Jonghyun

For other people with the same name, see Jong-hyun.

In this Korean name, the family name is Kim.

Jonghyun
Jonghyun at SM Town Live in July 2017
Born
Kim Jong-hyun

(1990-04-08)April 8, 1990
Seoul, South Korea
DiedDecember 18, 2017(2017-12-18) (aged 27)
Seoul, South Korea
Cause of deathSuicide by carbon monoxide poisoning
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • radio host
  • author
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Years active2008–2017
LabelsSM
Formerly of
WebsiteOfficial website
Korean name
Hangul
김종현
Hanja
金鐘鉉
Revised RomanizationGim Jonghyeon
McCune–ReischauerKim Chonghyŏn
Signature

Kim Jong-hyun (Korean: 김종현; April 8, 1990[1] – December 18, 2017[2]), known mononymously as Jonghyun, was a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, radio host, and author under the SM Entertainment label. He was the vocalist of the South Korean boy band Shinee for nine years, releasing twelve albums with the group in both Korean and Japanese. He also participated in SM Entertainment's project group, SM the Ballad, for the release of two EP albums.

Jonghyun was also a solo artist, beginning in January 2015 with the release of his first EP album, Base. It peaked at number one on both the Billboard World Albums Chart and the Gaon Album Chart. On September 17 the same year, Jonghyun released a compilation album, Story Op.1. His debut studio album, She Is, was released on May 24, 2016, followed by his second compilation album, Story Op.2, on April 24, 2017. Jonghyun began his first solo concert tour, The Story by Jonghyun, on October 2, 2015. This was followed by three further concert tours in later years. He was regarded as one of the best vocalists in South Korea.[3] He also received praise for his artistic control and involvement in the creation of his music.[4]

Jonghyun remained musically active as the vocalist of Shinee and as a solo artist until his death on December 18, 2017, when he died by suicide. His final album, Poet | Artist, was released posthumously on January 23, 2018. It was announced, prior to the release, that all profits from the album would be given to Jonghyun's mother and be used to start a charity foundation. In September 2018, the Shiny Foundation was established by Jonghyun's family to help struggling young artists.[5][6][7][8]

  1. ^ Mark Russell (April 29, 2014). K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution. Tuttle Publishing. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4629-1411-1. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  2. ^ "Shinee singer Jonghyun: K-pop boy band superstar dies". BBC News. December 18, 2017. Archived from the original on December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  3. ^ Kang, Tae-myung (October 18, 2015). 가요관계자들이 뽑았다! 아이돌 보컬 BEST 10 [People involved in music picked the best 10 idol vocalists]. TV Report (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  4. ^ "Shinee Jonghyun Breaks Loose with Creative Artistry in 2015: A Walk Through Two EPs 'Base,' 'Story Op.1,' A Lyric Novel, Concert Series". Venture Capital Post. December 17, 2015. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  5. ^ Lee, Jan (September 8, 2018). "Family of late Shinee star Jonghyun sets up foundation to support young artists". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  6. ^ Herman, Tamar (September 7, 2018). "Family of SHINee's Jonghyun Sets Up Foundation to Support Young Artists". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  7. ^ Choi, Ji-won (September 7, 2018). 故 종현 유족, 청년 예술인 돕기 '빛이나' 재단 설립...'심리치료+장학사업' [The late Jong-hyun bereaved family members set up a foundation to help young artists... Psychotherapy + scholarship project]. Star Today (in Korean). Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  8. ^ 빛이나 소개 [Introduction to Shiny]. Shiny Foundation (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.