Singing Star of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Mulan,” Coco Lee Passes Away at Age 48!

Ms. Lee was a pop movie star in Asia by the point she was in her early 20s, and he or she gained worldwide fame in 2001 when one among her songs was nominated for an Academy Award.

Coco Lee, a Chinese language American singer and composer who most was identified for delivering a tune that was nominated for an Academy Award within the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” handed away on Wednesday at a hospital in Hong Kong. Her age was 48.

In keeping with an announcement launched by her sisters, Carol and Nancy Lee, the loss of life was the results of a suicide try. In keeping with them, Ms. Lee was rushed to the hospital on Sunday after she allegedly tried suicide at her residence.

On Wednesday, Lee handed away in Hong Kong on the age of 48 years. Her sisters, who revealed the information on social media, mentioned that she had been affected by melancholy for just a few years and tried to take her personal life on Sunday. Her despair had been a consider her choice to take her personal life.

“Coco was already scuffling with despair for a number of years, however her situation had considerably deteriorated over the previous couple of months,” her sisters mentioned in a letter. “Coco’s situation had worsened considerably during the last couple of months.” “Although Coco sought skilled help and did all the pieces in her energy to beat her despair, the demon that resided inside her finally triumphed.”

Ms. Lee had a fruitful profession as a pop artist in Asia, however she is greatest identified to audiences in the US for her efficiency of the tune “A Love Earlier than Time” within the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was launched in 2000. She gave a efficiency of the tune in entrance of a dwell tv viewers of many on the ceremony for the Academy Awards in March 2001. The tune was up for an Oscar within the class of “greatest new unique tune,” and he or she was nominated for the award.

On a Monday in March of 2001, hundreds of thousands of individuals in Asia sat in entrance of their televisions to see Coco Lee carry out “A Love Earlier than Time” on the 73rd Annual Academy Awards. The tune is the stirring theme from the critically acclaimed movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

Lee turned the primary Chinese language-American to carry out on the Oscars whereas sporting a crimson qipao, a conventional Chinese language garment, and golden chandelier earrings. She additionally turned the primary Chinese language-American to carry out with a troupe of kungfu dancers. In the identical yr, the tune was shortlisted for the award for Unique Tune of the 12 months.

The then 26-year-old girl expressed her need, on the time, to bodily depart an Asian imprint on the stage of worldwide competitors. Lee had beforehand been quoted as saying one thing to the impact of “she might sing for 30 years and by no means get the possibility to carry out like this,” in reference to the groundbreaking efficiency.

However the truth that she got here in second place within the TVB competitors led to the manufacturing of her first album, which was launched in 1994 by a report firm from Taiwan. “My objective within the singing occupation is to not keep in a single place,” she mentioned to a author for The Morning Publish of South China in 1997, indicating that she desired to work in each Asia and the US of America.

Ms. Lee launched “Simply No Different Approach,” her debut album completely within the English language in 1999. The album contains pop and R&B tracks. The film “Runaway Bride,” starring Julia Roberts, included the tune “Earlier than I Fall in Love” as a part of its unique movement image soundtrack.

Lee was one of many first Asian singers to rocket to recognition on each side of the Pacific Ocean, lengthy earlier than illustration within the leisure trade turned a subject of dialog within the trade.

Ferren Lee was born on January 17, 1975, in Hong Kong. She relocated to the US along with her household when she was a sophomore in highschool. After finishing her secondary schooling at a public highschool within the state of California, she first settled in Hong Kong earlier than relocating to Taiwan to pursue a profession in singing. She launched her first two albums in 1994, which catapulted her into the Mandopop market virtually instantly.

Inside a brief time frame, she recorded albums sung in English and made her method into charts in the US. She sang the theme tune, “Reflection,” for the Mandarin model of Disney’s smash blockbuster film Mulan, for which she was additionally engaged to do the voice performing for the principle character.

Her well-liked tune “Earlier than I Fall in Love” was used on the soundtrack of the film “Runaway Bride,” which starred Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Her tune “Do You Need My Love” climbed to the quantity 4 place on the US Billboard within the yr 2000.

Chinese language millennials who have been raised on her Mandarin and English songs have a selected place of their hearts. As economies in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore grew, so did the recognition of Mandopop. Often known as Li Wen within the Chinese language-speaking world, her confident persona, sultry dancing routines, and brilliantly coloured hair set her other than the ocean of demure feminine singers crooning ballads.

After showing in a business in mainland China, one among her songs, Di Da Di, a Chinese language rendition of a Danish pop tune, turned a right away smash and a karaoke mainstay.

Regardless of her public persona, Lee maintained sturdy bonds along with her household.

Lee’s mom was her supervisor and bookkeeper, whereas her sister Nancy was her clothes advisor, public relations officer, and cosmetics artist — even on Oscar night time. Nancy actually proposed the identify, Coco.

Lee’s early ambitions included turning into a doctor like her mom. She attended school for some time aspiring to double main in pre-med and music earlier than dropping out to focus on music full-time.

On Wednesday, Lee’s older sisters Carol and Nancy shared a touching Instagram message about how their youthful sibling “labored diligently to open up a completely novel world for Chinese language artists within the worldwide music scene.”

“She put up her greatest effort to make an impression on the Chinese language. They mentioned of their letter, “We’re pleased with her.”