Following news of Coco Lee’s shocking death by suicide on 5 July,Taiwanese singer Wang Leehom paid a lovely tribute to the late 48-year old star.
Leehom wrote on his social media “When CoCo and I first met, we were both teenagers probably 18 and 19 years old. We were both relatively new to Taiwan and barely spoke Chinese. One night a group of us went bowling with the L.A. Boys, and I can still remember she was the life of the party. Every guy had a crush on her but assumed she was out of their league. She had a radiant smile an infectious laugh, a larger than life personality. She already had all the qualities that were to make her a future star.”
“As the years progressed, and we matured as musicians, our paths continued to cross. We worked with the same producers and signed at the same label, and even worked with the same promotion team. All the while, her star kept rising. She was the biggest star at Sony, and then, she was the biggest star in Asia. I remember her singing at the Oscars, Sony New York signed her to be the first Chinese artist to break into the United States market. Mariah Carey’s agent signed her. Everybody wanted to work with CoCo, and for good reason. She was the best.”
“In the music industry, Coco Lee broke down international barriers, before any other Chinese singer did. Let’s always remember her, as a brave pioneer, and an important musical legend.
I am lucky and grateful to have known her also, as a warm friend. Her spirit, her sunshine, like her voice and music, will never fade.”
(Photo Source: Wang Leehom IG, Coco Lee IG)