Chris Ho

Chris Ho (also known by his stage name of X'Ho) was an openly gay, veteran, iconic DJ in Singapore. He was renowned and multi-hyphenate in the local arts and entertainment scene, having been a radio DJ, club DJ and filmmaker. He was much loved by all who knew and worked with him.

His knowledge of music was extensive and varied, and it shone through in his work as a respected musician, music critic, columnist, producer and author. With his passion for music, through his personal albums, and many contributions to songwriting and song appreciation, he left an indelible mark on the local music scene. He strongly supported local music talent and creation, and was a regular contributor to the now-defunct indie music magazine BigO. Many in the industry regarded him as a "local hero".

This was during an era when the Government regarded rock music as "Yellow Culture,” which referred to anything that promoted hedonistic and decadent lifestyles. Rock music in Singapore was suppressed in the 1970s and the country was a virtual pop cultural wasteland. Its revival had much to do with Ho's pioneering efforts. His name became synonymous with progressive trends in local contemporary music. His perspectives were first expressed in his groundbreaking mid-1970s radio programmes - New Wave, Ready Steady Go and Eight Miles High - which turned on a whole generation to punk rock and new wave. Through his regular “Pop Life” columns in The Straits Times in the early 1980s and his DJ work in local radio stations, Ho introduced a diverse range of music to the public. Around 1979, X'Ho incarnated into the lead singer of Transformer, the first Singaporean new wave band that paved the way for the local indie band explosion. That band evolved into the Zircon Lounge which was formed in the 1983 and was credited with pioneering genres like new wave punk in Singapore. As a pop rebel, Ho was also involved with groups like Zircon Gov. Pawn Starz. All these set off the local alternative music scene. He released several albums as a solo artiste over the following decades, including Nite Songs in Day-Glo (1989), PunkMonkHunk (1994), Singapura Uber Alles (2010) and the lauded No Ordinary Country.

Before helming the GOLD 905's Homestretch radio programme on weekday evenings, Ho had stints on Rediffusion, Lush 99.5 and Radio Singapore International. Ho became an integral part of the Mediacorp family since joining Perfect 10, 987 in 1993. He was with Radio Singapore International (RSI) from 1994 to 2007. He joined the GOLD 905 family in August 2017.

One listener on his Perfect 10, 987 stints which began at 9pm recalled that Ho introduced him to Lamb's Gabriel and Zero 7's Destiny before the songs became more well known. The DJ was known for spinning lush, ambient songs that exuded cool and comfort, especially suited for Sunday nights when one just wanted to wind down. Ho was remembered as an uber cool dude who could do no wrong with any of the tunes he played. He read all the listener's letters of dedication in his signature classy, soothing, eloquent voice.

Singaporeans had memorable experiences with Ho in a newly opened venue called Nutz in 1994. The club played the most progressive techno genres back then and did not admit patrons above the age of 25. So, groups of young adult friends just enjoyed dancing to the music emanating from X'Ho's DJ booth.

Ho made invaluable contributions to the nascent AIDS awareness movement in the early 1990s, and supported Action for AIDS' (AfA) efforts to stop the scourge and end stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and marginalised communities. He wrote the song "Safe Sex - The Sax & Blunder Mix" for AfA in the early 1990s to raise awareness of the disease:.



He contributed on several occasions to IndigNation, Singapore's annual gay pride month. During the inaugural event in 2005, he was at the helm to spin a well-balanced mix of feel-good hits during its first private party called Alienation. It was held at 9pm on Thursday, 25 August 2005 at Coccolatte, 76 Robertson Quay, #01-09, The Gallery Hotel, Singapore 238254.

Ho also published several books including the contentious Skew Me, U Rebel, Meh? (1993), where he expressed his desire for his obituary to read “X’Ho. Age: Forever 27 (the real age is none of anyone’s business)”.

On 19 June 2014, Nylon Singapore uploaded an exclusive interview with Ho to YouTube:

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He died at around 4:37am on Monday, 27 September 2021, after a two-month long battle against stomach cancer. Close friends said that he was brave, determined and cheerful to the very end. 

=Accolades from peers=

On the day of his passing, fellow artiste Don Richmond wrote on Facebook that he was "a little shell-shocked" by the news. "Memories now come flooding back of when you first heard my first few demos (that were admittedly so bad) and you were absolutely gracious, brought me out to lunch and gave me some of the best advice that stuck with me 'til this day. "Later on I was lucky to have been able to call you colleague and friend. You'll always be a hero to me, a hero to all music lovers here," said Richmond.

Another musician, composer Kevin Mathews, wrote about the first time he met Ho during an interview for Rediffusion in the 1990s. "I recall thinking he was one of the sweetest, nicest persons I had ever met. The first person ever to play my music over Singapore radio. Will never forget his intelligence, his wit and his passion."

Music producer George Leong reminisced about the work he collaborated on with Ho:

"Thank you Chris Ho for giving me the opportunity to be a part of your music and life. You have inspired me very much musically.
 * S1 1989 Save The Day:- This is the first song that we worked together on.  It was commissioned by Action for Aids to commemorate World Aids Day. I remember you brought a vinyl record over to my place and i sampled the beat from the record on my mother's turntable.  We then went to the Music Syndicate studio to track it. https://soundcloud.com/xhosux/save-the-day
 * S2 1992 Deeper:- One of my favourite songs that Chris Ho wrote together with Dick Lee originally from the Class Acts album. Recorded at our Tune Factory at Maju Ave. Features 叶良俊 Jimmy Ye on harmonies
 * S5 1993 Save Sex:- This is the 2nd song for Action for Aids featuring Christina Ong on vocals
 * S3 1994 Motocycle Hero:- You brought your little Yamaha portasound keyboard for me to sample the cheezy synth hook. We had fun creating this track
 * S4 1994 Kites:- I remember we went thorough great lengths to create the sound effect of metal chains for this song. Can't find this song online though. It's from Pony Canyon's Skin Deep album.
 * S5 1994 Save Sex (The Sax & Blunder Mix) A classic house mix of Save Sex. We had lots of fun remixing the song and you even performed it on TV.  I used an actual Roland TR909 and a Mini Moog on this track

A mentor and an inspiration
Radio DJ Tim Oh said he was "gutted" by the death and described Ho as "one of Singapore's most enduring and endearing radio personalities" with "countless" contributions to the local broadcast and music industries. "Away from the microphone, he was one of the sweetest and kindest souls I had the pleasure of knowing," said Oh, describing Ho as a kind, patient and giving mentor during the former's DJ training course at Rediffusion. "A bonafide good guy, I have never heard him raise his voice, exhibit a temper or even speak ill of anyone. Chris is, was and always will be a gem of a DJ and human being," Oh added.

Poet and graphic artist Gwee Li Sui also chimed in. "You were the local hero of so many of us heartland youngsters back in the day. We loved your voice and the way you thought fearlessly," he said.

Podcast host Wayne Cheong contributed this eulogy: "Thank you Chris Ho for inspiring me to start Bucket List Bands Podcast. I listened to your show 8 Miles High during my growing up years and subscribed to cable radio Rediffusion as my mom was a seamstress and she made clothes for her clients while listening to Rediffusion, and I always turned the dial to the English Channel and you were always on. You were Singapore’s #JohnPeel, and will play all these progressive punk rock music and spotlight local Singaporean bands as well as consistently champion acts like Napalm Death and other Grindcore / Death Metal bands, REM, Sonic Youth, Einstürzende Neubauten., Nine Inch Nails and Industrial music, as well as controversial Hip Hop acts like NWA and introduce future music from Kruder and Dorfmeister to IDM like Aphex Twin and Autechre (æ). My dream was to interview you and recount the story of your meeting with industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle and Genesis P.Orridge……I’m kicking myself that I will never get the chance to live tape this episode with you."

Pop culture writer Suzy Wrong penned on her Facebook: "I had the immense privilege and pleasure, to have worked with him on one track on the SKIN DEEP album from 1994. He was looking for someone who was fairly out as LGBTQ, and it wouldn't surprise me that I was the only name on the list, available at short notice, at the time. He was such an icon, I remember basically just standing at the mic in the studio, trying to do what he needed for the song, but pretty much feeling completely frozen by the intimidation factor from being in Chris' presence. He was our God of Punk, and I was minuscule by comparison. So, thank you dear Chris for fighting the hardest fight, and for never giving up on Singapore (as I have). I'm virtually an old lady now, but when I think of you, I still feel like I want to grow up to be just like you, one day." Kelvin Tan, one of the founders of the now defunct Home Club where Ho used to perform, said he was "truly shocked" by the death of what he described as a "scene mover" and "the most gentle person I've ever met". "You were always encouraging during the days of Home Club and we even did awesome shows together," he said. Jazz musician and Cultural Medallion recipient Jeremy Monteiro wrote on Facebook: "I’ve known Chris for decades. He was always kind and gentle to me. His band indie rock band Zircon Lounge is legendary in Singapore music, shocking and breaking all music trends in Singapore. He was a rebel in his political views, but I always believed that he loved Singapore. We performed together on a number of occasions over the decades, most recently at the Shangri-La hotel ballroom in 2014 when I accompanied him on a Randy Newman song. He received the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS) Artistic Excellence Award in 2018. It is the last time I saw him and we snapped this happy photo together. I really really liked Chris Ho. I will miss him. Rest in Peace old friend. My Deep Condolences to his Mum, his family and all close to him." 

=Funeral=

Ho's funeral ceremony for family and friends was held at the Ruby Room, Singapore Casket, 131 Lavender Street from 6pm to 11pm on the same day as his death and from 11am to 11pm from Tuesday, 28 September to Thursday, 30 September 2021. Owing to an ongoing surge in delta variant infections during the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing restrictions were in place and the venue could only accommodate 30 visitors at any one time.

=Gallery= 

=See also=
 * Singapore gay personalities
 * IndigNation: Singapore's first gay pride month

=References=
 * Chris Ho's YouTube channel:.
 * Chris Ho's Facebook pages:,.
 * https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/chris-ho-tributes-radio-dj-mediacorp-gold905-281636
 * https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/chris-ho-dies-gold905-radio-dj-stomach-cancer-281621
 * https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/local/veteran-radio-dj-and-musician-chris-ho-dies-of-stomach-cancer-15416360

=Acknowledgements=

This article was written by Roy Tan.