On July 13, luk thung singer, actor, movie/TV producer and label owner Phanom Nopporn passed away in hospital at the age of 77. One of the giants of the "country music" genre, fans and stars of the luk thung industry attended his funeral on July 18 at Wat Bang Rak Noi Ban Sai in Nonthaburi.
Although Phanom was a singer with the influential Chularat Band, he also had a career as an actor and producer in movies and TV melodramas. As a luk thung entrepreneur, he founded his own music label, Nopporn Silver Gold, and a TV production company, Nopporn Promotion Company. He was regarded as one of the most successful luk thung singers of all time, known for his sweet but plaintive vocal style.
Born Chatri Chinnawut (he later changed his name to Chom Mongkhon) in Chon Buri province in 1946 into a family that rented farmland and ran a coffee shop, he rejected the opportunity to further his education and become, as his family wanted, a civil servant, and set out to become a successful singer. He closely followed the careers and vocal styles of Khamron Sambunnanon, Chai Muang Singh, Porn Pirom, Praiwan Lookphet and Waipot Petchsupan and competed in singing/talent contests, although he did not win. Initially, he would sing covers of hits of the day for the princely sum of 20 baht for a night's work.
Above Phanom Nopporn. (Photo: Sarot Meksophawannakul)
On one occasion, Tianchai Somayaprasert was in Chon Buri and at the same time, there was a talent contest which he won. Phanom followed Tianchai to Bangkok and stayed at his house, honing his craft and performing with the band. He released his first recording, Lom Roon, but it did not sell well, and when Tianchai's band folded, he left and joined likay groups and freelanced with different luk thung bands.
Then Phanom got his big break. He had worked with many musicians who were students of the legendary Chularat Band leader Mongkol Amatayakul and tried to join the band. Mongkol told him that he had a full complement of singers -- big stars like Porn Pirom and Chai Muang Singh -- so Phanom struck a deal where he would be a gofer, taking tickets at the door of gigs, running errands and other tasks. On a trip to Isan, several singers were taken sick, so Phanom was asked to sing the opening song of the show.
Eventually, Mongkol found a song for Phanom to record. He also recorded Aad An Tan Jai, written by Lop Burirat (who would later become Pumpuang Duangjan's main songwriter) but it was Lert Wongsaroj's La Sao Mae Klong (Farewell Mae Klong's Daughter) that really put him on the luk thung map. It was a huge hit and would remain his most-loved song by audiences across the Kingdom.
The Chularat Band continued for several years but eventually broke up. Phanom formed his own band for a few years and toured widely. After it was disbanded, Chinnakorn Krailas invited him to work as an extra on a movie production. This work intrigued Phanom and he set about writing, acting and producing his own movies, but he only tasted real success with his third production Job Kang, which starred the late Sorapong Chatri.
After combining his music career with his work in movies, Phanom decided to set up a TV production/promotion company, Nopporn Promotion Company, to distribute TV shows. In 1997, he founded an off-shoot company, Nopporn Silver Gold, to produce luk thung, molam and pop ("string") music. Between 1996 and 2015, Nopporn Silver Gold broadcast Siang Thong Junction (Golden Sound Junction), a popular talent contest designed to promote and maintain the identity of luk thung music. The current talent show Dao Thong Junction (Golden Star Junction), produced by Seven Star Studio Company, is an offshoot of Phanom's talent show.
Some of Nopporn's albums.
Phanom also appeared as an actor on TV, mainly from 1992 to 2009, working on various remakes of the hit musical movie Mon Rak Luk Thung in 1995 and 2005. He also produced television dramas that appeared on TV Channel 7.
Very few luk thung stars had Phanom's entrepreneurial spirit -- he seemed to be successful at anything he tried.
In recent years, Phanom was not in good health. After a stroke in 2011, he stayed at home and received treatment. But he did not fade away, as could be seen from the response to his passing, both from fans and those in the industry. At his funeral, luk thung stars, producers, the Thai Music Association and Thai Singers' Association and fans attended. At the funeral, Nok-Briphan Chaiyaphum, the president of the Luk Thung Musicians Association, noted that Phanom was a great mentor to aspiring singers and musicians and that the present luk thung industry would not exist without his efforts.
In other news, The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band is currently on its ninth European tour and will play a series of gigs in Germany, Sweden and Denmark, after starting in Germany last Friday. The band is also preparing to release its third studio album, after 21st Century Lam in 2014 and Planet Lam in 2016.
John Clewley can be contacted at clewley.john@gmail.com.
The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band. (Photo: John Clewley)
