The release of his debut album Naked turned Zheng Jun into the rock sensation on the mainland in 1993, with legions of fans drawn to his introspective lyrics, angry sounds and moody looks.Transfer from : http://www.easy-mandarin.cn

Now 42, the singer still looks and dresses like a rocker, in skinny faded jeans, boots, a black shirt, and wild fluffy hair. But there is no trace of the arrogance for which he was once well known, both on and off stage.
That has now been replaced by a subtle sense of humor and responsibility.
The picture of the father playing with his 9-year-old daughter is an unusual one for a rock singer but the Xi'an native is proud of his new image - as family man and popular children's book author.
This January, he published his graphic novel Tibetan Rock Dog. Its sell-out initial print run of 100,000 copies attracted the attention of the West. A Hollywood company stepped in, releasing a 3D animation of the cartoon last week in Beijing.
"The book started with me telling my daughter bedtime stories," Zheng says, adding that he never thought the idea would develop into an international film project. "She loves cartoons, especially Japanese and American ones, and we would often watch cartoon flicks, such as Kungfu Panda and Toy Story. But I wanted to give her something about Chinese culture and about myself, besides my role as a father."
He combined his love for music, dogs and Tibetan culture to create Metal, or Mai Tou in Chinese, a Tibetan mastiff who grows up in a remote temple in Tibet and moves to Beijing to pursue his rock dream. He forms a band with like-minded fellows called Rock Dog, with whom he experiences the struggles of living in a big city, confronting failure and falling in love.
The story and characters were fleshed out by Zheng and his daughter over four years. "She would add her own imagination to the story, and we shared and laughed about it," he says. Zheng also started his own company and invited a number of Beijing-based comic-book artists to illustrate it.
"Metal the dog is something of a self-portrait, and I dedicated the story to my daughter, who is fascinated with dogs, just like me," says Zheng with a smile, admitting that fatherhood has changed him from bad-boy rocker to doting father.
"I am not a star in front of her. She not only gave me inspiration for the cartoon character but also changed my life," he says. "I've become a different person. Before, I was a rock star and behaved like one, going out and drinking all night. But you can't do that when you have a child."
Negotiating with publishers and investors was a big change for the rock singer. "I have never had a 'real' job, going to work at 9 am and adjusting to dealing with colleagues, which was a challenge for me," he recalls. He sees the book as a responsibility, not only in terms of taking Chinese culture to the world, but also as a gift for his daughter.
"I love traveling in Tibet because the place tells me that real happiness lies in keeping everything simple," he says. "Now, I feel like I have given myself another childhood with my daughter."
Now that Tibetan Rock Dog looks set for the lights, Zheng says he will go back to his beloved music career. "Music is a private thing where I can express myself. My passion for music is the same as it was 16 years ago, but I am moving toward a different stage in life, which will be reflected in my next album," he says.
Zheng is not the only mainland rock star to become mellower and more family oriented.
Veteran singer-songwriter Xu Wei's upcoming concert on Nov 21 with Zheng in Zhengzhou, Henan province, has a very un-rock like title, Warm Today.
"I turned to Buddhism years ago, and meditation has made me calm," says the 41-year-old singer. "We have all experienced being rebellious, confused and sentimental. But now we have grown up and matured."
Hailed as a poet in mainland music circles, Xu became interested in music in his teenage years and chose music over enrolling in a local military medical school. His classic songs, such as Don't Cry, Baby, Persistence and Two Days, became wildly popular with rock fans.
"My early works expressed my angry and restless life, especially around 2000. Looking back today, the anxiety, heartbreaks and dreams seem inevitable," he says. "Now, my life is quiet and stable. I like reading books and playing sports. For me, this is not a symbol of getting old but a reflection of an ability to think of other people who love me."
His fans can see this change especially since his third album Time, Roam. The sense of desperation and loneliness that characterized Xu's previous works have been replaced with warm and positive lyrics, and easy tunes.
"I would like to thank all of you for joining my concert. It is like a big party and you are all my friends and family," he said, while singing It's New For Every Moment and The Blue Lotus at his concert The Day in Beijing this April.
Dou Wei, former lead vocalist for the popular rock band Black Panther, held his first show of the year earlier this month. The singer, now 40, did not sing on stage with his new band, but only played the tunes on different instruments. When some feverish women fans shouted, "Dou Wei, I love you", the singer, smiling shyly, said "Thank you, but I am sorry".
Before the show, the Beijing native, who rarely promoted himself, talked with media about his music after years of experimentation and withdrawing from the public spotlight.
"My life is simple now, staying at home, eating noodles and riding my bicycle. I feel free ... and have found my own pace for making music," he says slowly.
For those who have followed these rock stars for years, they are not just symbols of Chinese rock history but also their personal, spiritual friends.
"I collected their albums and will keep them forever. They are growing up, and so am I," said a rock fan surnamed Li at Dou's show. "It is OK that they are no longer coming out with new songs as frequently as before. There are new rock acts today to release youth anger.
"The older generation has given us great songs and memories."
"We continue to look forward to their new works with their different understandings and interpretations of life."
source:http://www.easy-mandarin.cn