Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer and songwriter who had a extremely profitable profession in Asia, died by suicide, her siblings mentioned Wednesday. She was 48.
The star had been affected by despair for a number of years, Lee’s elder sisters Carol and Nancy Lee mentioned in an announcement posted on Fb and Instagram, together with her situation deteriorating drastically over the previous couple of months.
“Though, CoCo sought skilled assist and did her finest to combat despair, sadly that demon inside her took the higher of her,” the assertion learn.
Lee tried suicide at house over the weekend and he or she was rushed to a hospital, her sister mentioned. They mentioned she was in a coma and died on Wednesday.
Born Ferren Lee in Hong Kong, Lee later moved to the US the place she attended center and highschool in San Francisco. She turned a singer after profitable first runner up in an annual singing competitors held by broadcaster TVB in Hong Kong, and launched her first album in 1994 on the age of 19.
Although Lee initially began off as a Mandopop singer, she later branched out to launch albums in Cantonese and English over her practically 30-year profession. She was finest recognized for her highly effective voice and reside performances.
CoCo can also be recognized to have labored tirelessly to open up a brand new world for Chinese language singers within the worldwide music scene, and he or she went all out to shine for the Chinese language, her sisters mentioned of their publish. We’re happy with her!
She additionally was the primary Chinese language singer to interrupt into the American market, and her English music Do You Need My Love charted at #4 on Billboard’s Sizzling Dance Breakouts chart in December 1999.
Lee was the voice of heroine Fa Mulan within the Mandarin model of Disney’s Mulan, and in addition sang the Mandarin model of the film’s theme music Reflection.
In 2011, Lee married Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian businessman who’s the previous CEO of Hong Kong provide chain firm Li & Fung. Whereas she had two stepdaughters from her marriage with Rockowitz, Lee did not have youngsters of her personal.
In Lee’s most up-to-date Instagram publish, dated December 31, 2022, she shared a number of photos of herself, together with tattoos of the phrases love and religion in addition to an image of what seems to be a drainage bag taped to her physique.
Love & Religion my two favorite phrases that I carry strongly in my coronary heart which I desperately wanted to get by this extremely tough yr, she wrote within the caption.
Life appeared insufferable at occasions however I tailored the angle of a ‘feminine warrior’ to face them head on fearlessly,” the caption learn.
In March, she posted about having to relearn the right way to stroll after present process surgical procedure for an previous leg damage that was triggered after going overboard throughout a dance follow in October 2022.
“Profitable surgical procedure. Regardless that I am in quite a lot of ache and I’ve to re-learn the right way to stroll once more, I do know I can do it,” she wrote in a Fb publish. “Sure I can and I’ll!
Mandopop singer-songwriter Wang Leehom paid tribute to Lee in an Instagram publish, describing her as the most important star” whom everybody wished to work with.
Within the music trade, Coco Lee broke down worldwide boundaries, earlier than every other Chinese language singer did, he wrote. Let’s at all times keep in mind her, as a courageous pioneer, and an essential musical legend.
Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai posted a message on Fb that learn R.I.P., your brilliant smile will at all times be remembered.
