Jacky Lau, a famous guitar performer from Hong Kong, possesses a passion and dedication for the guitar that he describes as "I will die if I don't play the guitar." He has always enjoyed his guitar life without regrets and believes it is the path arranged for him by God. Despite being diagnosed with stage III nasopharyngeal cancer in 2018 and experiencing three recurrences since then, he remains optimistic and declares, "It is entirely by His grace that I am still alive today!" Therefore, in recent years, he has been more willing to seize opportunities to participate in evangelical services and dedicate himself to the gospel.
Serving with the Guitar Brings Him Closer to God
When Jacky was in Grade 5, he went to Shatin Grace Chapel with his aunt to attend children's Sunday school, and to this day, he still considers it his spiritual home. Although he had committed to believing in the Lord at that time, he was too young to fully understand the Christian faith. Gratefully, the gospel seed planted in his heart eventually blossomed. Since childhood, Jacky has been passionate about sports. He once served as the captain of the basketball team and aspired to become an athlete. However, he eventually left the path of an athlete and turned his focus to guitar performance.
Jacky admitted that he only started learning to play the guitar in his fifth year of secondary school. This occurred after he injured his leg in an accident and had to stay at home for an extended period. Coincidentally, there was an old guitar at home, which sparked my interest in this instrument. It just so happened that a sister from the church was willing to teach guitar for free and wanted to recruit some guitarists for service, so he signed up. Jacky recalls that on his first day of class, he practiced continuously for four hours and fell in love with playing the guitar ever since. He pointed out that the brothers and sisters responsible for playing the guitar in the church mostly only accompanied and generally did not take exams. Over time, he began to find the accompaniment monotonous because the songs were similar, so he gave it up for a few months.
However, during the days of serving with the guitar at church, Jacky felt closer to God, and his worship became more devoted. He said, "After more than a year, I developed the idea of making a career out of guitar playing because I felt it was the path God had arranged for me. The Bible verse from Matthew 25:29 greatly inspired me: 'For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.'" Because of this, Jacky decided to choose the path of guitar playing.
Enrolling in the Academy for Performing Arts, Majoring in Guitar Performance
"Later, the school opened a guitar class, so I went to observe. I saw that the teacher was playing classical guitar, which I knew nothing about at the time. I only felt that the pieces he played were very difficult yet extremely melodious. I was certain I couldn't do it myself, and it was then that I realized how vast the world of guitar truly is. So, I picked up the guitar again and started learning classical guitar." Jacky studied with this teacher for three years and successfully obtained the Grade 8 classical guitar certification
After graduating from Grade 11, Jacky continued to study in Grade 12 but gradually felt that if he only focused on studying, taking exams, going to university, and obtaining a degree, his future life might become meaningless. He believed that life should follow one's passion. Jacky noted, "Since I only started learning the guitar in Grade 11, I particularly value my time. I calculated that if I spent seven years learning the guitar and then focused on performing, such a career would be reasonable and valuable to me." Therefore, in his Grade 12, he transferred to night school and practiced guitar full-time during the day. By Grade13, he successfully enrolled in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the top-ranked music academy in Asia, majoring in guitar performance.
Establishing a Guitar School: Music Changes Lives
Although Jacky skipped two grades upon admission, he did not complete his degree program. He explained, "My mind is filled with extraordinary ideas and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) cells, which drove me to leave school immediately after obtaining my Advanced Performance Diploma, eager to embark on the adventure of being a 'guitarist.' Thankfully, in the same year, I was recognized by a record company and released my first solo album, 'Amazing Guitar．Amazing Grace.'" From the beginning, Jacky's path was clear—pursuing a career in performance. Therefore, in 2007, he booked a music hall that could accommodate over a thousand people to hold his first solo concert, earning high praise. Fans who had the opportunity to enjoy the performance of this "fingerstyle guitar master" were captivated by the music he produced with his fingertips. Over the years, he has held no fewer than eighty concerts, demonstrating that he has truly invested his youth, effort, and wealth into the guitar.
Two years later, he founded a professional guitar school called Guitar Concept with his lifelong dedication and financial investment. Jacky admitted, "I started the business with a 'do it if you want, regardless of the consequences' approach, which is a failing business approach. Thankfully, we now have over 600 students and 20 teachers. The school has been running for 16 years, and it's definitely a miracle. The slogan of Guitar Concept is 'Music Changes Lives', and of course, it's the gospel of God that truly changes lives. However, I believe that music can also spread the gospel and bear witness." Over the years, Jacky's concerts have often included gospel messages, life testimonies, and hymns, becoming a means of spreading the gospel.
Bravely Battling Stage III Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Jacky possesses a passion and dedication for the guitar that he describes as "I will die if I don't play the guitar," along with an unyielding spirit. These two forces enabled him to overcome all obstacles and travel to Cimirron Studio in Virginia, USA, to record his second album "Move On", produced by Kim Person, the personal producer of the international guitar master Tommy Emmanuel. After its release, the album quickly became one of HMV's top ten most popular albums and ranked among the top three in HK Record's sales charts. The craziest experience in Jacky's life was when he saw an African guitar prodigy playing on YouTube. He decided to go to the forests of Botswana, Africa, to find this prodigy and spent a week learning guitar from him in the remote wilderness!
It's not an exaggeration to say that Jacky is a "madman," especially when he is fully immersed in his work. He often forgets to eat and sleep and works relentlessly. "I once spent over 10 consecutive days sleeping in the office, working 18 hours a day, and successfully produced the 'You Raise Me Up Guitar Collection'." In the following years, in addition to being busy with his own career, Jacky collaborated with many pop singers (such as Andy Lau, Albert Au, Pakho Chau, Adia Chan, Jade Kwan, Peter Cheung, Janice Vidal, and Jill Vidal), often working late into the night with almost no time to rest. Eventually, his body could not withstand the excessive workload, and in August 2018, he was diagnosed with stage III nasopharyngeal cancer and underwent 33 sessions of radiotherapy and 9 rounds of chemotherapy.
Severely Disabled: Relapsed Three Times in Five Years
Jacky laughed and said, "Since developing nasopharyngeal cancer, I have become physically disabled. My hearing in my right ear has significantly deteriorated, leaving me with only about 10% of my hearing, while my left ear retains about 80%. Additionally, I often experience body aches because when the cancer recurred, the cancer cells had spread to my ribs. Besides receiving several sessions of radiotherapy, I also underwent rib surgery, which often causes pain in that area. Due to the radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal cancer, food often gets stuck between my mouth and nasal cavity when I eat, and the lack of saliva makes eating feel very dry. However, besides the hearing problem, I have already gotten used to the other conditions." Over the past five years, Jacky's cancer has recurred multiple times, with the third recurrence happening just last November, requiring surgery. However, he gratefully said, "The doctor said that these recurrences are concentrated around the rib area and can be properly managed each time. Thank God, many people pass away after their cancer recurs three times, but I am still alive today, and it is entirely by God's grace." Jacky is very grateful for his wife Judy's support, as she has never complained about his stubbornness and has instead shared his enthusiasm for volunteer work.Listening to Jacky's two compositions, "God Hears Prayers" and "Move On", brings great comfort, as it shows that Jacky, despite his difficulties, has embraced God's promises and continues to move forward with the strength bestowed by Him.
Helena Lee
