Coco Lee, a singer and songwriter from Hong Kong, has died at the age of 48. She had a career of some 30 years, and one of the roles she played was Mulan in the Mandarin-language version of Disney’s “Mulan.”
Lee’s sisters, Carol and Nancy Lee, said that Coco had tried to kill herself at home on Sunday in a post on Facebook and Instagram. Since then, she had been in a coma, and she died on Wednesday at the Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong.
“With great sadness, we are here (to) break the most devastating news: Coco had been suffering from depression for a few years but her condition deteriorated drastically over the last few months.
“Although Coco sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her,” her sisters said.
They added that Lee was taken to hospital after she attempted suicide at home on Sunday.
“Despite the best efforts of the hospital team to rescue and treat her from her coma, she finally passed away on Wednesday,” they said.
Lee, who was educated in both Hong Kong and the U.S., enjoyed success in the 1990s in Hong Kong in the Mandopop (Mandarin-language pop) scene before expanding into Cantonese and English.
“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,” the sisters said.
Lee performed “A Love Before Time” from Ang Lee’s film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” at the Oscars in 2001, when the song was nominated for best original song.
The Chinese version of the same song earned her the award for best original film song at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2001.
She made 18 studio albums, two live records, and five collections of songs from different artists. She was in three films: “No Tobacco” by Stanley Kwan, “Master of Everything” by Lee Xin, and “Forever Young” from 2015. She was on mainland Chinese TV more often, especially as a judge or assistant on talent shows like 2013’s “Chinese Idol” and 2015’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
Lee was a great stage performer, and he was always in the news. In 2011, she got married to Bruce Rockowitz, a rich Canadian businessman. Their wedding was one of the best things that happened that year. Rockowitz used to be the CEO of a Hong Kong company called Li & Fung. “While she had two stepdaughters from her marriage with Rockowitz, Lee didn’t have children of her own,” Radio Television Hong Kong explained.
Rest in Peace Coco Lee
Those contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935/ 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999/ 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim’s family, social and community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); or Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929/ email sam@befrienders.org.my/ befrienders centres in malaysia).
