William Hung skyrocketed to unlikely fame in 2004 when his rendition of Ricky Martin's
"She Bangs" won over the hearts of the American Idol audience.
"She bangs!
She bangs!
Oh baby, when she moves!
She moves!
I go crazy!
Cause she looks like a flower but she stings like a bee!
Like every girl in history!
She bangs!
She bangs!"
"Thank you"
Because of the earnestness of his awful performance, Hung became an international sensation.
But despite the real love he received, Hung's fame was a flash in the pan.
Whatever happened to William Hung?
He Recorded Three Albums
Against all odds, Hung landed a record deal and released three albums.
He didn't perform any original songs, but he did continue to showcase his love for Latin
pop fusion with covers of songs like "Shake Your Bon Bon."
"Shake your bon bon, shake your bon bon, shake your bon bon!"
Perhaps his finest work was his album of Christmas standards, amazingly titled Hung for the Holidays.
By the time his third album, Miracle: Happy Summer from William Hung debuted, Hung’s
musical career was pretty much over.
Commercials, Cameos, And Movies
At the height of his fame, Hung made appearances on multiple talk shows and starred in commercials
for big brands like Jack in the Box and Ask Jeeves.
He also had cameos on popular comedies, including MADtv and Arrested Development, where he played
the leader of the house band "William Hung and His Hung Jury" for the daytime courtroom
show Mock Trial with J. Reinhold.
"Well it looks like we've got a mistrial.
But on the plus side, we've also got a Hung jury!
Hit it!"
(William Hung musical madness)
Hung also has three movie credits to his name, and was also the subject of his own documentary
called William Hung: Hangin' with Hung because if it isn't abundantly clear at this point,
people really enjoyed having fun with his name.
Oh, and this.
"As some of you may know, I was the artichoke king at the artichoke festival."
"Yes."
"Just this past weekend."
"In Castroville California."
"Yes."
"Artichoke capitol of the world."
"Yaaa"
Guest Of Honor
Novelty celebrities often find themselves being asked to perform at sporting events.
Thanks to his unique talent and willingness to do just about anything, Hung's resume includes
performances at Toronto’s SkyDome and during a St. Cloud River Rats baseball game.
(Hung singing at baseball game)
Marriage
On June 18th, 2014, Hung married a woman named Jian Teng.
Sorry, ladies.
Hung told People,
"She's a fantastic wife and I'm glad to have somebody to support me."
Simon wasn’t supportive enough?
"I have no professional training of singing or dancing so"
"Well there's the surprise of the century."
Return To American Idol
Despite that ruthless rejection, Hung harbored no ill will toward the show that inadvertently
made him famous.
He even returned for the series finale to perform his signature version of "She Bangs,"
which is remarkable considering his last experience on the show.
His return to Idol was made even more satisfying because producers chose to bring out Hung
immediately after Cowell's surprise appearance and emotional thank you.
"I hope there are no more surprises.
Although some surprises are worth waiting for and that was very very nice.
Nice to see-"
(Hung back at it again with the singing!)
Playing poker
Hung has maintained a passion for poker for at least a decade, and it’s paid off pretty
nicely in some cases.
He's won some big tournaments and played in what is basically the Super Bowl of poker:
The World Series of Poker No Limit Texas Hold-Em Main Event.
"I play poker as a hobby.
Whenever I have time to spare, that's what I want to focus on."
Day Job
Where does a former international music superstar, commercial pitchman, and amateur poker whiz
wind up?
At the Los Angeles County Department of Health, of course.
He's been employed in some way by the county since 2011, which means he's run the numbers
and he knows that a government pension is a solid bet.
Hung seems to have done well for himself, despite being introduced to the world as a
quick joke.
Nicely done, Mr. Hung.
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