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Metropolis Desk-
CoCo Lee, a popular singer, and actress who was born in Hong Kong and had a long career that spanned decades, passed away on Wednesday, her sisters said on social media.
Her sisters Carol and Nancy claimed she had been depressed for “a few years” and had tried suicide on Sunday. She was admitted to the hospital but passed away on Wednesday after failing to come out of a coma. She had been born in 1948.
The sisters noted that this year is the 30th anniversary of Lee’s singing career, over the course of which she “won countless international acclaims with top selling songs and has left audience w an astounding impression of her excellent live performances.”
“CoCo is also renowned for her relentless efforts to provide Chinese singers a new opportunity in the worldwide music scene, and she went above and beyond to make a name for the Chinese. We are happy for her!” they proclaimed.
While the family is in mourning, the post requested privacy and added, “Although CoCo stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!”
Lee was reared in the US after being born in Hong Kong. She launched her music career after graduating from high school when she made a trip back to Hong Kong and took first place in a singing competition. Throughout the 1990s, she enjoyed popularity in Asia, selling millions of albums and releasing music in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.
She became well-known in the US thanks to her R&B music with hip-hop influences, and in the 1998 Mandarin release of “Mulan,” she was chosen to play Disney heroine Fa Mulan.
But it was the box office success of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” in 2000 that made her a household name. The martial arts action film in which Lee performed the love song “A Love Before Time” went on to win numerous honors in the US and introduced stars such as actress Michelle Yeoh to American viewers.
Famously, Lee gave “A Love Before Time” performance at the 2001 Oscars, which was broadcast live to millions of viewers.
She has recently made appearances on Chinese singing competition TV shows like “Infinity and Beyond” and “Singer.”
Lee’s last Instagram post, dated December 31, 2022, acknowledged it had been an “incredibly difficult year,” but begged her fans to stay positive and spread love. She added, “You are not alone, no matter how difficult life becomes, I’m with (you).”
Online shock and anguish were prompted by the news of her passing, and her final Instagram post received a deluge of condolence comments, including those from other Hong Kong artists. Weibo, a Chinese social media site, also made the topic trend there, garnering roughly 1.4 billion views.
With many citing Lee’s upbeat, effervescent public persona and imploring people to help each other with love and understanding, it sparked a conversation about mental health and depression. Others complimented Lee for breaking barriers as an Asian American and serving as a role model for young Chinese women around the world.
One Weibo user recalled thinking as a young child, “Oh, so Chinese women can be like this – powerful, bright, bold,” when they first saw her on stage.
Source- CNN Entertainment
