Pham Duy | Vietnam songwriter, 91

Pham Duy, 91, Vietnam's most prolific songwriter, who captured the strength of his people through years of turbulence, and composed dozens of tunes after settling in California, died Jan. 27, from heart ailments after two operations, in Ho Chi Minh City, said his daughter Thai Hanh.

Known as the "musician of 1,000 songs," Mr. Pham was revered by generations of Vietnamese, who memorized his melodies and taught them to their children and grandchildren.

He led a musical dynasty that included his wife, diva Thai Hang, and eight children, who performed around the world as part of the band the Dreamers. Family members lived together in a compound in Midway City, minutes from Little Saigon in Westminster, Calif. Mr. Pham's eldest son, singer Duy Quang, who, like his father, was popular in Vietnam and the United States, died last month of cancer. - L.A. Times