Coco Lee, a Chinese singer who provided the vocals for Disney’s Mulan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, passed away on Wednesday in Hong Kong. She was 48 years old.
Carol and Nancy, Lee’s sisters, verified that suicide was the cause of death. Lee reportedly made an attempt on her life on Sunday, July 2, at home, and passed away on Thursday, July 5, in the hospital.
Coco had been depressed for a while, but during the past several months, her condition significantly worsened, according to what her sisters wrote. Despite Coco’s efforts to combat her sadness and professional assistance, the devil inside of her ultimately won.
Ferren “Coco” Lee was born in Hong Kong on January 17, 1975. When Coco was eight years old, Lee’s mother moved her and her sisters to San Francisco; nevertheless, in the early 1990s, Lee returned to her native country due to the success of her pop star career. Throughout her career, the singer-songwriter put out 18 studio albums, which helped her go to the top of the charts in Asia.
Lee’s sisters commented, “In the last 29 years, she has received innumerable accolades from over the world for her best-selling songs and her outstanding live performances.
“CoCo is also renowned for her relentless efforts to provide Chinese artists a fresh opportunity in the worldwide music scene, and she went above and beyond to make a name for the Chinese. We are pleased with her.
Disney hired Lee to portray Mulan in the Mandarin version of the film in 1998, and she also cut the theme song, “Reflection.” When Mulan’s English voice actress Ming-Na Wen learned of her demise, she said on Twitter, “What a devastating loss for our #Mulan family. She had amazing skill. both lovely and vibrant. Adieu, Coco.
Lee is probably most known for singing “A Love Before Time,” which appears in Ang Lee’s masterwork of martial arts, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Ten Oscar nominations were given to the movie in 2001, including Best Original Song for “A Love Before Time” writers James Schamus and Jorge Calandrelli. During the 73rd Academy Awards, Lee gave a live on-stage performance of the song. Four Oscars, including Best Foreign Language Film, were later won by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Lee leaves behind her husband Bruce Rockowitz and two stepdaughters in addition to her sisters.