Lee Sun-hee (singer)
Lee Sun-hee (Korean: 이선희; born November 11, 1964)[1] is a South Korean singer-songwriter. She is often referred to as Korea's "National Diva" for her immense popularity, commercial success, and vocal ability.[2][3][4]
Lee Sun-hee | |
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Lee Sun-hee in 2012 | |
Background information | |
Born | Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea | November 11, 1964
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1984–present |
Labels | Hook Entertainment |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 이선희 |
Hanja | 李仙姬 |
Revised Romanization | Yi Seon-hui |
McCune–Reischauer | I Sŏnhŭi |
Lee debuted in 1984 with the song, "To J," for which she won first prize in the MBC 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] for which she won the Album Bonsang at the Golden Disc Awards every year from 1985 to 1990.[5] She released her 15th and most recent album, Serendipity, in 2014.[6]
The government of South Korea awarded Lee the prestigious Prime Minister's Commendation in 2010 for her contributions to popular culture.[7] In 2011, Lee became the fourth South Korean singer to ever perform at Carnegie Hall,[3] and in 2018, she was one of the few South Korean singers to ever perform in North Korea, as part of the Spring is Coming concert in Pyongyang.[8]
Biography
Lee Sun-hee was born in 1964 in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea.[9] She was raised near a secluded Buddhist 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 Incheon City College in 1984 with a degree in environmental management.[11]
In 1984, she participated in the 5th MBC Riverside Song Festival as a team named '4막 5장' with Im Sung-kyun, senior of the same department of university, and made her debut earning great attention to win the Grand Prize with a song "To J". At that time, she had a perm in a hurry because she was afraid that she might be caught the fact that she competed in the festival without any permission by her parents. That's why she seems so out of place.
When Lee Sun-hee visited the music office of Jang Wook-jo, a South Korean songwriter, in the second year of high school to find a song to sing, a composer named Lee Se-geon was throwing bunch of sheet music away in the garbage can. Sun-hee asked him watching that scene, "Can I use this?", and picked music with his permission. Surprisingly, the song in that music was "To J", her debut and signature song which gave her grand prize of festival. There was a joke that Jeon Doo-hwan, South Korean president at that time, would ban "To J" in radio because the song reminded the nation of the president because his family named starts with 'J'. In fact, this song was used when satirizing the news that always report their president at first.
She was famous for having female fans more than male fans even though she is a woman because of her explosive singing ability and the charm of her boyish attire. It is the beginning of 'sister unit'. At that time, video of her stage performance shows screaming sound of female fans like the sound coming out in the male idol's stage performance by yelling fans nowadays. The size of her sister unit of Lee Sun-hee was so huge, and the power of her sister unit was so great that there was a rumor that the company gave money and mobilized people.
Lee Sun-hee's round glasses and curt hair caused so-called 'Lee Sun-hee syndrome', which was popular among female students at that time. The unique image making that sticks to a course wearing pantsuit costume and her appearance like a shy boy attracted not only male fans but also female fans in 'Lee Sun-hee syndrome'. Social atmosphere that rejects the decadent trend set up the environment that singers with healthy image like her can succeed and stretch their wings. Additionally, Lee Sun-hee was able to make herself popular with her unique vocal ability expressing strong power at high notes and songs that stimulate emotions of young women.
Musical style
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 Korean vocalist 송창식 (Song Chang-sik) as one of her influences and role models. Sun-hee possesses a warm, lyric-soprano voice with sturdy lows and bombastic highs. In addition to being a vocalist, Sun-hee is also a songwriter, writing many of the songs on her later albums (including the celebrated hit 인연 "Fate").
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
KOR [12][13] | |||
Ah! The Good Old Days (아! 옛날이여) |
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No data | |
West Wind (갈바람) |
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I Want to Know (알고 싶어요) |
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Where the Love Falls / I Always Miss You
(사랑이 지는 이 자리 / 나 항상 그대를) |
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| |
My Street / A Bout of Laughter
(나의 거리 / 한바탕 웃음으로) |
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| |
Turning the Pages of Memories / Why Me
(추억의 책장을 넘기면 / 왜 나만) |
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If You Love Me (그대가 나를 사랑하신다면) |
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Small Boat (조각배) |
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Chrysanthemum (한송이 국화) |
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First Love |
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Dream of Ruby |
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20 |
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My Life And Best |
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38 |
|
Puberty (사춘기) (四春期) |
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15 |
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Dear Love... (사랑아...) |
|
89 | N/A |
Serendipity |
|
4 |
|
* There is no chart data for 2009, but Dear Love... charted on the Gaon Album Chart in 2013. |
OST albums
- KBS drama 《Fireworks》 released in 1984
- MBC animation 《The Little Princess Sara》 released in 1986
- MBC drama 《Blue Classroom》 released in 1987
- KBS animation 《Run Hani》 released in 1988
- KBS animation 《Reckless Hani》 released in 1989
- SBS drama 《Fear With No Love》 released in 1992
- MBC drama 《Gips Family》 released in 2000
- Movie 《The Beauty In Dream》 released in 2002
- Movie 《King And The Clown》 released in 2005
- Movie 《The Sword with No Name》 released in 2009
- SBS drama 《My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho》 released in 2010
- SBS drama 《Big Thing (TV series)》 released in 2010
- SBS drama 《Legend of the Blue Sea》 released in 2016
Awards
Awards
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | KBS Song Festival | New Artist Award | [19] | |
MBC Riverside Song Festival | Grand Prize | [20] | ||
MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Most Popular Song | "To J" | [19] | |
New Artist Award | [19] | |||
Best ten singers | ||||
1985 | KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | ||
MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Best ten singers | |||
1986 | Golden Disc Awards | Main Prize (Bonsang) | West Wind | [21] |
KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | |||
MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Best ten singers | |||
1987 | Golden Disc Awards | Main Prize (Bonsang) | I Want to Know | [21] |
KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | |||
MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Most Popular Song | I Want To Know | ||
1988 | Golden Disc Awards | Main Prize (Bonsang) | I Always Miss You | [21] |
KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | |||
MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Best ten singers | |||
1989 | Golden Disc Awards | Main Prize (Bonsang) | My Street | [21] |
KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | |||
MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Best ten singers | |||
1990 | Golden Disc Awards | Main Prize (Bonsang) | A Bout of Laughter | [21] |
KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | |||
MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Best ten singers | |||
1994 | KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | ||
1995 | KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | ||
1996 | KBS Song Festival | Grand Prize | ||
1999 | Baeksang Arts Awards | Popularity Award (Theater Division) | Bari, The Forgotten Lullaby | [22] |
2001 | MBC Ten Singers Song Festival | Best ten singers |
References
- "프로필". Lee Sun Hee Official Website (in Korean). Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- Jackson, Julie (January 6, 2014). "Veteran singer Lee Sun-hee to make a return next month". The Korea Herlad. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- Lee, Ge-eun (June 5, 2018). "[20년 전 오늘] 이선희, 대한민국 가요계 호령한 '영원한 국민 디바'". Sports Seoul (in Korean). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- Heo, Myeong-suk (March 14, 2014). "이선희 15집 발매 기념, 25일 스페셜 쇼케이스". Daehan Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- Hye-sung, Kil (March 25, 2014). "'지존이 돌아온다①'-이선희, 30년 저력 '女가왕'". Star News (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- Benjamin, Jeff; Oak, Jessica (April 4, 2014). "K-Pop Legend Lee Sun Hee Breaks 5-Year Hiatus & Tops K-Pop Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- Gang, Yeong-guk (November 22, 2010). "[포토] 국무총리 표창 이선희, 송해 선배님과 뜨거운 포옹!". Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- "South Korean K-pop stars perform for Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang". The Guardian. Reuters. April 1, 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- Lee, Chang-u (September 28, 1984). "'J에게'로 인기높은 신인가수 이선희양". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- "이선희 아버지, 대처승? '아내를 두고 있는 승려'". The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). April 12, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- "이선희". Daum Encyclopedia (in Korean). March 28, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- "K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- "Dream of Ruby charting". Archived from the original on August 22, 1999. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- "My Life + Best charting". Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- "Puberty charting". Archived from the original on March 19, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- "Gaon Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- "[김건표의 스타토크] 가수 송시현 - 매일신문". news.imaeil.com. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
- "December 1998 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on August 22, 1999. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- "First Half of 2001 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- "February 2006 K-pop Album Sales Volume" (in Korean). Recording Industry Association of Korea. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- Cumulative sales for Serendipity:
- "2014 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- "January 2015 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
- "[시선★피플] '언니 부대', '국민 가수' 세월도 빗겨가는 천상의 목소리 '이선희'". Sisun News (in Korean). March 14, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- Fuhr, Michael (2015). Globalization and Popular Music in South Korea: Sounding Out K-Pop. Routledge. p. 49. ISBN 9781317556916.
- "역대수상자". Golden Disc Awards (in Korean). Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "[백상예술대상] 연극 인기상 이선희". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). April 5, 1999. Retrieved January 24, 2019.