Lee was hospitalized after an attempted suicide Sunday, according to the family. Upon arriving at the hospital, medical workers tried to revive Lee from a coma without success, the family stated. She was 48.
This year is the 30th anniversary of Lee’s singing career, her sisters said.
She released her debut album in 1994, and garnered critical acclaim for her work, selling millions of albums in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. Lee also voiced the lead character in the Mandarin version of Disney’s 1998 animated film “Mulan.”
In a video published this year by China Daily Hong Kong, Lee said she believed in breaking barriers, something she acknowledged wasn’t easy.
“But at least I was brave enough to do it,” she said. “Because once somebody does it, then other Asians, other Chinese artists who realize, ‘Hey we’ve got a chance. Why don’t we do this? CoCo did it. We should do this. We should think big. Go for the whole entire world. Let the world know our talent.’ This is the most important thing to me. Change history, change music history forever.”
Lee moved to San Francisco from her native Hong Kong when she was a child, alongside her mother and two older sisters.
After graduating high school, Lee traveled to Hong Kong and competed in an annual singing competition, finishing first runner-up. Shortly after her television success, she signed a deal with Epic Records Group and recorded two albums after six months with the label.
Her first all-English album, “Just No Other Way,” was released when Lee was 23. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2000, she talked about trying to break into the U.S. market.
“It’s kind of weird,” Lee said. “It’s like I’m starting all over again, even though I’m already a star in Asia.”
Throughout her career, Lee sought to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western music. “A Love Before Time,” her Oscar-nominated song from the 2000 film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” offered the perfect gateway.
In a 2001 Time interview, Lee said, “At first people said, ‘You’re a dreamer, there’s no way you could become an international singer.’ Or, ‘There’s no way you could release an English album.’ Or, ‘There’s no way you could sing R. and B. and soul.’ I’ve proven them all wrong. I want to tell my fans: as long as you believe and work hard, you will achieve anything.”
In 2011, Lee married Bruce Rockowitz, a Canadian businessman who previously led Hong Kong supply chain company Li & Fung.
Later in her career, Lee expanded her catalogue as a singer-songwriter, served as a judge on “Chinese Idol” and pursued acting roles in films such as “No Tobacco” and “Master of Everything.”
In 2022, she underwent surgery for an old leg injury she had incurred while practicing. The surgery left Lee with significant challenges walking and performing, according to the Associated Press.
In her last Instagram post, on Dec. 31, 2022, Lee wrote, “Life seemed unbearable at times but I adapted the attitude of a ‘female warrior’” to face it “head on fearlessly.”
The past year was difficult, with “major life changing hurdles,” she wrote, adding that her goal this year was to share her life story and “keep a positive attitude” despite the challenges. In photos that accompanied the post, she displayed two tattoos, inscribed “Love” and “Faith,” on forearms — reminders, Lee said, that helped guide her through the year.
“Life can be too short so dare to dream big,” she wrote. “Everything in life is a choice so choose what brings u joy n meaning.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. You can also reach a crisis counselor by messaging the Crisis Text Line at 741741.