Renowned Hong Kong-born American singer-songwriter and actress, Coco Lee died on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, after a suicide attempt, her sisters Carol and Nancy made the revelation on Instagram. She had a flourishing decades-long career that included 18 studio albums, 2 live albums, and 5 compilation albums.
Lee left behind her husband, Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian businessman, whom she married in 2011, and 2 step-daughters. She is remembered for A Love Before Time, a romantic ballad that she sang in the 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and for putting Asia on the global map of music, film, and entertainment.
She was 48.
3 Days After Attempting Suicide, Coco Lee Passes Away
The cause of Coco Lee’s death was a result of a suicide she attempted at her home on Sunday, July 2, 2023, according to an Instagram statement by her sisters, Carol and Nancy. The singer-songwriter was hospitalized at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, and sadly all rescue efforts to resuscitate her from a coma failed, and she passed away on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at the age of 48.
Lee had struggled with depression for a few years before her death and sought professional care, but her condition worsened. She discussed her problems in a 2022 New Year’s Eve Instagram post, and how she did everything she could to tackle them full-on.
The Hong Kong-born singer-songwriter also counseled her supporters to keep a positive attitude in life and to be open to learning and growing. She stated that her goal for 2023 is to share her life story and how she maintained a positive outlook despite all of life’s hardships.
Since her demise was announced, condolence messages have poured in from all around the world, with many expressing shock at her unfortunate passing. According to CNN, her death aroused worries about mental health and depression
Aside from her contributions to music, Lee was always cheery and vivacious in public, not to mention how she urged people to be supportive, kind, and sensitive to one another.
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Coco Lee Grew Up In The US After Being Born In Hong Kong
Coco Lee was born Ferren Lee on January 17, 1979, in Hong Kong to a Hong Kong Cantonese mother and a Malaysian father. Her family moved to San Francisco, California, when she was 9 years old.
Her musical career began in Hong Kong after she won first place in a singing competition, according to CNN. Throughout the 1990s, she rose to prominence in Asia, selling millions of albums and releasing music in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
Back in the United States, she rose to stardom with her combination of R&B and hip-hop sounds, and she got the role of Fa Mulan in Disney’s 1998 Mandarin rendition of Mulan. With A Love Before Time, a theme song in the 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, she achieved worldwide recognition. She also performed the song at the Academy Awards in 2001.
Lee’s career was cut short by death after 3 decades, during which she released 18 studio albums, two live albums, and five compilation albums.
Until her death, she was the wife of Canadian businessman Bruce Rockowitz, whom she married in 2011, and also a stepmother to his two daughters from a previous marriage.
