Coco Lee

Coco Lee: biography

Coco Lee, whose full name is Ferren Lee, was a Hong Kong-born American singer and actress. Coco Lee was known for her multilingual singing abilities, with fluency in Cantonese, Mandarin, English, and Japanese. She rose to fame in the 1990s and early 2000s as a pop singer in Asia and later achieved international success.

Childhood and youth

Coco Lee was born in Hong Kong on January 17, 1975. She was the youngest of three children and was born to a Malaysian father and a Hong Kong Cantonese mother. She had two elder sisters, Nancy and Carol. Unfortunately, her father passed away before she was born. At the age of 9, Lee and her sisters moved to San Francisco with their mother. In San Francisco, she attended Presidio Middle School and Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School.

From a young age, Coco Lee showed a passion for music and performing. She began singing in school choirs and participated in talent shows, showcasing her natural talent and captivating stage presence. Her parents recognized her potential and supported her musical aspirations.

In 1992, at the age of 17, Coco Lee moved to the United States to pursue her dreams further. She enrolled in the University of California, Irvine, majoring in music and specializing in vocal performance. During her college years, she continued to hone her skills and gain experience by performing in local clubs and events.

While studying, Coco Lee also started competing in singing contests, including the "New Talent Singing Awards" in Hong Kong. Her exceptional vocal abilities and stage charisma caught the attention of music industry professionals, leading to her signing with the record label Capital Artists.

With the release of her debut album, "Love from Now On," in 1993, Coco Lee made her mark in the Asian music scene. Her unique blend of Cantonese and English songs resonated with audiences, and she quickly gained popularity as a rising star.

Coco Lee's childhood exposure to multiple cultures, combined with her determination and talent, laid the foundation for her successful career. Her journey from a young girl with a passion for singing to a global superstar is a testament to her unwavering dedication and the impact of her multicultural upbringing.

Music career

After graduating from high school in 1992, Lee returned to Hong Kong and witnessed her sisters' participation in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant. She also took part in the 12th Annual New Talent Singing Awards, where she became the first runner-up with her rendition of Whitney Houston's "Run to You." Capital Artists offered her a recording contract immediately after, and she made her debut by appearing in compilation albums like "Red Hot Hits '93 Autumn Edition."

In 1994, Lee collaborated with Fancy Pie Records and released her first solo Mandarin albums, "Love from Now On" and "Promise Me." She also released an English cover album called "Brave Enough to Love" and her third Mandarin album, "Woman in Love," in 1995. The following year, she signed with Sony Music Entertainment, and her eponymous album, "Coco Lee," became the top-selling album in Asia in 1996.

Continuing her success, Lee released the Mandarin album "Sincere" and a self-titled Cantonese album in 1997. In 1998, her Mandarin album "Di Da Di" reached the impressive milestone of selling one million copies within three months of its release.

From Coco Lee's album "Sunny Day," the song "Colors of the World" was used for the opening of the Football World Cup, while "The Answer" (答案) was featured in the Chinese movie "Bishonen." She gained recognition for singing the theme song "Reflection" (自己) and providing the Mandarin voice for the character Fa Mulan in Disney's "Mulan."

In 1998, Coco performed to an audience of over 30,000 fans in Taiwan, the second-largest concert audience in the country at that time. She also participated in Michael Jackson's "Michael Jackson and friends" charity concert. Under 550 Music, she released her debut English album "Just No Other Way" in 1999, which included the hit song "Do You Want My Love." Her love song "Before I Fall in Love" featured in the movie "Runaway Bride."

Coco Lee recorded charity singles such as "We Meet the Future" and "Hand in Hand" for SARS relief efforts, collaborating with other artists like Wang Leehom, Stefanie Sun, Elva Hsiao, and Jolin Tsai. She continued her success in Asia, releasing the Mandarin album "You & Me" and reaching a milestone of 20 albums released and 7.5 million copies sold in Asia by 2000.

In 2001, she sang "A Love Before Time" for the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," and in 2002, she released the remix album "D. Is Coco (Dance Is Coco)." Coco Lee collaborated with singers Jacky Cheung and Jin Young Park for the songs "From the Beginning 'til the End" (煙絲萬縷) and "A Dream of One," respectively.

She showcased her versatility by co-starring in the Chinese comedy movie "Master of Everything" (自娱自乐) alongside John Lone, which won the Best Foreign Film award at the 2005 Beverly Hills Film Festival. In 2004, Coco Lee attended the global AIDS conference in Bangkok as the Youth AIDS ambassador, representing Asian artists and engaging with youth groups to raise awareness about AIDS.

In 2005, Coco Lee released her second English album, "Exposed," which faced a ban in Mainland China due to provocative lyrics in certain songs. She followed up with her Mandarin album, "Just Want You," on September 22, 2006.

In 2008, she was selected to perform "Forever Friends," one of the Olympic songs, alongside Sun Nan. Coco Lee switched record companies and began working with Warner Music Group (Taiwan). She released her Mandarin album, "East to West" (CoCo的東西), on August 14, featuring tracks like "Party Time," "Turn" (the soundtrack of the movie "The Legend of Silkboy" for the Shanghai World Expo 2010), and "BYOB" ("Bring Your Own Bag"), which encouraged people to bring and recycle their own shopping bags to protect the environment.

Coco Lee recorded "Smile Shanghai" (微笑上海) with other artists, including JJ Lin, Andy Lau, Jam Hsiao, and Jane Zhang, for the Shanghai World Expo 2010. She embarked on her "East2West" World Tour Concert in Taipei on March 27, 2010, and performed in Las Vegas, Singapore, and Nanning.

In March 2011, Coco Lee participated in the recording of the official theme song, "Succumb Not to Sorrow" (不要輸給心痛), for "Artists 311 Love Beyond Borders." She also collaborated with Sun Nan on the song "Dreams on Oriental Seas" (梦在东方的海上), which became the theme song for the 14th FINA World Championships held in Shanghai on July 16, 2011.

On June 8, 2011, Coco Lee announced the establishment of her own studio. She performed the theme song, "Four Seas Alliance" (四海盟約), for the 2011 Chinese TV drama "All Men Are Brothers" (水滸傳). On December 17, 2011, she shared the stage with artists like will.i.am, apl.de.ap, John Legend, and Shunza at the "Booey Lehoo Concert" in Beijing. On February 9, 2012, Coco Lee performed at the "I AM WILL / I AM ANGEL Benefit Concert" in Los Angeles, alongside will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas.

Her album "Illuminate" (盛開) was released on May 31, 2013, under Universal Music.

In 2016, Coco Lee participated in the fourth season of the Chinese reality show "I Am A Singer," despite facing challenges due to bronchitis affecting her voice in 2014. She went on to win the competition, becoming the second non-mainland Chinese singer to achieve this. She later returned as a guest singer for two more seasons, now titled "Singer." She appeared in the fifth season during the biennial concert and in the sixth season as a guest performer for the eventual winner, Jessie J.

Personal life

Lee tied the knot with Bruce Rockowitz, a Jewish-Canadian businessman and former CEO of Li & Fung, on October 27, 2011. Their wedding was a grand affair, featuring a lavish Jewish ceremony held in Hong Kong. In preparation for her wedding, Lee recorded the song "I Just Wanna Marry U" in both Chinese and English versions, which was released on October 24, 2011.

In 2016, Lee shared that she is a stepmother to two adult daughters from her husband's previous marriage. The couple embraced their blended family, adding another dimension to their lives.

Death

On July 2, 2023, Lee made an attempt on their own life and was subsequently admitted to Queen Mary Hospital in an unconscious state. Tragically, Lee's sister has now confirmed their passing on July 5, 2023, at the age of 48, while still at Queen Mary Hospital.

Discography

Love from Now On (愛就要趁現在)

• Released: 15 June 1994
• Label: Fancy Pie Records
• Language: Mandarin

Promise Me (答應我)

• Released: 23 December 1994

Brave Enough to Love (勇敢去愛)

• Released: 12 June 1995
• Language: English

Woman in Love (被愛的女人)

• Released: 3 September 1995
• Language: Mandarin

CoCo Lee (CoCo李玟同名专辑)

• Released: 14 June 1996
• Label: Sony Music Taiwan

CoCo's Party

• Released: 25 November 1996
• Language: English

Everytime I Think of You (每一次想你)

• Released: 14 May 1997
• Language: Mandarin/Cantonese

Be Careful Next Time (CoCo Lee首張廣東專輯)

• Released: 10 November 1997
• Language: Cantonese

Di Da Di Hints (DiDaDi暗示)

• Released: 13 January 1998
• Language: Mandarin

Sunny Day

• Released: 30 June 1998

From Today Until Forever (今天到永遠)

• Released: 27 May 1999

Just No Other Way

• Released: 2 November 1999
• Label: 550 Music/Epic Records
• Language: English

True Lover You & Me (真情人You & Me)

• Released: 24 August 2000
• Label: Sony Music Taiwan
• Language: Mandarin

Promise CoCo

• Released: 12 October 2001
• Language: Mandarin/Cantonese

Exposed

• Released: 25 March 2005
• Label: Sony BMG
• Language: English

Just Want You (要定你)

• Released: 22 September 2006
• Label: Sony Music Taiwan
• Language: Mandarin

East to West (CoCo的東西)

• Released: 14 August 2009
• Label: Warner Music Taiwan/Music Nation Ursa Major Limited

Illuminate (盛開)

Filmography

Film:

• No Tobacco (2002)
• Master Of Everything (2004)
• Forever Young (2015)

TV:

• Chinese Idol (2013)
• Hi 2014 (2014)
• Dancing With the Stars China (2015)
• Super Idol (Season 1) (2015)
• Talented Singer (Season 1) (2015)
• I Am a Singer (Chinese season 4) (2016)
• Come Sing with Me (Season 1) (2016)
• The Jin Xing Show (2017)
• Come Sing with Me (Season 2) (2017)
• Sing Out! (2018)
• World's Got Talent (2019)
• Jungle Voice (Season 2) (2019)

Awards

Coco Lee, the talented singer, has received several awards throughout her career. Here is a list of some of her notable accolades:

• World Music Award for Best Selling Chinese Artist - 1997, 1998, 2002, 2006
• Golden Melody Award for Best Female Mandarin Artist - 2001
• MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist Mainland China/Hong Kong/Taiwan - 2002
• Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Song (for "A Love Before Time" from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") - 2001
• Chinese Music Awards for Best Female Mandarin Artist - 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004
• RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards - Numerous wins throughout her career
• Metro Radio Mandarin Music Awards - Numerous wins throughout her career