Coco Lee, ‘Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon’ and ‘Mulan’ singer, dies at 48
Chinese American singer-songwriter Coco Lee has died by suicide at the age of 48, according to her sisters.
Lee’s death: Lee’s sisters, Carol and Nancy, took to social media to share the devastating news of their youngest sister’s death on Wednesday.
On Sunday, Lee attempted suicide at her home in Hong Kong. She was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, where she had been in a coma until her death.
“CoCo had been suffering from depression for a few years but her condition deteriorated drastically over the last few months,” Nancy wrote in a post shared to Instagram and Facebook. “Although CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her.”
Early life: Lee, who was born in Hong Kong in 1975, moved to the U.S. at the age of 9, where she attended middle school and high school and became a pre-medical student at the University of California Irvine.
Career: She returned to Hong Kong in 1993 before beginning her music career at 18 as a Mandopop singer. Over her 30-year career, she also released albums in Cantonese and English.
Lee became the first Chinese singer to be signed by Sony Music globally and the first Chinese American to perform at the Oscars, where she sang “A Love Before Time” from Ang Lee’s 2000 film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Lee also voiced heroine Fa Mulan in the Mandarin version of Disney’s “Mulan” and sang the Mandarin version of the film’s theme song, “Reflection.”
In 2001, fashion label Chanel, then headed by creative director Karl Lagerfeld, chose Lee to be their first brand ambassador of Chinese descent for Asia.
30 years of singing: According to Lee’s sisters, this year marks the 30th anniversary of Lee’s singing career.
“She’s won countless international acclaims with top selling songs and has left audience w [sic] an astounding impression of her excellent live performances,” Nancy wrote. “CoCo is also known to have worked tirelessly to open up a new world for Chinese singers in the international music scene, and she went all out to shine for the Chinese. We are proud of her!”
Recent years: In recent years, Lee reportedly served as a judge on many singing competitions and reality shows in mainland China. She was married to Canadian businessman Bruce Rockowitz and had two stepdaughters from the marriage.
“We hope that everyone will not only miss CoCo, but also share her bright smile, treat people with sincerity, and convey kindness and love to everyone around us, and continue CoCo’s wish to let everyone around feel her love and happiness,” Nancy concluded. “Although CoCo stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!”
If you or someone you know are experiencing depression or suicidal tendencies, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or text “HOME” 741741 for the Crisis Text Line.
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