Lee Seung-chul tears up, says he wants to be 'a singer beside the public, not a legend'

'Emperor of Live' marks 40 years in music

'I was so envious watching BTS perform at the World Cup'

Wants to be a singer as natural as breathing to the public

Singer Lee Seung-chul wipes away tears at a listening event for his 40th-anniversary album held Tuesday afternoon at Hyundai Card Understage in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]

"Whenever I sing, I always think: 'I wish every day could be like today — no more, no less, just like right now.'"

Lee Seung-chul, known as the "Emperor of Live," marked his 40th anniversary in the music industry with quiet reflection. Tears welled up as he looked back on the years, yet his gaze and heart were fixed not on past glories but on the stages still ahead.

Speaking Tuesday afternoon at a media listening event for his 40th-anniversary album at Hyundai Card Understage in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Lee said that while his 30th and 39th anniversaries had passed without much fanfare, preparing for this one felt different. "I thought, 'This day has really come' and 'Something I never imagined is actually happening,'" he said.

The passage of time has been immense. Lee recalled that when he debuted at 20, seniors in the industry seemed to retire or step back from the spotlight once they hit 30, and he assumed the same would happen to him. "My heart was so full when my junior WOODZ wrote a tribute song for me," he said. "Listening to the new track, my whole life flashed before my eyes. I'm going to sing even harder."

Lee debuted in 1986 as the vocalist of rock band Boohwal before going solo in 1989. Over four decades he has delivered more than 2,500 live performances, leaving behind beloved songs including "Huiya," "Rain and Your Story," "Don't Say Goodbye," "Last Concert," "Jasmine Flower," "Fate" and "Never Ending Story."

Singer Lee Seung-chul and WOODZ [Yonhap]

Lee credited "emptying himself" as the secret to his longevity. "The key to a hit is using a vocal style that sets Lee Seung-chul aside," he said. "When I receive a song, I follow the vocal approach the composer and producer want, not the one I prefer." He named "Huiya" as his most cherished track. "It's the song that made me who I am, and even now, the moment I sing the first verse, the audience reaction is the most electric," he said.

A career spanning four decades has not been without hardship. Lee was unable to sing for three years after undergoing surgery for vocal nodules and a vocal polyp, and spent a month in a vow of silence. On caring for his voice, he said the secret is simply never to stop singing. "I still perform once a week to keep my feel for it," he said.

To mark the 40th anniversary, Lee is launching a tribute duet project featuring younger artists. The first participant, singer-songwriter WOODZ (Cho Seung-yeon), wrote and composed the tribute track "Our Story" himself; it will be released Wednesday at 6 p.m. through music streaming platforms. The song is an alternative rock track that blends the texture of classic 1970s rock with a contemporary pop-rock sound.

"I cried when WOODZ gave me the song — I was so moved," Lee said. "I was worried I might come across as old-fashioned, so I stripped away every unnecessary flourish, and we finished the recording in just two takes." WOODZ, who attended the press event alongside Lee, said his late father's favorite singer had always been Lee Seung-chul, and that he privately calls him "Dad" in informal settings. "I put 40 years of time and love that my sunbae and his fans have built together into the word 'our,'" WOODZ said. Beyond WOODZ, the project also features Kim Jae-joong, DAY6's Young K, Red Velvet's Wendy, Lee Mu-jin and Jannabi.

Reflecting on the strict broadcast regulations of his early career, Lee noted that his generation was barred from using English words on air and told to remove sunglasses, while today's artists perform at the Grammy Awards. "When I saw BTS singing at the World Cup, I was so envious I wanted to be reborn," he said.

His schedule shows no sign of slowing. Lee plans to kick off with a performance at Konkuk University's festival before resuming his nationwide concert tour "THE VOICE : LEE SEUNG CHUL" in November, with a world tour next year — more than 50 performances in total. He named people as the driving force behind his enduring career and shared what he hopes to be as a singer.

"It's thanks to the many wonderful connections that have come my way that I've been able to last this long. I now have grandchildren, and I couldn't ask for more. I hope everyone listens to my songs unconsciously, the way they breathe. Rather than being a legend, I want to be an active singer who is always beside the public — a singer like a breath, whose songs people want to hear at any moment."

shee@heraldcorp.com