Sook-Yin Lee
Encyclopedia
Sook-Yin Lee is a Canadian musician
, filmmaker, actress and media personality.
suburb, the second-oldest daughter of immigrants. She was raised as a devout Roman Catholic. Her father was a post-World War II orphan from Hong Kong, her mother an escapee from Communist China who was in and out of psychiatric institutions when Lee was young. Lee's upbringing was within a strict, secretive and unstable family. When Lee was 15, her parents split up and Lee ran away from home, for a time living on the street before eventually living with a "community of lesbians and artists".
In the 1980s, she became the lead singer for Bob's Your Uncle
, a Vancouver
alternative rock
band. Lee often incorporated performance art
techniques into the band's melodic rock. When that band broke up, Lee pursued a solo music career, releasing several solo albums and performing as an actor in theatre, film and television projects. She is now a singer for the band Slan. Neko Case
covered Lee's song "Knock Loud" on her 2001 EP Canadian Amp
.
, bringing her theatrical and musical background and her unique creative perspective to the channel. She was best known as the host of MuchMusic's alternative music show, The Wedge. (Now a weekly show, The Wedge was a daily series when Lee hosted.)
Lee is openly bisexual
. In 1995, on the day that sexual orientation was added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
by the Supreme Court of Canada
, Lee celebrated the decision by kissing a woman on the air. She later appeared on the cover of Xtra!
in 1997.
She left MuchMusic in 2001. During her last appearance as a MuchMusic VJ, Lee and her co-host turned their backs to the camera, and mooned the audience on live television. The following year, she was named as the new host of CBC Radio One
's Saturday afternoon pop culture magazine, Definitely Not the Opera
.
In the fall of 2004, she produced and hosted a documentary celebrating Terry Fox
as part of the CBC Television series The Greatest Canadian
. Fox finished second in the voting to Tommy Douglas
, whose advocate was another ex-MuchMusic VJ, George Stroumboulopoulos
.
's sexually explicit film Shortbus
(released 2006), in which she performs non-simulated intercourse
and masturbation
on screen. When the CBC position proved unpopular with the public, celebrities such as director
Francis Ford Coppola
, R.E.M.
's Michael Stipe
, actress Julianne Moore
and artist and musician Yoko Ono
rallied behind her, the CBC relented. In 2007, Lee was subsequently honoured for her work on Shortbus with a Best Supporting Actress award from the International Cinephile Society.
in Helen Lee's debut feature film The Art of Woo (2001). Sook-Yin Lee's feature film directorial debut Year of the Carnivore
premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
in 2009. She also stars in and directed The Brazilian segment of Toronto Stories
(2008). Lee also had a part in John Cameron Mitchell
's film adaptation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
, playing Kwahng-Yi, a guitarist in Hedwig's rock band made up of Korean-born army wives.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, filmmaker, actress and media personality.
Background
Lee grew up in a VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
suburb, the second-oldest daughter of immigrants. She was raised as a devout Roman Catholic. Her father was a post-World War II orphan from Hong Kong, her mother an escapee from Communist China who was in and out of psychiatric institutions when Lee was young. Lee's upbringing was within a strict, secretive and unstable family. When Lee was 15, her parents split up and Lee ran away from home, for a time living on the street before eventually living with a "community of lesbians and artists".
In the 1980s, she became the lead singer for Bob's Your Uncle
Bob's Your Uncle (band)
Bob's Your Uncle was a Canadian alternative rock band in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Based in Vancouver, the band consisted of band founder guitarist Jamie Junger, vocalist and guitarist Sook-Yin Lee, bassist Bernie Radelfinger, harmonica player Peter Lizotte and drummer John Rule...
, a Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band. Lee often incorporated performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
techniques into the band's melodic rock. When that band broke up, Lee pursued a solo music career, releasing several solo albums and performing as an actor in theatre, film and television projects. She is now a singer for the band Slan. Neko Case
Neko Case
Neko Case is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
covered Lee's song "Knock Loud" on her 2001 EP Canadian Amp
Canadian Amp
Canadian Amp is a 2001 EP by Neko Case.The recording features Case performing four covers of material by Canadian songwriters, along with a Hank Williams cover, a traditional folk song and two original songs written by Case .Guest musicians include Andrew Bird, Jon Rauhouse, Kelly Hogan, Brett...
.
MuchMusic and CBC
In 1995, Lee became a VJ for MuchMusicMuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, bringing her theatrical and musical background and her unique creative perspective to the channel. She was best known as the host of MuchMusic's alternative music show, The Wedge. (Now a weekly show, The Wedge was a daily series when Lee hosted.)
Lee is openly bisexual
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
. In 1995, on the day that sexual orientation was added to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. It forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982...
by the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
, Lee celebrated the decision by kissing a woman on the air. She later appeared on the cover of Xtra!
Xtra!
Xtra! is a gay magazine, on newsprint in tabloid format, published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-History and content :...
in 1997.
She left MuchMusic in 2001. During her last appearance as a MuchMusic VJ, Lee and her co-host turned their backs to the camera, and mooned the audience on live television. The following year, she was named as the new host of CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
's Saturday afternoon pop culture magazine, Definitely Not the Opera
Definitely Not the Opera
Definitely Not the Opera is a magazine-style radio program focusing on aspects of pop culture. The program is broadcast on CBC Radio One on Saturday afternoons, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. . An abridged version of each weekly program is available for download as a weekly podcast...
.
In the fall of 2004, she produced and hosted a documentary celebrating Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research...
as part of the CBC Television series The Greatest Canadian
The Greatest Canadian
Officially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a television program series by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, at least among those who watched and participated in the program...
. Fox finished second in the voting to Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
, whose advocate was another ex-MuchMusic VJ, George Stroumboulopoulos
George Stroumboulopoulos
George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...
.
Shortbus controversy
In 2003, she became the centre of controversy when the CBC threatened to fire her for taking a lead role in John Cameron MitchellJohn Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...
's sexually explicit film Shortbus
Shortbus
Shortbus is a 2006 comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in New York City. The characters converge in a weekly Brooklyn artistic/sexual salon loosely inspired by...
(released 2006), in which she performs non-simulated intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
and masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
on screen. When the CBC position proved unpopular with the public, celebrities such as director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
, actress Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
and artist and musician Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
rallied behind her, the CBC relented. In 2007, Lee was subsequently honoured for her work on Shortbus with a Best Supporting Actress award from the International Cinephile Society.
Other film work
Lee played the lead character, Alessa Woo, alongside fellow Canadian actor Adam BeachAdam Beach
Adam Ruebin Beach is a Canadian Saulteaux actor.He is best known for his roles as Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger, Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt, Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers, Private Ben Yazzie in Windtalkers, Dr...
in Helen Lee's debut feature film The Art of Woo (2001). Sook-Yin Lee's feature film directorial debut Year of the Carnivore
Year of the Carnivore
Year of the Carnivore is a 2009 Canadian romantic comedy about a grocery store detective with a crush on a boy who rejects her because she has too little sexual experience....
premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
in 2009. She also stars in and directed The Brazilian segment of Toronto Stories
Toronto Stories
Toronto Stories is a film in four segments bound together by a young boy, lost in an unknown city. After the prologue, the four segments are directed by different people: "Shoelaces" by Aaron Woodley, "The Brazilian" by Sook-Yin Lee, "Windows" by David "Sudz" Sutherland, and "Lost Boys" by David...
(2008). Lee also had a part in John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...
's film adaptation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a 2001 American musical comedy-drama film based on the stage musical of the same title about a fictional rock band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The film was adapted and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, who also portrayed the title role...
, playing Kwahng-Yi, a guitarist in Hedwig's rock band made up of Korean-born army wives.
Solo albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Lavinia's Tongue Lavinia's Tongue Lavinia's Tongue is the debut solo album by Sook-Yin Lee, released in 1994 on Zulu Records.-Track listing:# "Dreaming Out Loud" # "The Hair Song" # "Striptease" # "Going Home to Spawn" # "Lullaby"... |
Zulu Records Zulu Records Zulu Records is a Canadian record store, based in Vancouver, British Columbia that sells new and used CDs and vinyl and is currently located at 1972 and 1976 West 4th Avenue... |
| 1996 | Wigs 'n' Guns | Zulu Records Zulu Records Zulu Records is a Canadian record store, based in Vancouver, British Columbia that sells new and used CDs and vinyl and is currently located at 1972 and 1976 West 4th Avenue... |
Slan
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Electric Blues | Last Gang Records Last Gang Records Last Gang Records is a record label that was formed by Canadian music industry lawyer Chris Taylor and concert promoter Donald Tarlton in the Fall of 2003 at the Pop Montreal Music Festival.... |
External links
| Discography Discography Discography is the study and listing of the details concerning sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified musical genres... |
|---|
| Lavinia's Tongue Lavinia's Tongue Lavinia's Tongue is the debut solo album by Sook-Yin Lee, released in 1994 on Zulu Records.-Track listing:# "Dreaming Out Loud" # "The Hair Song" # "Striptease" # "Going Home to Spawn" # "Lullaby"... (1994) | Wigs 'n Guns Wigs 'n Guns Wigs 'n Guns is the second solo album by Sook-Yin Lee, released in 1996 on Zulu Records.The cover was drawn by Lee's then-boyfriend, cartoonist Chester Brown.The song "Knock Loud" was covered by Neko Case on her 2001 release Canadian Amp.... (1996) |
| Filmography Filmography Filmography is a collective noun for a list of films related by some criterion. For example, an actor's career filmography is the list of films he or she has appeared in; a director's comedy filmography is the list of comedy films directed by a particular director... |
|---|
| Green Dolphin Beat (1994) | Bad Company Bad Company (1995 film) Bad Company is a 1995 neo-noir thriller film directed by Damian Harris and written by Ross Thomas.The film stars Ellen Barkin and Laurence Fishburne as former CIA operatives engaging in a dubious romance while plotting to murder their boss, played by Frank Langella, and take over his firm, which... (1995) | Sliders Sliders Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé... (1995, TV series) | Boy Meets Girl Boy Meets Girl (1998 film) Boy Meets Girl is a 1998 romantic comedy fantasy film directed by Jerry Ciccoritti and starring Sean Astin and Emily Hampshire.-Awards and nominations:... (1998) | Hedwig and the Angry Inch Hedwig and the Angry Inch (film) Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a 2001 American musical comedy-drama film based on the stage musical of the same title about a fictional rock band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The film was adapted and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, who also portrayed the title role... (2001) | The Art of Woo The Art of Woo The Art of Woo is a 2001 Canadian romantic comedy. Written and directed by Helen Lee, the film stars Sook-Yin Lee.- Plot :Alessa Woo , an art gallery employee, is caught up in trying to present a wealthy and powerful image for the sake of her career, but finds her plans unexpectedly complicated... (2001) | 3 Needles 3 Needles 3 Needles is a 2005 Canadian drama film directed by Thom Fitzgerald. The title, refers to the three main characters who make a deal with the Devil in order to survive a global epidemic... (2005) | Shortbus Shortbus Shortbus is a 2006 comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in New York City. The characters converge in a weekly Brooklyn artistic/sexual salon loosely inspired by... (2006) |