Singer Tei Reveals Three-Year Hiatus After Manager's Death: 'He Was My Everything'

South Korean singer Tei has opened up about the profound impact of his manager's death, revealing it led to a three-year hiatus at the peak of his career. The singer, who appeared on the MBC variety show "Songs That Endured Today - Playlist 109," shared that the loss of his manager, whom he viewed as a brother, left him unable to continue working.

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That brother was my everything.

Tei explained that while there wasn't a specific major incident, his activities abruptly stopped after his fourth album. He described his manager as his "everything" in Seoul, especially since he had no family or friends in the city when he debuted. They lived together, and Tei recalled sharing moments of triumph and even contributing financially to his manager's wedding.

The singer recounted a final, difficult phone call with his manager a week before his death. His manager had admonished him for not working harder, a conversation Tei ended in tears. This was their last exchange, and Tei later learned of his manager's passing after not hearing from him for four days.

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When things went well, we hugged and cried, and when he got married, I contributed money I earned.

This loss plunged Tei into a period of emotional avoidance for about three years, during which he felt he couldn't cry. He admitted to feeling anger towards his manager for leaving without giving him a chance to help resolve whatever issues he was facing, alongside an overwhelming sense of missing him.

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Why aren't you working harder? I told him I was having a hard time, and I cried throughout the call. That was the last conversation.

Ultimately, Tei found solace and strength through his music and friendships. He specifically mentioned how a friend, Na Yoon-kwon, would play upbeat music, helping Tei to forget his troubles and dance. Witnessing his own uninhibited joy in music made him realize his lifelong commitment to it, enabling him to eventually return to the stage.

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I avoided my emotions for about three years, from age 27 to 30. I didn't shed a tear for three years, not even knowing it was a mental illness.