Malaysia's Answer To Elvis - ROCKY TEOH Part III of III

 

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"Rocky Teoh Beng Hock (1949-1990), better known as Malaysia's 1st and best Elvis Presley Impersonator and sound alike was born in Taiping, Perak on the 2nd of April 1946. As a boy, he loved singing more than anything. He was greatly inspired by his hero, the American Super Rock n Roll King Elvis Presley.

Young Rocky won many school Talentime contests and also, later on, won many "Elvis Champion" titles throughout Malaysia. At age 18 he was already singing and doing "live" shows in and around Taiping and Ipoh. 

A year later, a local Recording Company signed him up. He recorded his first 45rpm 2 tracks Single when he was 19 years old. Both songs were his personal Elvis favorites, "Crying In The Chapel" b/w "There's Always Me". It sold quite well. In the above video, Teoh sings, "A Pocketful of Rainbows."

In 1965, he released his 1st EP (Extended Play) 4 tracks Record. The title tune, JACQUELINE a self-penned composition which he dedicated to his childhood girlfriend who later became his wife. Of-course her name was Jacqueline. She was a very pretty girl, also from Taiping.

The EP record went to No.1 in the local Radio Charts. "Jacqueline" was the biggest golden hit of his career. In 1965 someone even started a Rocky Teoh Fan Club at Jalan Huge Low, Ipoh.

Today when you mention Rocky Teoh, older folks still remember him fondly and also remember those catchy hit songs of his "Jacqueline", "Selina", "Goodbye" and "Thinking Of You."

He made a total of 9EPs and 2 LPs (Long Playing) vinyl reord albums. Rocky and his excellent band The Fabulous Falcom toured around Malaysia and Singapore from 1965 to 1967 performing in Cathay Organisation Theatres playing to packed audiences everywhere. They also toured Thailand in September 1966.

Rocky Teoh's quality power packed stage performances were a real treat to watch in the good old days. In the 60s nobody else but only Rose Chan, another Malaysian Legend can top Rocky Teoh, but that's another story."

Posted by: HT Long on 9 October 2006. HT Long is today's answer to a Malaysian Elvis Presley as he makes a name for himself in the local pop circuit. And he's just as good or even better. 

When I met him at the end of 2014 in a church in Geylang in Singapore I realized he is also a good speaker, works and evangelizes in churches in this part of the world. Check HT Long under Labels below.

Thinking of You YouTube Video by elvisalexwong.

Rocky Wong Parts 1 and 2. Connect to read:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-post_15.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/03/rocky-teoh-malaysias-elvis-presley.html

Like the Mercedes Benz beside him, ROCKY TEOH is a brand name to contend with. Although made in Malaysia and long gone, Rocky is still a challenge to many current and would be Elvis Presley impersonators. In fact I find him fascinating to listen to despite the screams and shouts in some of his recordings by his back-up group but many of the tracks are well-worth listening to.

With the charitable act of which only a Malaysian friend could provide, I managed to get a copy each of Rocky Teoh's albums, 'Cool Wind' (image) and 'Kiss Me Once' both a Tung Poh Records pressing.

Thank you very much SNOOKHAWK who not only gave me his stack of 45 vinyls but his heart and soul when, over laksa and tim-sum, he told me stories of Malaysian pop singers.

Listening to these recordings makes me realise that Rocky's fans will surely remember him like they do of The King himself.

About Rocky Teoh:

"ROCKY TEOH BENG HOCK better known as Malaysia's 1st and best Elvis Presley Impersonator and sound alike, born in Taiping, Perak on April 2, 1946, his father was a successful pork salesman. Hock was the eldest of six boys and of Hokkien descent.

Rocky was something of a teruna (Malay slang for an "adolescent male all up in it") in his late-teens. It was common knowledge that he lived above Tai Chien Coffee Shop where he could be heard rehearsing with a band.

Check out Steve Farram's write-up and music posts at http://www.garagehangover.com/ and Rocky's daughter, Ann Teoh's website at: http://www.rockyteoh.com/

Facebook: Rocky Teoh.

YouTube: key in: rocky teoh malaysia