Kim Jong Hyun was a South Korean singer, dancer and member of SHINEE (샤이니, stylized as SHINee) and S.M. THE BALLAD (에스엠 더 발라드). He attended Seoul Practical Music High School, but his degree was not recognized by the Ministry of Education, and he later passed the High School Graduation Certification Examination. He then obtained a bachelor's degree in Practical Music from Cheongwoon University and a master's degree in Film and Musical Studies from Myongji University. He was attending the doctoral program at the same university, but he passed away before he could complete it.

Before debuting, he was part of a high school band called ZION, and he was scouted by SM Entertainment after performing at a music festival.

He made his debut in May 2008 as the group's main vocalist with their first EP, "Replay". They immediately gained attention for starting a fashion trend amongst students, which the media dubbed the "Shinee Trend". In 2008, they won the Newcomer Album of the Year Award at the 23rd Golden Disc Awards for "The Shinee World".

In late 2010, he joined the project group S.M. THE BALLAD, consisting of various artists under SM Entertainment. They debuted in November of that year with their first mini-album, "S.M. The Ballad Vol.1 – Miss You". The group reunited in 2014 with different artists, but he was the only member from the original lineup who remained.

In June 2011, SM Entertainment (SM엔터테인먼트) decided to expand to Japan and, alongside EMI Records, they debuted with a Japanese version of "Replay" and continued to earn prizes and fans both domestically and internationally. The group has also been included in the Forbes South Korea Power Celebrity 40 twice, in 2014 and in 2016.

He made his debut as a solo artist in January 2015 with the mini-album "Base".

Sadly, on December 18, 2017, he was found unconscious inside his apartment in Gangnam. He was brought to Konkuk University Hospital but was declared dead later that day at the age of 27. The police ruled it a suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

His second studio album, "Poet | Artist", was released posthumously on January 23, 2018. All the proceeds went to the "Shinin Foundation", an organization created by his mother looking to help young struggling artists. The foundation organizes a yearly festival (every December) to remember him.

(Source: MyDramaList) Edit Biography