Pop diva Coco Lee, who had been battling depression, dies at age 48
Hong Kong-born American singer Coco Lee died at the age of 48 on Wednesday, her family announced.
In a social media post, her sisters Nancy and Carol said that the popular singer — who had been battling with depression — attempted suicide on Sunday.
“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 the 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.
Born Ferren Lee, the star had first burst onto the Mandopop scene when she was 19 in 1994 with her debut album in Taiwan, charming fans with her powerful vocals, slick dance moves and a bubbly image. Her wide vocal range, reportedly spanning three octaves, earned her the reputation as the “Mariah Carey of Asia”.
She was crowned the winner of the fourth season of Chinese reality show, I Am A Singer, in 2016. She is also well-known for performing the theme songs of Disney animated film Mulan and Lee Ang’s Wuxia film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Lee’s sisters said she had “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 hope that everyone will not only miss Coco, but also share her bright smile, treat everyone with sincerity, kindness and love, and continue her wish to let everyone around feel her love and happiness,” they said.
Singer-songwriter Wang Leehom paid tribute to Lee in a statement, calling her a “brave pioneer” who “broke down international barriers before any other Chinese singers did”.
“I remember her singing at the Oscars,” he said, referring to her performance at the 2001 Academy Awards.
“Sony New York signed her to be the first Chinese artiste to break into the United States market. Mariah Carey’s agent signed her. Everybody wanted to work with Coco, and for good reason. She was the best,” added Wang.
Lee had previously said on her Instagram account that her goal in 2023 was to share her life story and how she kept a positive attitude despite facing major obstacles.
In her New Year’s Eve post in 2022, she wrote: “Love and faith – my two favourite words that I carry strongly in my heart which I desperately needed to get through this incredibly difficult year.”
The post was accompanied by nine photos, including a tattoo of the word “love” on her left wrist and a photo of herself with what appeared to be a drainage bag on her body.
“Life seemed unbearable at times, but I adapted the attitude of a ‘female warrior’ to face them head on fearlessly,” she wrote.
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