WBW: The '79 Line
I saw an article onaskkpopthe other day featuring a picture of thepopular '91 line of idolsincludingKARA'sNicole,miss A's Min,2AM's Jinwoon,SISTAR's Soyu, andF.T. Island's Jaejin. Aside from those members, the list of idol stars born in 1991 is famous for not only being big, but also because of the close friendships between many of the members. But way back when, during the early idol days, another group of friends born in the same year were making headlines. The 1979 line is legendary for the number of first gen idol stars counted among its members and with many of them also becoming close friends as well.
On today'sWay Back Wednesday, we'll profile some of the members of the iconic 1979 line. All are still going strong in the entertainment world and even helping shape the next generation of K-pop stars.
Yangpa
March 17, 1979
One of the most underrated singers, Yangpa was one of the first solo, female singers of her generation and was a major star during the late 1990's. She then took a break from the K-pop scene and moved to the U.S. to attend theBerklee School of Musicin Boston. She made a full-on comeback in 2011 and I hope there's more of where that came from.
Lee Ji Hoon
March 27, 1979
The crooning balladeer burst onto the K-pop scene in 1996 and had a successful career with a string of #1 hits. He eventually transitioned into an acting career and was most recently seen on the drama 'You're the Best Lee Soon Shin' withIU.
Lee Hyori
May 10, 1979
What more can you say that hasn't already been said for the most influential female artist of her generation? She started as one of the first teen idols and morphed into a superstar who has dominated the K-pop scene ever since. She's also been in the headlines this week for her marriage to musician and guitaristKim Sang Soonin an uber-private wedding.
Horan
July 5, 1979
Clazziquai'sfront woman debuted later than her compatriots but as a singer, sporadic judge on music shows, and frequent variety show guest, she's got quite a full plate. Clazziquai is probably the least known group on this list but they have one of the most unique styles of music in K-pop.
HaHa
August 20, 1979
The rapper turned actor turned comedian turned reggae singer has had quite a career and is still a force in Korean entertainment with his stints on the hugely popular variety shows 'Running Man' and 'Infinite Challenge'. HaHa was also recently married and welcomed his first child into the world so he can include husband and father on his extensive resume.
Kangta
October 10, 1979
The lead vocalist of the most popular original idol groupH.O.T., Kangta was always known for his powerful voice and good looks. You can now find Kangta roaming the halls ofSM Entertainmentas a director helping his junior artists and as the newest cast member on the show 'I Live Alone'.
Shin Hye Sung
November 27, 1979
Fans loved the silky smooth vocals from Shinhwa's lead singer. In addition to the on-going career with this group mates, Shin Hye Sung has branched out with solo albums and built quite a career for himself.
Side note:
Shin Hye Sung,KangtaandLee Ji Hoonare such good friends that 10 years ago they joined forces for a project group calledGroup S. They released an album in 2003 called "Fr. In. Cl." (Friends in Classics - continuing the trend of totally absurd K-pop English acronyms) and to be honest, I would love to see these guys get back together than most groups.
Eric Mun, Lee Min Woo, Kim Dong Wan
February 16, July 28, November 21, 1979
I have to include the rest of the 1979 Shinhwa crew on this list as well because fifteen years since their debut and the group is still going strong and is as relevant as ever.
With so many new idols debuting each year, there's bound to be plenty of stars born in each respective year but the 1979 line wasn't just about the numbers. For older fans, these names represent a time when the K-pop machine was just beginning to churn away and created the very first idol acts as we know them and for people like me, they were the reason I became a fan. Fifteen years from now, maybe someone will be talking about how the idols from the '91 line were their gateway into the world of K-pop.