Wichayanee Pearklin (Thai: วิชญาณี เปียกลิ่น), also known as Gam Wichayanee, Gam The Star, or simply Gam (born September 21, 1989), is a Thai singer, actress, and television host. Gam is the "Most Admired Female Singer in Modern Thai Music", according to Suan Dusit Poll in 2018, surveying Thai people around Thailand.[1][2][3][4] She is also regarded by the Thai media as the "Female Artist with Outstanding Powerful Voice" or the "Powerful Diva"[5][6] and has been awarded various accolades, including the National Outstanding Youth Award[7] and Most Popular Female Artist Award.[8] Gam was firstly known to the Thai public as the first female winner who won popular votes from Thai people in "The Star" Season 4 (2008), the first singing talent reality show in Thailand.[9][10] She is widely known as a singer who voices a Thai version of Queen Elsa in a Disney's animation film Frozen and sings "Let It Go." Also, in Frozen II ("Into the Unknown").[11][12]
Gam is recognized for her power, singing technique, and emotional performance.[13][14][15] She is able to sing in many genres, from pop, R&B, jazz to Thai country, and in many languages, including Thai, English, and Korean.[16][17][18]
Early life
Gam was born in 1989 in Phatthalung, Thailand then moved to Phuket in 1995 to live with her younger sister Jinnapak Pearklin and her mother Yada Pearklin, who worked as a nurse.[19] Gam was able to sing when she was three years old.[19] During the first year at her primary school, she won a singing competition for the first time, and when she was in her third year, she was selected to be a lead singer of the school's music band and practiced singing difficult Thai country songs to improve her singing skills.[20] Her mother brought Gam to participate in numerous contests in various events, where Gam usually won the first prizes.[19]
Gam furthered her high school education at Satree Phuket School and joined “The Star” Season 4 in 2008.[21] She won the talent show and signed a contract with the label Exact, under GMM Grammy, the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand.[22] Then she began her singing career in Thai modern music. After winning The Star, she passed a direct examination to further her bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Music, Silpakorn University and graduated in 2013.[23] Gam presently lives with her sister in Bangkok while her mother is still working in Phuket.
Entertainment career
Gam released her first single "Kwam Pook Pan Sue Kwam Rak Mai Dai (Relationship Can't Buy Love)" in May 2008 and her first album GAM in October 2008.[24] She first sang an original soundtrack named "Sang Lae Ngao (Light and Shadow)" for a TV drama and received a Diamond Song Award from the Ministry of Culture. In 2009, she debuted her musical play as a supporting actress in Jukebox Musical. Gam was cast by Disney to voice Tiana in the Thai version of the animation The Princess and the Frog.
In 2015, Gam was a television host for the first time for a variety show See Podum (Four Spades)[citation needed],and has been a judge and commentator in many singing talent TV programs.[citation needed][26] She was also a contestant in the Mask Singer (Thailand) Season 3 in 2017.[citation needed]
