Jimmy Lin - Early Life

Early Life

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, on the 15 October 1974, Lin was the second child in a family of five children. He graduated from Zhong Xiao Primary School and Huai Sheng Secondary School. At the age of 16, while he was studying Drama and Photography in Hwa Gang, Lin was discovered during a performance in school. During this time, he was the star of the campus. At first, he declined his first manager's offer to enter the entertainment industry but later took up the offer. In 1992, at the age of 17, he became a superstar overnight at the release of his debut album, "Not Every Love Song has Fond Memories" (不是每個戀曲都有美好回憶). His sweeping fame across Asia and even the United States gained him the nickname "Little Whirlwind". In San Francisco, the government officially regulates Oct 17th as the day of Lin Chih Ying (林志穎日) He was also known as one of the "Little Four Heavenly Kings"（四小天王）in Taiwan. Lin became the youngest singer ever to hold a concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum(香港红馆), being only 18 years old and the first singer to hold a concert within the Suntec City Fountain of Wealth, Singapore, in 1999. He went on to release 13 albums, including special editions and compilations, and has since filmed many movies and series, as well as endorsed many products. Throughout his singing career, he also received many awards for his hit songs and albums.

Lin enjoyed great popularity until 1994, when he had to serve compulsory military service. Despite knowing it would affect his career tremendously, he did not seek special treatment from the government. In October that year, he entered the military like any other ordinary male of his age. Despite his fame, Lin did not have an easy life in the military. In a 2005 talk show, Jimmy revealed that in addition to the arduous training, he was bullied by seniors, and was expected to perform better than other soldiers. Although he did not expect star treatment, Jimmy was shocked to be treated badly for being a celebrity. In spite of all these, Lin performed well as a soldier, and received awards for excellent performance. He served primarily in the entertainment section of the military. After 2 years in the military, he returned to acting and singing career in 1996.