Taiwanese singer-songwriter Yuan Wei-jen dies at 57

Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) Taiwanese singer-songwriter and record producer Yuan Wei-jen (袁惟仁), also known as "Xiao Pang Lao Shi" (Little Fat Teacher), died Monday at the age of 57, his family said.

"Thank you to all the friends who cared for and supported Xiao Pang. He left this world surrounded by your warmth," the family said in a statement.

Yuan suffered a brain hemorrhage and fell into a coma after collapsing in China's Shanghai in 2018. He was later diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery, after which he spent extended periods recuperating in Taitung County.

In 2020, Yuan was again hospitalized in intensive care after another fall at his home in Taitung. He subsequently slipped into a coma and had been bedridden ever since.

Taitung Mackay Memorial Hospital told CNA that Yuan passed away at around 10 a.m. Monday. His family has since taken his body home and are making funeral arrangements.

Yuan's second eldest sister Yuan Ai-chen (袁藹珍) said in a message posted on record producer Chen Tzu-hung's (陳子鴻) Facebook page that Yuan passed away peacefully and was finally free.

"We will bring him back to Taipei to be buried alongside our father, in a place with mountains and water that he knew well," she wrote.

She added that Yuan left behind a rich musical legacy. When people miss him, they can listen to his songs -- while driving, when sad, or when at peace. "He is everywhere," she said.

Yuan was previously married to actress Lu Yuan-chi (陸元琪) for 14 years, with the couple officially divorcing in 2016.

When Yuan collapsed in Shanghai, Lu traveled from Taiwan with their two children to visit him, according to local media reports.

After Yuan returned to Taitung for long-term care and was later assessed to be in a vegetative state, the primary caregiving responsibility was borne by his second eldest sister, while Lu and the children continued to express their concern quietly through various means, according to reports.

Lu, speaking through her manager, said she learned of Yuan's death around noon on Monday and asked the media to respect the privacy of herself and the children as the family makes the funeral arrangements.