The Dick Lee phenomenon started in 1971 when, at the age of fifteen, Dick participated in various talent contests with the group, Harmony, and Dick and the Gang (teaming with his siblings). His first album, LIFE STORY, featuring his own compositions, was released in 1974.

Throughout the 70s and 80s, Dick championed the inclusion of Asian elements in pop music. His pioneering album, LIFE IN THE LION CITY (1984), won an acclaim but the album that shot him to regional prominence was his 1989 release, THE MAD CHINAMAN, which achieved platinum status in Singapore in just 3 months.

In 1990 Dick moved to Japan where he continued to develop the new Asian identity through his solo work, as well as collaborate with top Asian artistes like Sandy Lam from Hong Kong and Japanese group Zoo. He has to date, written countless songs for the top singing talents in Asia including Jackie Cheung, Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Anita Mui, Miyazawa of The Boom and Stephanie Sun amongst others.

Dick is also passionate about musicals. He has written many staged musicals including BEAUTY WORLD (1988), FRIED RICE PARADISE (1991), KAMPONG AMBER (1994), SING TO THE DAWN (1997), Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress (2002), which opened the Esplanade in Singapore , and Jacky Cheung’s acclaimed SNOW.WOLF.LAKE (1997), which toured Asia in 2005. NAGRALAND (1992) toured Japan , Singapore and Hong Kong in a sold-out season. Dick continues his love of theatre by being Associate Artistic Director of The Singapore Repertory Theatre, an appointment he has held since 1998.

A dream come true for Dick was to be appointed the Creative Director for Singapore ’s 2002 National Day Parade. Coincidentally, his song We Will Get There was selected to be 2002’s national song, and the theme song for the parade. Top Singapore-born Chinese pop superstar Stephanie Sun performed the song and also included it in her own top-selling album. This is his second National song, having written Home, performed by Kit Chan, in 1998.

Apart from music, Dick’s other passion is for fashion, having studied fashion design at Harrow School of Art in London . His interest began at the early age of 16 when he designed for his mother’s boutique Midteen. His fashion career has taken him to Carrie Models, where he scouted and trained the top Singapore models, and designing his own labels for his boutique Ping Pong, as well as in Hemispheres, the first young designer store he set up with his partner Alan Koh.

He has worked with Singapore label Celia Loe and is currently Creative Director of Island Shop.

Other forays in the fashion world include Display Director for Tangs departmental store in 1984, fashion editor of Female magazine in 1986 and one of the founders of the Society of Designing Arts, which spearheaded the introduction of Singapore designers to the local fashion market.

From 1982 to 1990, Dick also ran his own event company Runway Productions which specialized in fashion and tourism events, including sales tours of the USA , convention opening presentations and even a fashion parade on orchard Road. His company also had a hand in the creation of the Boom Boom Room, a successful cabaret featuring a transvestite show in the tradition of the legendary Bugis Street . Another related project, which came later on, was the annual Christmas light-up on Orchard Road and the Marina area, for which Dick was Creative Director.

Dick celebrated the 30th anniversary of his career in 2004 with the release of a 5 CD compilation as well as his autobiography THE ADVENTURES OF THE MAD CHINAMAN. He also created DICK LEE’S SUNSHINE PROJECT, a charity for handicapped children and youth counselling centres, in conjunction with the Community Chest of Singapore.

More Recently, Dick was one of the judges for the Singaporean incarnation of the popular IDOL platform, and was the host for the first ever High Definition Television programme FINER SIDE (2006).

In acknowledgement for Dick’s works and contribution to the music scene, he was been awarded numerous accolades. Some achievements include:

2007	•	Best Malay Pop Song <Sandarkan> in the COMPASS Awards
2006	•	Compass Composer of the Year Awards
2005	•	Singapore Cultural Medallion
	•	Compass Composer of the Year Awards
2004	•	Best Malay Pop Song <Sandarkan> in the COMPASS Awards
2003	•	Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes - Arts & Culture Prize
2001	•	Top Local Composer of the Year in the COMPASS Awards
2000	•	Top Local Composer of the Year in the COMPASS Awards
1999	•	Best Original Movie Theme Song in the Hong Kong Academy Awards for the theme song of the movie The City of Glass, starring Leon Lai and Shu Qi.
	•	COMPASS Awards Artistic Excellence Award
	•	COMPASS Awards Top Local Chinese Pop Song
	•	COMPASS Awards Top Local Composer of the Year
1998	•	COMPASS Awards Top Local English Pop Song
	•	COMPASS Awards Top Local Composer of the Year
1996	•	Best Original Movie Theme Song in the Golden Horse Awards for his song, The Search of My Life, which was selected as the theme song for the hit movie, He is a Woman, She is a Man, starring Leslie Cheung, and Anita Yuen.
1995	•	The Perfect 10 Music Achievement Award for outstanding contribution in the Singapore Music scene, by leading radio station, Perfect 10.

		back to top
DICK LEE’S MUSICAL WORKS
ALBUMS
2007   SUNSHINE       2004   LIFE/STORIES (compilation)       2003   RICE (instrumental)       2000   EVERYTHING       1999   TRANSIT LOUNGE       1995   SINGAPOP       1994   SECRET ISLAND COMPASS (Cantonese)       1993   HONG KONG RHAPSODY (instrumental), LIFE STORY (compilation)       1992   THE YEAR OF THE MONKEY, PEACE, LIFE, LOVE (Christmas album)       1991   ORIENTALISM       1990   ASIA MAJOR       1989   MAD CHINAMAN, WHEN I PLAY (compilation)       1987   CONNECTIONS       1986   THE SONGS FROM LONG AGO THE SONGS OF CHRISTMAS (Christmas album) FRIED RICE PARADISE (compilation)       1985   RETURN TO BEAUTY WORLD       1984   LIFE IN THE LION CITY SURIRAM (single)       1979   INTERNATIONALAND (single)       1974   LIFE STORY

		back to top
MUSICALS
2006   PUTERI GUNUNG LEDANG ( Malaysia, Singapore ), MAN OF LETTERS ( Singapore )       2002   FORBIDDEN CITY: PORTRAIT OF AN EMPRESS ( Singapore , also 2003, 2006)       1997   HOTPANTS ( Singapore ), A TWIST OF FATE ( Singapore , also 2005) SNOW. WOLF.LAKE ( Hong Kong , Singapore , Taiwan , China , also 2004, 2005)       1996   SING TO THE DAWN ( Singapore )       1994   KAMPUNG AMBER ( Singapore ), MORTAL SINS ( Singapore )       1993   HONG KONG RHAPSODY ( Japan ), FANTASIA ( Singapore , Japan )       1992   NAGRALAND ( Singapore , Hong Kong , Japan )       1991   FRIED RICE PARADISE ( Singapore )       1988   BEAUTY WORLD (Singapore, also 1993, 1998, 2008)

		back to top
TELEVISION MUSICALS
1999   PHUA CHU KANG ( Singapore )       1998   UNDER ONE ROOF ( Singapore )

		back to top
SPECIAL COMMISSIONS
2003   NATIONAL DAY PARADE ( Singapore )       2003   15th ASIAN GAMES ( Qatar )

		back to top
FILM MUSIC
2000   AND I HATE YOU SO ( Hong Kong Film Academy Nomination)       1999   CITY OF GLASS ( Hong Kong Film Academy Award)       1993   SHE’S A MAN, HE’S A WOMAN (Hong Kong Film Academy Award)