Ms. Lee was a pop celebrity in Asia by the time she was in her early 20s, and she gained worldwide fame in 2001 when one of her songs was nominated for an Academy Award.
Coco Lee, a Chinese American singer and composer who most was known for delivering a song that was nominated for an Academy Award in the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” passed away on Wednesday at a hospital in Hong Kong. Her age was 48.
According to a statement released by her sisters, Carol and Nancy Lee, the death was the result of a suicide attempt. According to them, Ms. Lee was rushed to the hospital on Sunday after she allegedly attempted suicide at her residence.
On Wednesday, Lee passed away in Hong Kong at the age of 48 years. Her sisters, who revealed the news on social media, said that she had been suffering from melancholy for a few years and attempted to take her own life on Sunday. Her despair had been a factor in her decision to take her own life.
“Coco was already struggling with depression for several years, but her condition had significantly deteriorated over the last few months,” her sisters said in a letter. “Coco’s condition had worsened significantly over the last couple of months.” “Despite the fact that Coco sought professional assistance and did everything in her power to overcome her depression, the demon that resided within her ultimately triumphed.”
Ms. Lee had a fruitful career as a pop artist in Asia, but she is best known to audiences in the United States for her performance of the song “A Love Before Time” in the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which was released in 2000. She gave a performance of the song in front of a live television audience of many at the ceremony for the Academy Awards in March 2001. The song was up for an Oscar in the category of “best new original song,” and she was nominated for the award.
On a Monday in March of 2001, millions of people in Asia sat in front of their televisions to see Coco Lee perform “A Love Before Time” at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards. The song is the stirring theme from the critically acclaimed film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
Lee became the first Chinese-American to perform at the Oscars while wearing a crimson qipao, a traditional Chinese garment, and golden chandelier earrings. She also became the first Chinese-American to perform with a troupe of kungfu dancers. In the same year, the song was shortlisted for the award for Original Song of the Year.
The then 26-year-old woman expressed her desire, at the time, to physically leave an Asian imprint on the stage of international competition. Lee had previously been quoted as saying something to the effect of “she could sing for 30 years and never get the chance to perform like this,” in reference to the groundbreaking performance.
But the fact that she came in second place in the TVB competition led to the production of her first album, which was released in 1994 by a record company from Taiwan. “My goal in the singing profession is not to stay in one place,” she said to a writer for The Morning Post of South China in 1997, indicating that she desired to work in both Asia and the United States of America.
Ms. Lee released “Just No Other Way,” her debut album entirely in the English language in 1999. The album includes pop and R&B tracks. The movie “Runaway Bride,” starring Julia Roberts, included the song “Before I Fall in Love” as part of its original motion picture soundtrack.
Lee was one of the first Asian singers to rocket to popularity on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, long before representation in the entertainment industry became a topic of conversation in the industry.
Ferren Lee was born on January 17, 1975, in Hong Kong. She relocated to the United States with her family when she was a sophomore in high school. After completing her secondary education at a public high school in the state of California, she first settled in Hong Kong before relocating to Taiwan to pursue a career in singing. She released her first two albums in 1994, which catapulted her into the Mandopop market almost immediately.
Within a short period of time, she recorded albums sung in English and made her way into charts in the United States. She sang the theme song, “Reflection,” for the Mandarin version of Disney’s smash blockbuster movie Mulan, for which she was also engaged to do the voice acting for the main character.
Her popular song “Before I Fall in Love” was used on the soundtrack of the movie “Runaway Bride,” which starred Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Her song “Do You Want My Love” climbed to the number four place on the US Billboard in the year 2000.
Chinese millennials who were raised on her Mandarin and English songs have a particular place in their hearts. As economies in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore grew, so did the popularity of Mandopop. Known as Li Wen in the Chinese-speaking world, her self-assured persona, sultry dancing routines, and brilliantly colored hair set her apart from the sea of demure female singers crooning ballads.
After appearing in a commercial in mainland China, one of her songs, Di Da Di, a Chinese rendition of a Danish pop song, became an immediate smash and a karaoke mainstay.
Despite her public persona, Lee maintained strong bonds with her family.
Lee’s mother was her manager and bookkeeper, while her sister Nancy was her clothing consultant, public relations officer, and cosmetics artist — even on Oscar night. Nancy really proposed the name, Coco.
Lee’s early ambitions included becoming a physician like her mother. She attended college for a while intending to double major in pre-med and music before dropping out to concentrate on music full-time.
On Wednesday, Lee’s older sisters Carol and Nancy shared a touching Instagram message about how their younger sibling “worked diligently to open up an entirely novel world for Chinese artists in the worldwide music scene.”
“She put up her best effort to make an impression on the Chinese. They said in their letter, “We are proud of her.”
