Popular singer-songwriter Coco Lee is no more. Confirming the 48-year-old artist’s demise in a statement, Lee’s family mentioned that she was battling depression for a few years, however, her condition worsened in the past few months. They also hailed Coco’s illustrious career, stating how proud they were of her countless international accolades as well as her tireless efforts to cement a place for Chinese singers in the global music scene. “Although CoCo stays in the world for not long a time, her rays of light will last forever!” the statement concluded.
Heartfelt tributes are pouring in for Lee, who profoundly influenced the Asian and global music scene in her almost three-decade-long career. After cementing her star status in the Mandarin and Cantopop industries, Lee made waves in the international entertainment scene with her English singles like Do You Want My Love, Reflection, Before I Fall In Love and more. Coco was a brave pioneer, who’ll always be remembered for breaking barriers for Asian talent to flourish globally.
As we honour the musical legend, let’s take a look at her most notable achievements and milestones to date. Keep reading!
Coco Lee passes away: A look at the singer’s illustrious career
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Lee’s 29-year-long career spanned more than 15 albums, which have sold almost 10 million copies to date. From being the first Chinese American to perform at the Academy Awards to becoming the first artist of her nationality to represent Chanel, Coco has many incredible feats to her name. Take a look.
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Early career
Coco commenced her musical career after participating in a singing contest organised by Hong Kong’s TVB. Her debut albums, Love from Now On and Promise Me came out in 1994, following which she signed a contract with Sony Music Entertainment for a subsequent project that catapulted her into stardom. The artist’s 1996 album Coco Lee became Asia’s best-selling album of the year, and her success only grew manifold from there.
In 1998, she voiced Fa Mulan in the Mandarin edition of Disney’s Mulan, in addition to singing the movie’s popular theme song, Reflection. Some of her other Mandarin albums like Di Da Di and Sincere also tasted massive success.
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International collaborations and Oscar performance
The artist has collaborated with some of the biggest international music labels, contributing music to iconic Hollywood films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Runaway Bride and more. Another major turning point in Coco’s career was her stint at the 2001 Oscars ceremony. She ruled the global stage with her performance of A Love Before Time, a true Coco classic.
- Chanel’s first Chinese ambassador
In 2001, Lee became Chanel’s first Chinese ambassador for the brand’s Asia region. She was also one of Omega’s celebrity ambassadors, representing the brand from 2004 to 2006.
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Championing social causes
Despite her hectic schedule, Lee was always at the forefront of charitable causes. She served as the youth ambassador of UNICEF, in addition to being associated with Organization for World Peace in China. The artist also contributed massively to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Lastly, Coco was also the Youth AIDS ambassador, who attended various international conferences and educated the masses about the condition.
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Coco will always be remembered for her powerful persona and impeccable talent!
(Hero and feature image credit: cocolee/ Instagram)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong
