HONG KONG — Coco Lee, a Hong Kong-born singer-songwriter who provided the voice of Mulan in the Mandarin-language version of the Disney movie, died Wednesday. She was 48.
The singer’s sisters, Carol and Nancy Lee, confirmed on Instagram and Facebook that Coco Lee died on Wednesday after attempting suicide three days earlier, The Associated Press and Rolling Stone reported.
“Although CoCo sought professional help and did her best to fight depression, sadly that demon inside of her took the better of her,” Lee’s sisters wrote. “On 2 July, she committed suicide at home and was sent to the hospital. Despite the best efforts of the hospital team to rescue and treat her from her coma, she finally passed away on 5 July, 2023.”
Coco Lee had been suffering from depression for several years, her sisters wrote, adding that her condition had deteriorated “drastically” over the last few months.
The singer enjoyed success during the 1990s in Hong Kong in the Mandopop scene before moving into the English and Cantonese markets, Variety reported.
Coco Lee performed “A Love Before Time” from the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” at the Academy Awards in 2001, when the song was nominated for best original song, Rolling Stone reported.
Another song from the film sung by Lee,“ Moonlight Lover,” won Best Original Film Song at the 2001 Hong Kong Film Awards, according to the magazine. She also had success with the pop song “Do You Want My Love” in 1999. The track reached Number 49 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart, Rolling Stone reported.
Her song, “Before I Fall in Love,” is on the soundtrack to the 1999 film “Runaway Bride,” according to the BBC.
Her latest single, “Tragic,” was released on Feb. 14, the news organization reported.
Born Ferren Lee in Hong Kong, the singer moved to the U.S., where she attended middle school and high school in San Francisco, the AP reported. She released her first album in 1994, when she was 19.
Lee recorded 18 studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums, Variety reported. She also appeared in three films -- “No Tobacco,” “Master of Everything” and “Forever Young.”
On Chinese television, she appeared in the 2013 version of “Chinese Idol” and the 2015 version of “Dancing with the Stars,” according to the entertainment news website.
Note: If you or someone you know is thinking of harming themselves, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free support via the Lifeline by dialing 988. For more about risk factors and warning signs, visit the organization’s official website.