Dick Lee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dick Lee
李炳文
Lee in 2023
Born	Richard Lee Peng Boon (1956-08-24) 24 August 1956 (age 68) Singapore
Alma mater	Harrow School of Art
Occupation	Singer-songwriter playwright film director
Years active	1971–present
Spouse(s)	Jacintha Abisheganaden ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 1997)​
Awards	Cultural Medallion
Musical career
Genres	Pop music, Cantopop, musical theatre
Instruments	Piano
Chinese name
Chinese	李炳文
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐ Bǐngwén Yue: Cantonese Jyutping lei5 di2 man4

Dick Lee (born Richard Lee Peng Boon on August 24, 1956) is a famous singer, songwriter, and director from Singapore. He is also a talented writer for plays. In 2005, he received the Cultural Medallion, which is Singapore's highest award for artists.

Early Life and Education

Dick Lee grew up in Singapore. His father, Lee Kip Lee, was a writer for a newspaper called The Straits Times. Dick was the oldest of five children. He went to St. Michael's School and then St. Joseph's Institution for his secondary education.

Musical Journey

Starting Out in Music

Dick Lee began his music career in 1971 when he was just 15 years old. He joined a group called Harmony as a pianist. Later, he formed his own group, Dick and the Gang, with his brothers. In 1974, he released his first album, Life Story, which featured songs he wrote himself.

Asian Pop Music Pioneer

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Dick Lee was known for mixing Asian sounds into pop music. His album Life in the Lion City (1984) was very popular. But it was his 1989 album, The Mad Chinaman, that made him famous across Asia. He won several awards in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan for his music during this time.

Working in Japan and Beyond

In 1990, Dick Lee moved to Japan. There, he continued to create music that blended Asian styles. He worked with many top Asian artists, including Tracy Huang and Sandy Lam. He also wrote many songs for famous singers in Asia.

His album Transit Lounge, released by Sony, was highly praised. He also worked as a vice-president for Sony Music Asia in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2000. In 2000, he released Everything, a collection of his songs from the 1970s onwards.

Musicals and Stage Shows

Dick Lee has written many successful musicals for the stage. Some of his well-known works include Beauty World (1988) and Fried Rice Paradise (1991). He also wrote songs for Jacky Cheung's famous musical Snow.Wolf.Lake (1997). Since 1998, he has been an Associate Artiste Director at the Singapore Repertory Theatre.

Creative Director and National Day Songs

In 2000, Dick Lee wrote songs for a musical version of the TV show Phua Chu Kang. This musical helped raise over $2 million for charity. In 2002, he wrote and helped direct his first dance musical, re:MIX. That same year, he wrote Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress, a big show for the opening of The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay in Singapore.

He was also the Creative Director for Singapore's National Day Parade in 2002. His song "We Will Get There" became the parade's theme song. He had also written "Home" for the 1998 National Day Parade.

In 2003, he won the Fukuoka Arts and Culture Prize for his contributions to Asian arts. He also wrote a book about his life called The Adventures of the Mad Chinaman in 2004.

Judging and Concerts

From 2004 to 2009, Dick Lee was a judge on Singapore Idol, a popular singing competition. In December 2004, he held a special concert called Life Stories to celebrate 30 years in music. Many famous guests performed with him.

In 2005, he received the Cultural Medallion for his music. He continued to be involved in big events, like being the director for a musical show at the APEC Singapore 2009 summit in 2009. He was also the Creative Director for Singapore's National Day Parade again in 2010 and 2015. For the 2015 parade, he composed the theme song "Our Singapore".

In 2017, Dick Lee directed his first movie, Wonder Boy, which was based on his own life.

Fashion and Business Ventures

Fashion Design

Dick Lee also has a strong interest in fashion. He studied fashion design at Harrow School of Art in London. When he was 16, he started designing clothes for his mother's boutique. He also created his own clothing labels for his boutique, Ping Pong. He helped introduce Singaporean designers to the local fashion scene.

Business Projects

In 1991, Dick Lee opened a unique performance venue called the Boom Boom Room at Bugis Street. It later moved and closed in 2004, but he brought it back for a short time in 2021. In 2012, he opened a restaurant called MAD (Modern Asian Diner) in Singapore, which later closed in 2014. He also helped open a pancake restaurant called Slappy Cakes.

Personal Life

Dick Lee is a Catholic. He married jazz singer Jacintha Abisheganaden in 1992, but they divorced in 1997.

Music Albums

On Vinyl

On CD

Online Releases

Theatrical Works

Musicals

Plays

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Dick Lee para niños