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David Tao

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Chinese name, the family name is Tao.

David Tao
陶喆
Tao in 2013
Born (1969-07-11) July 11, 1969 (age 56)
British Hong Kong
EducationUniversity of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles (BA)
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Years active1997–present
SpousePenny Chiang
FatherTao Dawei
Musical career
OriginTaiwan
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Labels
Chinese name
Chinese陶喆
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTáo Zhé
Southern Min
Hokkien POJTô Tiat

David Tao (Chinese: 陶喆; pinyin: Táo Zhé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tô Tiat ; born July 11, 1969) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter. His signature style incorporates R&B and rock.[1] Tao's accolades include six Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan.

Biography

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David Tao was born on July 11, 1969, in Hong Kong, to parents who were entertainers in Taiwan. His father, Tao Dawei (David Tao Sr.; September 28, 1942 – September 12, 2012),[2] was an actor, singer, composer, and TV host; his mother, Wang Furong (Catherine), is a Chinese opera singer.

Tao spent part of his childhood in Hong Kong. He was educated in Taiwan from kindergarten through junior high at the Bethany Campus of Morrison Academy in Taipei. His family relocated to Arcadia, California, while his father pursued a career with Disney.[3] Tao attended Arcadia High School.[4]

Tao's parents later returned to Taiwan, where his father began his singing career, leaving him to complete his education in the United States. Left to fend for himself, Tao took on many jobs, including a stint as a civilian employee at the Los Angeles Police Department without the knowledge of his parents.[clarification needed] He attended the University of California, Irvine, first. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles.[citation needed]

In July 2015, Tao held a press conference in Taipei addressing reports about his private life and acknowledged he had dated Chinese artist manager Yang Ziqing prior to his marriage, a story that received wide media coverage at the time.[5][6]

In 2024, Tao returned to large-scale concert touring with the Soul Power II tour, announcing and staging dates across Taiwan and the surrounding region, including shows in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Macau.[7][8]

Career

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Whilst working as a salesman, Tao was offered a job by Taiwanese producer Wang Chih-ping and went back to Taiwan, initially writing and later producing songs for many singers before releasing his self-titled album David Tao in 1997. He has since released six more albums, a live concert recording, and a compilation of his best songs. Tao is a prolific composer and songwriter and has written songs for fellow artists such as A-Mei and S.H.E.

David Tao (1997)

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In 1997, with the help of Wang and another Taiwanese producer, Jim Lee, Tao released his self-titled first album (David Tao), under an independent label called Shock Records, set up by Taiwanese pop singer Jin Ruei-yao and her husband. This album set a record in Taiwan during the 9th Golden Melody Awards as the first album from a new singer ever to be nominated for a total of five awards: Best Newcomer, Best Singer, Best Producer, Best Song, and Best Album.

"Airport 10.30" and "I Love You" were popular songs from the album. The album also featured an a cappella track sung entirely by Tao, "Spring Wind", which was a "modern" R&B version of "Bāng Chhun-hong", a famous Taiwanese folk song.

"Airport 10.30" was also nominated for the MTV Awards for Best Chinese Video in 1998 along with Coco Lee, who became the eventual winner.[citation needed]

Tao won two of the awards, namely Best Newcomer and Best Producer, becoming the first newcomer to also win the Best Producer award. Tao's first album was produced entirely at his home in Los Angeles. The album experimented in musical style and arrangement with its distinctly Western R&B sound.[citation needed]

Between David Tao and his next album, besides releasing a remixed Bastard Pop EP, he wrote and produced songs for various hit Taiwanese singers, notably a theme song which became one of Taiwanese boy-band Tension's hit songs, "I'll Be With You".

I'm OK (1999)

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In 1999, two years after his first album, Tao released his second album I'm OK. This sold 600,000 copies, yet various critics had claimed that the impact of I'm OK was not any stronger than his previous work in terms of style and arrangement.[citation needed]

Notable hits include:

  • Rock ballad "Rain, Angeline"
  • Country-flavored "Small Town Girl"
  • R&B-influenced "Just a Friend"
  • "Leave", a soul number.
  • "Close to You", a love ballad.
  • "Tuberose", an a cappella remake of a traditional Chinese song.

Tao was nominated for six GMA awards for I'm OK – Best Album, Best Producer, Best Singer, Best Video, Best Song and Best Song Arrangement. He only won the Best Producer Award on the GMA, but "Rain" later went on to win Best Chinese Video at the 2000 MTV Music Awards.

Black Tangerine (2002)

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In 2002, Tao released Black Tangerine. Some notable songs in this post-9/11 album, of which he derived much of his inspiration from:

  • "Black Tangerine", a rock song.
  • "Moon Over My Heart", an updated old Mandarin hit re-rendered in R&B style.
  • "My Anata", a Japanese-influenced rock number.
  • "Angel", a love ballad.
  • "22", a tune depicting the woes of a girl in crossroads.
  • "Butterfly", a song which he penned about his relationship with God.
  • "Katrina", a surprise demo he wrote and sang entirely in English.
  • "Dear God", a song he wrote for 911.
  • "Melody", a song for an important woman in his life.

What set Black Tangerine apart was the strong social commentary, including a track consisting of various actual Taiwanese news snippets of unrelated family tragedies and public incidents, placing the state of Taiwanese society in a somewhat negative point of view.[citation needed]

Black Tangerine won various awards in Asia but was incidentally overlooked for the Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan, for which the album was originally intended.[citation needed]

Tao has since held a series of concerts in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore in 2003.

The Great Leap (2005)

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In 2005, Tao released his fourth album, The Great Leap. It earned four nominations at 17th Golden Melody Awards and won the "Best Album Award".

Notable songs in the album include:

  • "Ghost" (鬼), the first single of the album, a mix of '80s disco synth with Linkin Park-esque metal and rap elements. The lyrical style, a continuation of the social commentary from the previous album, describes a person's fears among a mass media-driven society that is getting too close for comfort.
  • "Susan Said" (Susan 說), a track that combines Beijing Opera's unique singing accent and instrumental arrangement with Tao's signature R&B style.
  • "Love Can" (就是愛你), A sing-along ballad about love, similar to "I Love You" from his debut album.
  • "Who Do You Love" (愛我還是他), The first ballad single off the album.
  • "Art of War" (孫子兵法), a rock song nominated for Best Arrangement in 2006's Taiwan 17th Golden Melody Awards, featuring the "12 Girls Band" (女子十二樂坊). Tao and co-arranger Goh Kheng Long fused hard metal and traditional Chinese instruments into a song leaden with socially critical lyrics.

Beautiful (2006)

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On August 4, 2006, Tau released his fifth album, Beautiful. The album earned nominations for Best Song, Best Composer and Best Male Vocalist in the 18th Golden Melody Awards. The song "Marry Me Today," a duet with Jolin Tsai, won Best Song. Among the more popular songs in the album are the title song "Too Beautiful", another old song restyled into Tao's signature arrangement, "Can't Get You Outta My Mind", and "Marry Me Today".[citation needed]

Opus 69 (2009)

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On August 21, 2009, Tao released his sixth album, Opus 69, named after his birth year of 1969. He developed the album with a blend of R&B, rock and soft ballads.

Hello Goodbye (2013)

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On June 11, 2013, Tau released his seventh album, Hello Goodbye.[9]

Personal life

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Tao speaks Mandarin, English, and Cantonese.

Tao married Penny Chiang on August 31, 2014.[10] It was revealed in 2015 that Tao had engaged in an extramarital affair with artist manager Ada Yang Zi Qing, whom he had first met at a post-concert celebratory dinner in late 2010, which continued even after his 2014 marriage with Chiang.[11] When the website Quan Min Xing Tan published an interview with Yang which revealed their affair though WeChat chat screenshots in June 2015, Tao denied the cheating and threatened to file charges against Yang and the publishing website for the "malicious lies." However, Yang responded with a vow to release more evidence of her affair with Tao, and challenged him to file the charges, saying she too could afford to hire a lawyer.

On July 7, 2015, Tao held a press conference with his agent and lawyer, where he admitted that he was cheating on his wife with Yang.[12]

Tao and Penny Chiang have a son, born in 2019.[citation needed]

Discography

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Main article: David Tao discography

Awards

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Golden Melody Awards
Year Number Award Nomination Result Ref.
1998 9th Best Mandarin Album David Tao Nominated [13][14]
Best Male Mandarin Artist David Tao for David Tao Nominated
Best Album Producer David Tao Won
Best Composer "沙灘" (Blue Moon) Nominated
Best New Artist David Tao for David Tao Won
2000 11th Best Mandarin Album I'm OK Nominated [15][16]
Best Male Mandarin Artist David Tao for I'm OK Nominated
Best Album Producer I'm OK Won
Best Composer "找自己" (Rain) Nominated
Best Arrangement Nominated
Best Music Video Nominated
2003 14th Best Male Mandarin Artist David Tao for Black Tangerine Nominated
2004 15th Best Male Mandarin Artist David Tao for Ultrasound 1997–2003 Nominated
2006 17th Best Mandarin Album The Great Leap Won [17]
Best Song of the Year "孫子兵法" (The Art of War) Nominated
Best Male Mandarin Artist David Tao for The Great Leap Nominated
Best Album Producer The Great Leap Nominated
Best Arrangement "孫子兵法" (The Art of War) Nominated
Best Music Video "鬼" (Ghost) Nominated
2007 18th Best Song of the Year "今天妳要嫁給我" (Marry Me Today) feat. Jolin Tsai from Beautiful Won [18][19]
Best Composer David Tao for "今天妳要嫁給我" (Marry Me Today) from Beautiful Nominated
Best Male Mandarin Artist David Tao for Beautiful Nominated
2010 21st David Tao for Opus 69 Won [20]
Hito Radio Music Awards
Year Category Nomination Result Ref.
2007 Best Producer David Tao Won [21]
Best Composer "似曾相識" (Finally) Won
Best Loved by Audience "今天妳要嫁給我" (Marry Me Today) Won
Top 10 Songs of the Year Won

References

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  1. ^ "Singer | David Tao". Ministry of Culture. August 11, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  2. ^ David Tao Sr. died from cancer, David Jr.'s agent confirms (Chinese)
  3. ^ "Tao Da-wei dies in Taipei - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. September 13, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  4. ^ Chi, Amelyn Rose (August 1, 2025). "David Tao Profile and Facts (Updated!)". Kpop Profiles. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  5. ^ "Taiwan singer David Tao admits extramarital affair". The Straits Times. July 7, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  6. ^ Staff writer, with CNA (July 7, 2015). "Singer David Tao admits extramarital affair". Taipei Times. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  7. ^ 陶喆11/9台北開唱 「Soul Power 2」巡演啟動. Central News Agency via Yahoo Taiwan (in Chinese). October 21, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  8. ^ 天王回歸！陶喆宣布「Soul Power II世界巡演」 首站台北小巨蛋. United Daily News (in Chinese). August 28, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  9. ^ "YESASIA: Hello Goodbye CD - David Tao, Seed Music (TW) - Mandarin Music - Free Shipping - North America Site".
  10. ^ "Mandopop's biggest stars attend David Tao's wedding banquet". AsiaOne. September 2, 2014. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  11. ^ ETtoday新聞雲. "楊子晴調情音檔爆婚前出軌 陶喆聲明：老婆Penny知情 | ETtoday星光雲". ETtoday星光雲 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  12. ^ 「我做錯了」 陶喆坦承出軌. NOWnews 今日新聞 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  13. ^ (in Chinese) GIO, Taiwan 9th Golden Melody Awards nominees list Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine January 3, 1998. Retrieved March 6, 2011
  14. ^ (in Chinese) GIO, Taiwan 9th Golden Melody Awards winners list Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine January 3, 1998. Retrieved March 6, 2011
  15. ^ (in Chinese) GIO, Taiwan 11th Golden Melody Awards nominees list Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine April 27, 2004. Retrieved March 6, 2011
  16. ^ (in Chinese) GIO, Taiwan 11th Golden Melody Awards winners list Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine April 27, 2004. Retrieved March 6, 2011
  17. ^ (in Chinese) GIO, Taiwan 17th Golden Melody Awards winners list Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 6, 2011
  18. ^ (in Chinese) GIO, Taiwan 18th Golden Melody Awards nomination list Archived November 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine June 4, 2007. Retrieved April 24, 2011
  19. ^ (in Chinese) GIO, Taiwan 18th Golden Melody Awards winners list Archived August 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine June 16, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2011
  20. ^ Winners of Taiwan’s 21st Golden Melody Awards Retrieved March 6, 2011
  21. ^ (in Chinese) HITO Radio 2007 HITO Radio Music Awards winners list February 4, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2011
[edit]
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to David Tao at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official website (in Chinese)
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