Renowned Hong Kong lyricist Peter Lai, who spearheaded the city’s golden era of Cantonese pop music, has died aged 76, his family and friends said Thursday. Nicknamed “The Lyrical Maverick”, he wrote the words to hits including “Monica” in 1984, performed by superstar Leslie Cheung, one of the most widely recognised Hong Kong pop classics. “Thank you for crafting countless remarkable works for the Hong Kong cantopop scene,” Hui wrote in a tribute note. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our teamMake a one-off donation. One-time Donation amount HK$ Make a donation to our newsroom of any sum (one-off donations do not unlock membership benefits.)