My brother Michael Cheah & his Music Legacy
My dear departed brother, Michael, has a friend who sticks closer than a brother. They were friends since Secondary 1 in St Joseph’s Institution. During the last 3 weeks of his life, this friend was at his hospital bedside almost every day and finally, he was the one who delivered the eulogy. He knew more about my brother’s life than I did. He revealed that Michael shared with him his dream to one day start a Rock magazine. He eventually did and the magazine was titled BIGO (Before I Get Old), which was a line from the song “My Generation” by The WHO. The line goes: “I hope to die Before I Get Old”. I assume that it is like saying they would rather not grow old if it meant following all the boring grown-up rules!
Michael’s friend, Alexius, also mentioned that Michael faced many struggles with the authorities to get his magazine published. Michael was ahead of his time. He started his magazine in 1985 during the period when the “long hair” ban was in force in Singapore.
The Singapore Government claimed that so-called hippies were negative influences for Singaporeans capable of “corrupting” their minds and “polluting” the country’s society. Adopting an anti-hippy stance, the government introduced an official policy dissuading males from having long hair. (Wikipedia)
In page C6 of the Straits Times (Life section) on Monday 15th July 2024, in his obituary some friends were quoted:
Patrick Chng
“Michael was a pop culture enthusiast with a sharp mind. He was the businessman behind BIGO, but he also helped artists connect with labels in the early days of the magazine.”
Joe Ng
“Michael played a pivotal role in Singapore’s pop culture landscape. He was a giant of a man who worked fearlessly behind the scenes and facilitated a cause greater than we can imagine. The sum of it all still reverberates today.”
Online Hear65 quotes:
Ginette Chittick
“Michael’s contribution to the underground music scene cannot be emphasised enough.”
Robin Chua
“If BIGO didn’t happen, I really don’t know what SG music will be like now.”
Michael, Janice and Hillary were on holiday in Shanghai in May 2024 where an artist drew their family portrait.
He was well then, but suddenly on 9th June, after attending the funeral of our grand auntie, he felt exhausted and thought it was the flu. He self-medicated for about a week before consulting a doctor on 17th June. The doctor referred him to a hospital for further investigation. The tests showed that he had a heart attack.
Joo See and I visited him at the hospital on 18th June when we came back from the LCS Retreat. At that time, he was still alert and able to walk and talk. We were very hopeful that the Lord would heal him.
However, his condition worsened on 20th June when his heart stopped and he was transferred to another hospital and placed on an ECMO machine which pumped blood out of the body to a heart-lung machine. The machine removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body. He had a 30% chance of survival.
He remained in the ICU ward until the day he passed away on 12th July. While in the ICU, his brain was active off and on and we were able to communicate with him but he was unable to answer as there were tubes running down his throat.
Like the rest of my siblings, Michael was baptised a Roman Catholic but he stopped attending church for a few decades. Whenever I visited him in the ICU, I urged him to call on the name of Jesus for salvation and healing. During his lucid moments, when we prayed for him, he responded with eye or hand movement. Then on the last day when he was no longer able to respond, tears streamed down his cheeks as I reminded him to call on Jesus and read psalms and played spiritual songs for him.
There was great sadness at the funeral service as his wife and daughter broke down in tears. Even at the collection of his ashes on 16th July, they were still very sad. So, I shared with them that he had shed tears in response to prayer and I also shared with them a vision which someone shared with me during the wake service where he saw Michael next to the Tree of Life. This gave his family peace and a hope. I thank all who came to the wake service to comfort, pray and give us an encouraging word.
I previously viewed Michael’s struggling magazine business as a failure because it was always running at a loss. I did the accounts for him and I know. But at his funeral, seeing all his friends and associates there, some from the Straits Times, Singapore Monitor, BIGO, schoolmates, rock music people, in-laws and family, I realized he had succeeded in achieving his dreams before he got old.
John 11:
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
These verses from the Gospel of John (11:25-26) offered me solace. They speak of Jesus’ power over death and the promise of eternal life for those who believe. In Michael’s final days, even though he couldn’t respond, the tears that flowed when I spoke of Jesus and faith gave me hope. Perhaps, like the Prodigal Son who returned to his father, Michael too found his way back in his final moments. Just as Jesus offered forgiveness to the repentant thief on the cross (Luke 23:43), I pray that Michael too received the same grace and found peace with God.
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