Chen Gexin

Throughout his life, Chen had produced more than 200 songs. On top of that, he conducted symphony orchestras and held recitals for many times. Chen was the composer of famous mid-20th century popular standards as Shanghai Nights (夜上海) and The Blossom of Youth (花樣年華), both sung by Zhou Xuan. His song Rose, Rose, I Love You, sung by American singer Frankie Laine in 1951, is the only major popular music hit in the United States by a Chinese composer. When Chen's youngest son went to the United States for advanced education, he was able to meet Laine and thereafter maintained a correspondence. Another of his songs titled, Wishing You Happiness and Prosperity was originally written to celebrate the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War and has become a popular Chinese New Year standard. His music continues to be performed and is featured in films such as Eros.

With the Communist seizure of power in China in 1949, popular music was considered ideologically suspect and Chen was labeled a rightist and imprisoned in a laogai for "reform through labor" at Baimiaoling farm, Anhui in 1957, there he befriended a journalist named Ai Yi.

Chen Gexin (Chinese: 陳歌辛; pinyin: Chén Gēxīn; Wade–Giles: Ch'en Ko-hsin; September 19, 1914 — January 25, 1961) was a Chinese popular music songwriter. He also used the pen names Lín Méi (林枚) and Qìng Yú (慶餘). Chen Genxin was beaten to death in his sleep during the Rightist movement.

Chen was born on September 19, 1914 to a low social status family, and his wealthy maternal Indian grandfather was the only survivor of the British colonial destructions in India. He married his admirer and student Jin Jiaoli, against her Korean family's wishes in 1935. During WWII, he was jailed for his patriotic songs. Chen and his family moved to Hong Kong after the war ended.