After 30 years of writing songs, he was poor, his ex-wife was disappointed and chose to divorce, who expected that he would become famous overnight at the age of 51 with a song
Countless people want a chance to become famous overnight, but when the opportunity comes, not everyone can grasp it.
It took him thirty years to prepare for his own opportunity.
For this opportunity he gave up everything, even his family.
He waited and caught it.
"Good Morning Longhui" became famous overnight, and Yuan Shuxiong became famous overnight.
But who can understand the suffering before becoming famous?
The price to pay for your dreams
In order to pursue his musical dreams, Yuan Shuxiong paid a huge price, the most important of which was the loss of his family.
In 2010, 38-year-old Yuan Shuxiong got married.
His wife, Xiaofang, was an ordinary factory worker and was very supportive of his music career at first. On the occasion of the wedding, Xiaofang once said to Yuan Shuxiong with longing: "I believe that you will succeed, and I will always be by your side." "
However, as time went on, the pressure of life became more and more intense, and Yuen Shuxiong's music career never improved.
They live in a cramped rental house with a room full of various musical instruments and recording equipment, leaving little room to spare. Yuan Shuxiong is immersed in his work all day long, often neglecting his family.
Once, Xiaofang fell ill with a high fever, but Yuan Shuxiong didn't find out in time because he was immersed in the recording studio. When he finally realized that something was wrong, Xiao Fang was already unconscious.
Although it was safe in the end, the incident became a rift between the two.
"At that time I really blamed myself, I knew that I was so focused on the music that I neglected her." Yuan Shuxiong recalled, his tone full of remorse.
As time passed, Xiaofang began to have doubts about Yuan Shuxiong's musical dreams. She hoped that Yuan Shuxiong could find a stable job, but Yuan Shuxiong insisted on continuing his music career. The contradictions between the two are getting deeper and deeper.
One day, Xiaofang couldn't bear it anymore and said to Yuan Shuxiong:
"You're almost 40 years old, and you're still dreaming of this unrealistic dream! When will we have our own house? When will I be able to have children? "
Yuan Shuxiong was silent, he knew that what his wife said was the truth, but he just couldn't give up music. He tried to explain: "Give me some more time and I'm sure I'll make it." "
But Xiaofang has lost patience. Eventually, in 2015, they opted for divorce.
"When I got divorced, I was really miserable. I knew I had failed her, but I was unwilling to give up on my dreams. "It was the darkest day of my life, and I even wanted to give up music at one point. "
In the days after the divorce, Yuan Shuxiong was more immersed in music creation.
He told himself that since he had already given so much, he couldn't give up easily. Whenever he felt lonely and hopeless, he would play the guitar and sing the songs he had written.
Music became the only solace in his life.
Difficult times
In his early years, he suffered a lot.
In 1990, 18-year-old Yuan Shuxiong came to Guangzhou to work hard alone with his love and dream for music.
He worked in a factory during the day and composed songs in his rental house at night. At that time, he often ate only one meal a day in order to save money, but he was willing to spend money on guitars and recording equipment.
Once, he saved half a year's salary to buy a second-hand tape recorder, only to be stolen by his roommate the next day. He didn't call the police, but silently began to save money again and continue to chase his music dream.
In 2005, 33-year-old Yuan Shuxiong finally ushered in the first turning point in his life.
He signed with Guangdong Tianyi International Record Company and began his professional music career. Two years later, he released his first solo original album "Yuan Juice Yuan Flavor · Bitter Coffee".
However, the album did not bring him the expected success. After the album was released, sales were dismal and it was soon put into the cold.
In the next ten years, Yuan Shuxiong released a number of albums one after another, but none of them achieved much response.
The pressure of life and the unhappiness of his career often make him fall into self-doubt. Sometimes, he would hide in his rental house for days without going out, just creating, revising, and re-creating.
"I know I'm not young anymore, but I believe that as long as I persevere, one day I will wait for my own opportunity."
Yuan Shuxiong often encourages himself in this way. Even in the toughest of times, he never thought of giving up music.
Whenever he felt tired and depressed, he would recall the scene of listening to mountain songs in the village as a child, and the pure beauty of music always reinvigorated him.
Turnaround and success
In 2020, 48-year-old Yuan Shuxiong returned to his hometown of Longhui County.
This year, the new crown epidemic broke out, and the whole country united to fight the epidemic. Yuan Shuxiong was deeply moved by the selfless dedication of the medical staff in his hometown and decided to compose a song to pay tribute to them.
It was late at night, Yuan Shuxiong was sitting in the small courtyard of his hometown, looking at the starry sky, and suddenly had inspiration.
He thought of the mountains and rivers of his hometown, the medical staff who were fighting on the front line of the epidemic, and all the people who paid silently for this land.
He stayed up all night, constantly revising the lyrics and adjusting the melody. When the first rays of sunlight poured into the courtyard, "Good Morning Longhui" was finally created. Yuan Shuxiong excitedly picked up the guitar and sang softly in the morning light:
"You are the most beautiful star in the night sky,
Illuminate my way forward.
You are the most beautiful encounter of my life,
Let me know how to love and be grateful......"
Two days later, Yuan Shuxiong posted the song on his social media accounts, but he didn't expect it to attract widespread attention. Many people were moved by the warm and powerful melody of this song and retweeted it one after another.
However, the real popularity is still in 2022.
During the Qatar World Cup that year, "Good Morning Longhui" suddenly became popular on the short video platform. Countless netizens paired this song with the wonderful moments of the World Cup, and the spread speed of the song has increased exponentially.
Some people use it to match the picture of Messi lifting the Hercules Cup, some people use it to match the moment when Ronaldo leaves the stadium in tears, and some people use it to match the picture of Chinese fans waving the national flag in the stands.
The warm melody of "Good Morning Longhui" is perfectly integrated with the fierce competition on the football field, touching the heartstrings of countless people.
"When I saw that "Good Morning Longhui" exceeded 1 billion views, I couldn't believe my eyes." Yuan Shuxiong said excitedly, "The opportunity I have been waiting for 30 years has finally come. "
Subsequently, Yuan Shuxiong was successively invited to participate in important programs such as Hunan Satellite TV's New Year's Eve Gala and CCTV Spring Festival Gala.
At Hunan Satellite TV's New Year's Eve party, when he sang "Good Morning Longhui", the audience sang along. At that moment, 51-year-old Yuan Shuxiong finally ushered in his own highlight moment.
Giving back and legacy
After becoming famous, Yuan Shuxiong did not forget his original intention. He has always insisted on using music to convey positive energy and tell Chinese stories well.
On November 25, 2023, Yuan Shuxiong held a solo concert at his alma mater, Hunan Open University.
This concert is not only his first solo concert after becoming popular, but also the launch ceremony of his new album "Good Morning Longhui" and his new book "Illuminate Me All the Way".
The concert was packed, and many fans came from all over the country to support him.
When Yuan Shuxiong sang "Good Morning Longhui", the audience stood up and sang along with him. At that moment, Yuan Shuxiong was moved to tears.
In addition to "Good Morning Longhui", Yuan Shuxiong also brought a number of newly created works to the concert.
Among them, the city song "Thinking of You Blowing to Changsha" composed for Changsha and the school song "Let Learning Accompany Your Life" for your alma mater were warmly welcomed by the audience.
"I hope that through my music, more people can understand my hometown and Chinese culture." Yuan Shuxiong said, "Music is a good way to spread, and I want to use my singing voice to tell Chinese stories and convey positive energy." "
At the concert, Yuan Shuxiong also specially invited a group of special friends - members of Hunan Anbang Pharmaceutical's "Learning Zhang Haidi Group".
These people with disabilities came to the scene despite many difficulties just to hear Yuan Shuxiong's singing with their own ears. Yuan Shuxiong arranged the front row seats for them, and said emotionally on the stage:
"You are the real heroes, and I am deeply touched by your strength."
In addition to composing music, Yuen Shuxiong is also actively involved in public welfare activities. He has participated in many public welfare activities such as earthquake relief, poverty alleviation and student assistance, and has repaid the society with practical actions. In 2023, he also donated 200,000 yuan to the flood disaster in Zhuozhou, Hebei Province.
"I think that a person's success is not only for themselves, but also for contributing to society."
"I hope that through my music and actions, I can influence more people and make the world a better place." "
Today, Yuan Shuxiong has become the image ambassador of Longhui County, the public welfare ambassador of earthquake prevention and disaster reduction in Hunan Province, and many other public welfare roles.
Resources:
Yuan Shuxiong's Changsha concert is coming, and new books and songs will be released on the spot - Red Network
The song he wrote was sung by the World Cup, and he came to "interview" - Jiupai News
Dreams into reality: the inspiration and warmth of Yuan Shuxiong's concert - Hunan Daily