Rich, a singer from the group Eagle Five, recalled his past struggles with passion pay.
Recently, Rich appeared on the YouTube channel 'NamooMiki Investigation Agency' to share his current situation.
He introduced himself by saying, "My Korean name is Lee Dae-yong and my American name is Danny. Rich is my stage name for solo album activities. I am now a Korean citizen. I have naturalized."
Rich debuted as the youngest member of the boy group Eagle Five at the age of 13 in 1998, setting the record for the youngest in the music industry at that time. He explained his debut process, saying, "I didn't originally plan to be a singer; I came to Korea for a short visit, and Ron, one of the members, was already in the team and got me to audition."
After his solo debut, he recalled the song 'I Love You, Nothing Else,' which received great love, saying, "When I listened to the demo tape, I felt that if this doesn't work, something is wrong with our country."
Indeed, 'I Love You, Nothing Else' topped various music broadcasts and recorded high album sales, propelling Rich to stardom.
However, Rich lamented that he had very little income compared to the song's success. He stated, "At that time, contracts between entertainment companies and artists were not clean," adding, "As far as I know, the company made 3 billion won with 'Rich.' I think I received just under 100 million won."
He emphasized that it was a time when passion pay (exploiting labor by providing no or very little salary) was rampant.
Afterward, Rich filed a settlement-related lawsuit against the company, which marked the beginning of a decline in his activities. Eventually, his entertainment activities quieted down, and he is now known to be involved in local events.
Meanwhile, Rich began his solo activities in 2001 after the disbandment of Eagle Five. He shed the image of a typical idol dance singer and gained great love for his R&B genre music. In 2018, he married a non-celebrity girlfriend and has one son.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
