Kim Yeon-woo is the stage name of South Korean vocalist Kim Hak-chul, who first earned an audience as a member of the K-pop band Toy before embarking upon a chart-topping solo career. He was born on July 22, 1971, and served time in the Air Force before winning the Yoo Jae-ha Music Competition in 1995. One year later, You Hee-yeol recruited him to sing on Toy's second album, Youheeyeol. The singles "Remember I Was Next to You" and "Still Beautiful" both became hits in South Korea, and Kim Yeon-woo capitalized on the sudden success by releasing a solo album, Only Me Beside You…, in 1998. Although the album wasn't a hit, Kim Yeon-woo returned in 2004 with the popular Couple, with charted at Number 24 in Japan and set the stage for his hit-filled solo career. Missing Love climbed to Number 21 in 2006, and Mr. Big peaked at Number 11 in 2011. Kim Yeon-woo participated in the South Korean television competition I Am a Singer shortly after Mr. Big's release and recorded a number of hit singles during his time on the show, including the Number 1 smash "If You Are Like Me" and the Number 8 hit "My Love By My Side." That same year, he scored another Top 10 hit with "Closer," which appeared on the soundtrack to the medical TV drama Brain. Another studio album, Forever Yours, was released in 2018, peaking at Number 17 and cementing Kim Yeon-woo's nickname as "God of Vocals."
