Lee Sun-hee (Korean: 이선희; born November 11, 1964)[1] is a South Korean singer-songwriter. She is often referred to as South Korea's "National Diva" for her immense popularity, commercial success, and vocal ability.[2][3][4]
Lee debuted in 1984 with the song, "To J," for which she won first prize in theMBC Riverside Song Festival. She released her first album,Ah! The Good Old Days, the following year in 1985.[5] She released a string of successful albums in the 1980s and early 1990s,[2] and won awards atKBS Song Festival andMBC Ten Singers Song Festival every year from 1984 to 1990, as well as main prize at theGolden Disc Awards every year from 1986 to 1990.[5]
The government of South Korea awarded Lee the prestigious Prime Minister's Commendation in 2010 for her contributions to popular culture.[6] In 2011, Lee became the fourth South Korean singer to ever perform atCarnegie Hall.[3] She released her 15th album, Serendipity in 2014.[7] In 2018, she performed inPyongyang as a part ofSpring is Coming and became one of few South Korean singers to perform twice in North Korea.[8] She released her 16th album, Anbu in 2020.
Lee was born in 1964 inPoryong,South Chungchon, South Korea.[9] She was raised near a secludedBuddhist temple by her mother and her father, a Buddhist monk who belongs to a sect of the religion that allows monks to marry and have children.[10] She attended Sangmyung High School and graduated from Inchon City College in 1984 with a degree in environmental management.[11]
While she was a student at Incheon City College, Lee participated in the 5th MBC Riverside Song Festival as a member of the singing duo Act 4 Scene 5 (4막 5장) with fellow student Im Sung-kyun. They won the grand prize with the song, "To J", which became a hit, garnering Lee prizes for best new artist at the year-endKBS Music Awards andMBC Top 10 Singers Song Festival.[12] Her signature boyish look was also a hit, causing a so-called "Lee Sun-hee syndrome," or craze, among female students who imitated her short haircut and round glasses.[13]
Lee Sun-hee possesses a warm,lyricsoprano voice with sturdy lows and bombastic highs. In addition to being a vocalist, Lee Sun-hee is also a songwriter, writing many of the songs on her later albums including the celebrated hit 'Fate'. During her 30th anniversary concert tour, Sun-hee broadcast a clip during the intermission revealing her three biggest musical influences: Barbra Streisand, Madonna, and Whitney Houston. She has mentioned South Korean vocalistSong Chang-sik as one of her influences and role models.
^"K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived fromthe original on February 19, 2009. RetrievedDecember 9, 2018.
^Kang Hyo-jin (October 21, 2021)."'싱어게인2' 윤도현 합류, 이선희→송민호 심사위원 라인업 확정[공식]" ['Singer Gain 2' Yoon Do-hyun joins, Lee Seon-hee → Song Min-ho Jury lineup confirmed] (in Korean). SPOTV news. RetrievedOctober 21, 2021 – viaNaver.
^Yang So-young (January 5, 2022)."한 번쯤 멈출 수밖에' 이선희 이금희, 노래와 함께하는 길 에세이[종합]" [Essay on 'The Road with Songs' by Lee Seon-hee and Lee Geum-hee, 'You have to stop at least once'] (in Korean). Maeil Business Star Today. RetrievedJanuary 5, 2022 – viaNaver.
^"대중문화예술상 2010년" [2010 Popular Culture and Arts Awards].Korea Creative Content Agency (in Korean).Archived from the original on October 12, 2020. RetrievedMay 26, 2021.
