James Wong was a Cantopop lyricist who was born on March 18, 1941. James was born in Panyu, China, which is now part of Guangzhou, and moved to Hong Kong with his family in 1949.

La Salle College was where Wong finished his secondary education. Wong graduated from the Chinese Department of the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Arts in 1963.

He received an MPhil degree in Cantonese opera from the University of Hong Kong in 1983. In May 2003, while battling lung cancer, Wong received a Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology at the University of Hong Kong.

His creative works became less popular in the 1990s, and many entertainment companies played fewer of his songs. Some of Wong’s TV shows were also unpopular. James returned to Hong Kong University to pursue a doctorate in Hong Kong popular culture.

James’ dissertation essay is now housed in the Hong Kong University library. James died on November 24, 2004, at the Union Hospital in Hong Kong, and his funeral was a low-key family affair, as per his wishes.