James Wong Jim (; 18 March 1941 – 24 November 2004, also known as "霑叔" or "Uncle Jim") was a Cantopop lyricist and songwriter based primarily in Hong Kong. Beginning from the 1960s, he was the lyricist for over 2,000 songs, collaborating with songwriter Joseph Koo ( Koo Kar-Fai) on many popular television theme songs, many of which have become classics of the genre. His work propelled Cantopop to unprecedented popularity. He was also well known in Asia as a columnist, actor, film director, screenwriter, and talk show host. He took part in creative directing positions within the entertainment industry in Hong Kong. Wong died on 24 November 2004 of lung cancer after a four-year battle at the age of 63. Early life and education Wong was born Wong Jum-sum () in Panyu, in what now is part of Guangzhou, China. He migrated to Hong Kong with his family in 1949. He completed his secondary education at La Salle College. In 1963, he graduated from the Chinese Department, Faculty of Arts of the University of Hong Kong. Wong received an MPhil degree from the University of Hong Kong in 1983 for his study in Cantonese opera. In May 2003, in the midst of his fight with lung cancer, he obtained a PhD degree from the Department of Sociology, University of Hong Kong. The title of his thesis was "The Rise and Decline of Cantopop : A Study of Hong Kong Popular Music (1949–1997)". Career and contributions Wong participated in a variety of media fields including advertising, movies and music. Nicknamed a "genius" () for his prodigious abilities, he was best known for his achievements as a lyricist of Cantonese songs in Hong Kong. Beginning from the 1960s, he was the lyricist for over 2,000 songs, collaborating with composer Joseph Koo (a.k.a. Gu Gaa-fai) on many popular TVB TV drama theme songs, many of which have become classics of the genre. His works pushed the development of Cantopop to unprecedented popularity. While well known and praised for his creative works in the entertainment and advertisement fields, Wong was also famous for his vulgar and indelicate jokes. He had a series of best-selling joke books. He was regarded as responsible for breaking the barrier to many cultural taboos in Hong Kong during the conservative environment in the 1970s. He is best remembered as the person who came up with the slogan "Two