| Lay Phyu | |
| Native Name: | Burmese: လေးဖြူ |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Date: | 19 May 1965 |
| Origin: | Inle, Shan State, Myanmar |
| Genre: | Hard rock, heavy metal, soft rock |
| Occupation: | Singer, music producer |
| Instrument: | Guitar, drums, Bass |
| Years Active: | 1992–present |
| Label: | Iron Cross Entertainment |
| Associated Acts: | Iron Cross |
Lay Phyu (my|လေးဖြူ, in Burmese pronounced as /lé bjù/; born 19 May 1965) is a Burmese rock star and guitarist. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Iron Cross. Lay Phyu is considered one of the most commercially successful male singers in the history of Burmese rock music.[1]
Lay Phyu was born on 19 May 1965 in Inlay Lake, Shan State, Myanmar along with his younger brother Ah Nge. He attended and graduated from Mandalay University, majoring in English.
While he studying in Mandalay, he met Y Wine, one of the aspiring singers from the Iron Cross Music band (a rock band in Myanmar). He eventually joined the "Iron Cross" band, which was founded by Saw Bwe Hmu, a guitarist and songwriter. Later, Chit San Maung became the lead guitarist after Bwe Hmu passed away. Later Ah Nge, Myo Gyi and Y Wine joined the new band.
Since his early career days, Lay Phyu became successful in his first album Gandarya Lamin (Desert Moon) and helped define the genre of Burmese rock music. Much of his music was inspired by bands such as Nazareth, Metallica, Van Halen, Scorpion, Dream Theatre, and Bon Jovi. Lay Phyu first started his path to fame when he covered English songs in Burmese. Later on, as he gained confidence and popularity in his music career, he began to compose a few of his own music. Even with the copy songs written together with his Iron Cross associates, Lay Phyu gave a fresh boost to Myanmar's Music Industry. His solo release Khana Lay Miaa has been noted for its "raw emotional power".[2]
Lay Phyu shot a new music video in Ocean City, MD for his new upcoming album. The video was shot in late 2012 by Burmese director Danyar. The title for the track is called Burmese: Kyo Hnint Dawt. Another music video, Yote Thein Pay, also featured footage of recording sessions and 2012 USA Tour.
In 2008, when Cyclone Nargis struck the South Western regions of Myanmar, Iron Cross as well as many other famous artists formed a collaboration of songs as to raise funds to help victims rebuild their livelihoods. An organization from California sponsored the charity and published a song called "Hands with love" .The collaboration then proceeded to perform "Hands with love" by written by Raggie, raising awareness to Myanmar locals of the damage that natural disasters can cause to people's social, economic and environmental factors.The same anonymous sponsor published and performed a song "a yay ma kyi bue" (Not the end of the world) in the same year, dedicated towards his twin daughters he had lost.
In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, Lay Phyu participated in the early anti-junta movements. However, in 2024, he began performing in bars and restaurants linked to the military. As a result, fans and nationals warned him that they would boycott if he continued to perform in military-linked establishments.[3]
Despite this, he made a ridiculous joke during a performance at a VIP restaurant in Nay Pyi Taw, saying he didn't understand what 'BC' (boycott) means and even what A to Z are. This sparked anger among netizens, leading to severe criticism on social media on July 5.[4]
Songwriter Sayar Moe Thway, who wrote the song Yay Myaw Kann Tin sung by Lay Phyu, forbade Lay Phyu from singing it anymore to make him understand what 'BC' (boycott) means.[4]
General Tar Bone Kyaw expressed, "He (Lay Phyu) is not really worth missing. It is miserably disappointing considering my childhood, during which I sang his songs with the deepest emotion."[4]