PLAY IT AGAIN SAM - BY SURESH NAIR
PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
THE weekend suddenly turned grey and gloomy when shock news arrived from Melbourne, Australia, that cancer-stricken Sam Quah lost his battle and faded away…and within minutes even the local air-waves were filled with multiple obituaries as deejay extraordinary Brian Richmond saluted him over Sunday’s ‘Vintage Showcase’.
Sam was simply a happy-go-lucky lad, multi-talented in music, sports and was like a jack-of-all-trades during his early teenagerhood days as the football-famous Quah family from the Sembawang Naval Base created island-wide headlines. For four decades, there was at least one of the Quah brothers in the national team, from second brother Kim Beng in 1954 to Kim Song, who played for the country from 1968 to 1983. Sisters Theresa, Doreen and Rosa also played for the national women's team in the 1960s.
But Sam looked on to greener pastures and migrated to Australia, in the mid-1990s, with wife Kui Lan Theng and three teenage kids, Cain, Cassie and Nicola, later raising the family in the posh neighbourhood of Toorak, which is ranked as the Beverly Hills of Melbourne, filled with majestic mansions, fast cars, famous residents and panaromic urban views. Unfortunately, only recently, he was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer, got on to chemotheraphy and eventually lost the 20-month fight on Saturday afternoon. He would have been 69 years on February 29.
Brian Richmond, in a ‘live’ radio tribute Sunday, hailed Sam as an “outstanding musician and sportsman”, who even took part in the RTS (Radio & Television Singapore) Talentime in December 1971 with Laurence “Dixie” Ferdinand, where the duo finished in third place.
He was educated at Raffles Institution, quickest entry through his football skills, and in the words of his icon nephew Quah Kim Song, Sam was “national team material but decided to be a musician and a damn good one, too”. Kim Song, also from Raffles Institution who went on to be a Malaysia Cup hero-striker in the mid-1970s and 80s, adds: “One of my best memories of Sam was being invited as guests to sing in ‘Rolling Good Times’, hosted by Douglas Olivero. We sang ‘Words’ by the Bee Gees. He could have been a very good footballer too, l think national team material, but decided to be a musician.”
The bespectacled Sam was the first son of the eldest Quah family hierarchy, Kim Thuan, the only Quah not to be involved in football (besides youngest lad, Kim Tiong, who was a SEAP Games 400m athlete). Kim Thuan also died of liver cancer as did legendary striker Quah Kim Swee in 2015.
SPORTS & MUSIC
Sam, in the words of Munir Shah, excelled in sports and music from schooldays at Raffles Institution. The former Singapore Squash Rackets Association (SSRA) Vice President says: “Sam was in the insurance line, in parallel with his music career. A jolly fellow who had a perpetual smile when old mates meet him during his singing performance at the Treetops Bar in Holiday Inn on Scotts Road for a short duration - now called Royal Plaza at Scotts. He did well in Singapore before migrating to Melbourne in the mid-1990s - bought and sold a nice terrace house property at the historic Emerald Hill. The family was also involved in the restaurant business.”
Journalist-Editor Ilsa Sharp clarified to Munir Shah after having lunch with Laurence 'Dixie' Ferdinands in Perth on Sunday: “Dixie protests that he didn’t leave Sam Quah to join his brothers in the Gypsy band, rather he was the one who formed Gypsy first and then invited his brothers to join. At 70, I guess he understandably is keen to protect his own legendary musical legacy. Needless to say, Dixie is also devastated by Sam’s death.”
Nantha Kumar, who lives in Mooroolbark, in the outskirts of Melbourne, said Sam’s medical condition took a recent unexpected downturn. Nantha, who was the striker-hero in Singapore’s SEAP Games hockey gold-medal-winning team in 1973, says he rushed to see Sam a few days ago. “We chatted over New Year’s eve and last Tuesday, we shared lots of laughs, foul languages in Cantonese, Tamil and Malay…and he even sang me my favourite Liverpool song, ‘You Never Walk Alone’ by Gerry & The Pacemakers,” he says. “The lyrics reflected Sam’s life: When you walk through a storm, keep your chin up high. And don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of a storm is a golden sky. And the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind. Walk on through the rain. Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart. And you'll never walk alone. You'll never walk alone.”
CULINARY SKILLS
Retired Singapore police officer Happy Tay, who is in Vancouver, Canada, SMS-ed me 2.30am Sunday, breaking the news. He says: “I just heard from Dennis D'Cotta in Geelong that Sam died. He was a great friend, with a fantastic personality and musical talent. He used to relate to me about his culinary skills too, something he "mastered" upon moving to Australia. He'll be missed by friends from all over the world.”
Personally, I was flattered when Sam Quah sent me a Whatsapp note on November 13 2020 when he received his autographed copy of ‘Tampines Tales’, a book I authored for the 75th anniversary of Singapore’s No 1 football club Tampines Rovers (where almost the entire Quah football family played for). He wrote: “Good morning Suresh, it was a pleasant surprise to receive your ‘Tampines Tales‘ in the mail today. Though I was sound (sic) out by Nantha Kumar of your intentions a few weeks ago, the joy of receiving a hard gift in the mail these days is indeed a rare thing. I am thrilled to be counted as one of the many who have the blessings to be regarded as your friend. I will be going through the pages and will talk again soon. Cheers.”
I instantly replied: “Congratulations Sam, much as you're many miles away Down Under, you're revered as part of the famous Quahs, who continue to symbolise Tampines Rovers.”
Tracey Khalil-Cherbonnier, one of Sam’s favourite neices, says: “He was a good husband, a good father, a good brother, a good son, a good uncle and a good grand uncle. To his friends and family he was the life of the party. Always with his guitar providing the music for the night. Although he lived in Australia, he made it a point to visit his parents and family as often as he could trailblazing through Singapore on food adventures with his siblings.
GENUINE FAMILY MAN
“Above all else, he was a genuine family man. A man that would do anything for his family within his means. A man that learned to play his niece's requested song at her wedding and was there with a listening ear every step of the way. Sam Quah, ‘KuKu Sam’, embodied the very warmth family is supposed to be and was loved immensely. He will be dearly missed.”
Sam’s younger sister Mary Quah, who I knew as an intern at SPH (Singapore Press Holdings) many, many moons ago, says: “Strong, bold (daring in your face), intelligent, unstoppable! That’s my big bro Sam. The last few years have been particularly tough for Sam but keeping to his true self, his style of taking the bull by the horns to solve challenges, problems and obstacles. Those are the very strengths, determination and resolve that I admire most about him. He is in a word fearless but in all intents, God-fearing and that makes him my special wonderful big bro!
“He’s always the suave and handsomest, the charmer, who will effortlessly woo you with his natural talent at strumming up classic favourites for everyone to get into happy uplifts and spirits. Hence (ha ha!) see all his photographs where he’d be holding or posing with his bottle of red, wine glass in hand, and/or with his guitar!
BROKEN HEART
“I will dearly miss my darling brother. But knowing he is now out of pain, and in a new transformed body of health with his Heavenly Father, my broken heart is starting to and will mend. Big bro Sam, you have fought the good fight. You have finished the race. You have kept the faith!”
Former Journalist-Sports Editor of The New Paper Rajagopal Jegathesan, shattered when he heard the news, says: “I feel very tearful. We go back 50-plus years. From school days at Raffles Institution, when we played soccer and hockey. We have kept in touch since. I followed him and his musical exploits from Tropicana to a host of other places until he moved to Melbourne decades ago. We had so many common things to talk about whenever we met.
“I knew his immediate family and his siblings. And, of course, music. I’ll miss the clips we used to exchange quite regularly. He’ll be the first person I’ll think of whenever I came across an interesting musical clip. Also the conversations we used to have. When I heard Brian Richmond’s ‘Vintage Showcase’ on Sunday, it brought a flood of tears. Many songs played were songs that Sam used to sing accompanied by his guitar. We will miss him very much.”
Sam’s only older sister Irene Quah-Khalil, who was a Singapore athlete in the 1970s, was devastated and sad at not being able to be with Sam during his last days. She tear-jerkingly says: “I’m thinking of you, Sam, and your family during this time. I’m praying for you, Kui Lan Theng, Cain, Cassie and Nicola. Sam, I know how close you were to every Quah family member. I was heartbroken when I heard you lost the 20-month cancer battle. We will always remember you as a super great guy who left behind many wonderful memories. The way you handled it and shared it with all of us was lighthearted and graceful. God bless, Sam.”
The funeral will be held on Thursday, January 21 2021 at 11.00am at Memorial Hall, Christ Church, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122. Arrangements are being made for a ‘live’ funeral link. Confirmed details to follow here.
Rest In Peace, Sam Quah. The fame of the Hollywood line, ‘Play It Again, Sam’ will forever linger with your exemplary musician-sportsman-familyman legacy.
P.S. The photos that follow are captionless as it portrays the very best of the late Sam Quah and the enlarged Quah family from Sembawang Naval Base.
Comments
Post a Comment