William Hung

William Hing Cheung Hung is a Hong Kong-born American motivational speaker and former singer who gained fame in early 2004 as a result of his unsuccessful audition performance of Ricky Martin's hit song "She Bangs" on the third season of the television series American Idol. At the time of his audition, Hung was a civil engineering student at UC Berkeley. After his spirited audition to be the next American Idol, he won the support of many fans, ironically, based on his perceived lack of musical talent. Hung voluntarily left university to pursue a music career. His recording career was marked by constant negative critical reaction, and his fame became the subject of much controversy as both he and his fans were accused of promoting and endorsing racial stereotypes against Asians, celebrated only for embodying these stereotypes. He brought his own career as a musician to an end when in 2011 he accepted a job opportunity as a technical crime analyst for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and decided to pursue law enforcement instead of music. Since then, Hung has reflected positively on his pop music career.