceremonies (MC) or compere for the dinner and dance that evening as he made a formal introduction to announce my performance. After nearly 45 years, I met this kindly gentleman again, but this time around it was amidst the solitude of a neat and air-conditioned coffee house in a vintage suburb at Serangoon Gardens in Singapore. Larry was busy with his lap top as he coaxed it to play Frankie Cheah's Woman In My Life, Sugiman Jahuri's Misty and a number by Peggy Tan I couldn't remember. "That's a brand new lappy I just got free," he remarked. As we sat in a corner and before our conversation even started, a lady at the next table called across.
"Hah," she said, "I can recognise that voice anywhere! You are Larry Lai aren't you, from Rediffusion?" It was more an announcement rather than a question. Because he is such a gentleman, Larry continued his conversation with her a while. At the end of the chat, she proudly claimed that she was still an ardent fan despite the years that had gone by. I looked at him and said quietly, "Wow. That's how powerful you are!"
So as Larry sipped his thick *kopi susu and I my **teh-tarek, he decided to tell me, after much persuasion, his long and interesting love affair with Rediffusion. As he was about to recall the year he left Outram Secondary School, I suggested lunch first...
(Many of you, in Singapore and abroad, know Larry Lai. Perhaps you'd like to tell your story too about this very pleasant gentleman.)
*For the uninitiated: *coffee/milk **frothy English tea/milk.
Thanks to Larry Lai for the drinks, meals and interview.
Image: © 2010 Larry Lai Collection. All rights reserved.
Orginal article: Andy Lim.
No comments:
Post a Comment