The 35th Golden Melody Awards, Mandopop’s version of the Grammy’s, is set to take place at Taipei Arena on Jun 29. This year, the ceremony will feature a special performance to commemorate late Hong Kong pop diva Coco Lee, who died at age 48 on last July.
Organisers announced on Facebook yesterday (Jun 13) that Mandopop star Wang Leehom, 47, who was a good friend of Coco’s, will sing her classic hits during the tribute.
The pair, who were once label mates, have known each other since they were teenagers, both having come to Taiwan from abroad to develop their careers.
The performance was put together with the consent of Coco’s family, who is supportive of Leehom performing the tribute.
Not Coco’s fans though.
Netizens have flooded the GMA’s Facebook page with comments calling their choice of singer inappropriate and disrespectful.
Leehom and his ex-wife Lee Jinglei, 38, famously split in 2021, with the latter accusing the singer of being a serial cheater.
Coco, on the other hand, was plagued by rumours that her estranged husband Canadian billionaire Bruce Rockowitz, 65, had cheated on her in the later years of their marriage.
It’s why many fans feel a “cheating artiste should not be honouring an artiste who was cheated on”.
“I can’t accept a scandal-ridden artiste who cheated on his wife paying tribute to Coco, who suffered because of her husband’s infidelity,” wrote one fan, while another asked sarcastically: “Why not invite Mickey Huang (who faces sexual assault allegations) to host as well? Is this joke for real? Commemorating Coco like this, are you kidding me?”
Fans urged organisers to reconsider their decision and suggested Coco’s pal Elva Hsiao as a more suitable choice.
Other names like JJ Lin, A-Mei, and Jolin Tsai were also mentioned.
However, Coco’s family seem pretty set on having Leehom.
In response to the backlash, Coco’s older sister and ex-manager Nancy Lee said: “The two had mutual respect for each other. I believe Coco would be very touched to have Leehom perform. The most important and touching thing is that there will be a segment to honour Coco at the Golden Melody Awards! Thank you all for loving Coco so much. We look forward to the performance.”