"I don't like others to call me 'hair boy,'" said Yu Zhenhuan, who was recognized in 2002 as the world's hairiest man by the Guinness Book of Records. "Both my singing and performance are OK. I want to prove that the 'hair boy' has become a normal man, and he will never make his living on his hairs again," he said.

Yu, 28, joked that he was a "science star" when he was born. Now half of his face is covered with scars from burns, and black long hairs can still be seen on his arms.

When he was born, some 96.5 percent of his body were covered by hair. Such rare evolutionary reversion surely astonished many people. Li Xiannian, then Vice President of China, demanded the local government treat him as a national treasure. At Li's bidding, Yu's family moved from a remote village to a county town. The central government provided him subsidies every month and set up a scientific research team to study his body. His every action was recorded.

"I was happy when I was a child," he smiled. He even played the leading role in Hair Boy's Treasure Pursuing Adventure made by a Hong Kong film producer when he was seven. He even became an actor for an art troupe in Liaoning Province. The troupe gave him salary regularly and an apartment with three chambers.

One year later, he was fired by the troupe. "When I first came to the troupe, all actors and actresses welcomed me, but when I left, no one saw me off," he said.

From then on, he was forced to sing in public for survival. His first performance made the whole room burst into laughter. "I wished to tear off all his hairs at that time," he said.

He then decided to learn singing from local famous singers when he was 17. "I won at long last," he said, not without a pride.

Yu's first album I Still Love You was released in 2004 and made a great success. His wonderful voice makes people forget he was once the "hair boy." He has made several performing tours in the last two years.

Now Yu is an international celebrity. He was invited by the ABC television network to visit Hollywood. In an ABC's program called "Online Talk Show," he chatted with ABC's anchorperson in English, which made him well known among American families. In the Disneyland, many ordinary American citizens recognized him and asked for autographs.

Now Yu can earn 2,000 yuan for his each show. He has become a real pop star.

"I support my whole family," he said, "and the capital for my father's business was earned by me." Now he works for a Hong Kong Entertainment Company, and his new album will be released very soon.

(China News Service September 8, 2006)