Hong Kong-born singer Coco Lee dies after suicide attempt
SINGAPORE — Singer and composer Coco Lee, who was born in Hong Kong and had a very successful career in Asia, committed suicide, her siblings announced on Wednesday. She was 48 years old.
The actress had been dealing with depression for a number of years, according to Lee’s older sisters Carol and Nancy Lee, whose statement was shared on Facebook and Instagram. However, during the past few months, her condition has severely worsened.
The statement said that despite CoCo’s efforts to combat her melancholy and professional assistance, “that demon inside of her took the better of her.”
According to her sister, Lee attempted suicide at home over the weekend and was taken to the hospital right afterwards. She allegedly passed away on Wednesday while she was in a coma.
Ferren Lee, who was born in Hong Kong, eventually emigrated to the United States and went to middle and high school in San Francisco. At the age of 19, she launched her debut album after placing first runner-up in the annual singing competition held by Hong Kong broadcaster TVB.
Although Lee began her career as a Mandopop singer, during the course of her nearly 30-year career, she diversified and released albums in Cantonese and English. She was best recognised for her live performances and strong voice.
“CoCo is also renowned for her hard efforts to expand opportunities for Chinese singers on the global music industry, and she went above and beyond to succeed for the Chinese, according to her sisters’ statement. “We are happy with her!”
She was also the first Chinese singer to gain popularity in the United States; in December 1999, her English single “Do You Want My Love” peaked at #4 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Breakouts chart.
In the Mandarin adaptation of Disney’s “Mulan,” Lee provided the voice of the title character Fa Mulan and sang the Mandarin version of the film’s theme song, “Reflection.”
In 2011, Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian entrepreneur and ex-CEO of the Hong Kong supply chain firm Li & Fung, wed Lee. Although she shared a marriage with Rockowitz and had two stepdaughters, Lee was childless.
The word “love” and “faith” are tattooed on Lee’s torso, and in her most recent Instagram post on December 31, 2022, she also included a photo of what looks to be a drainage bag strapped to her body.
“Love & Faith—my two favourite words that I carry strongly in my heart and which I desperately needed to get through this incredibly difficult year,” she said in the post.
The caption said, “Life looked awful at times, but I adopted the mindset of a “female warrior” to face them bravely.
She wrote on social media in March that she had to relearn how to walk after having surgery for an old leg injury brought on by falling overboard during a dancing practise in October 2022.
“Successful operation. I know I can do it, she wrote in a Facebook post, “even though I’m in a lot of pain and I have to relearn how to walk. “Yes, I can and will!”
In an Instagram post honouring Lee, Mandopop singer-songwriter Wang Leehom called her the “biggest star” who everyone wanted to collaborate with.
Before any other Chinese musician did, “Coco Lee broke down international barriers in the music industry,” he said. Let’s never forget her for being a courageous pioneer and a significant musical great.