The life and times of Dick Lee in one big concert extravaganza.

There are some singers that come and go, and then, there are icons.

For Singapore, that icon comes in the form of singer-songwriter Dick Lee. Holding accolades among the likes of being a Cultural Medallion recipient, as well as first Asian Steinway Artist, Dick celebrated 50 years in show business and the music industry this weekend, with a concert at Capitol Theatre that brought us on a journey from his early successes, to how he continues to work hard and produce catchy original compositions five decades on.

No star gets success right from the beginning however, and for Dick, it took a lot of hard work and some luck to get his start. Talentime competitions for example, were an opportunity for young hopefuls to become stars, but it did little for Dick. Onstage, Dick recalls how local music was practically non-existent at the time, and competitors would simply sing songs from the biggest international stars of the time.

Dick wanted to change that, and makes his point by singing ‘Fried Rice Paradise’, one of his earliest pop hits that has managed to stand the test of time and is now a classic of local pop. He takes us back to when he was just 17 years old, with how music artists Ross Barnett and Vernon Cornelius helped enable him to become the star he is today, alongside the origins behind Fried Rice Paradise. You feel a sense of intimacy and closeness to him as you sit, enraptured by his storytelling ability.

There is no Dick Lee showcase complete without Beauty World, and he now pays tribute to Beauty World Market, reminiscing over how it was the go-to place to get the best of fashion and music of yesteryear, which formed the inspiration behind the song. This was also key to shaping Dick into the person he is, with fashion and music forming the mantra of his life, and he began following his own fashion idols. Singing “Beauty World (Cha Cha Cha)”, he thinks about how playwright Michael Chiang and director Ong Keng Sen brought it to life with Theatreworks back in the ‘90s, before bringing it back for the President’s Star Charity, and how the biggest who’s who of Singapore’s celebrities were all gathered in one place to witness a timeless show. And it’s true – you can practically hear the audience tapping along and echoing ‘cha cha cha’ during the song.

Dick isn’t just all flash and pizzazz though, and showcases how much emotional depth his songs contain as well. Moving on to ‘Bunga Sayang’, he proved how powerful it was, still moving listeners to this day with its beautiful lyrics, and you can almost hear the sounds of the ocean as he plays. With ‘What Would You Say’, Dick shares about his share of heartbreak and unrequited love, and the atmosphere calms, everyone quiet as we listen closer to get every word and emotion. This is not just a concert that’s about playing the hits, but also about finding a connection to Dick, with his conversational tone, his heartfelt sharing and mindfulness that goes into his music, and you fully understand why he continues to be so well-regarded.

But Dick also shows that he has a rebellious streak to him, and talks about his halcyon days, when he would frequent clubs like Spot Spot at the Hilton and the Lost Horizon Club. If anything, it was his overseas experiences that further opened his eyes to the wider world out there, as he shared the ups and downs of his time in England and how amazing it was, leading to his next song – ‘Internationaland’.  The London scenery he describes is riveting, from the time he was kept warm and cosy in his flat along Portobello Road, thinking of his Singaporean friends even while away from home, and how he would frequent the HMV shop on Oxford Street, picking up a Japanese record and thinking to himself – if they could make it in Japan, why not a Singaporean?

And so he goes, from a teen terror to an ‘Uncle Funkle’, as he puts it, with footage of the countless shows he would do, and how he became his own fantasy, playing dress up with the wonderful clothes he has, and drawing the oohs and ahhs of appreciation from those who follow him. Dick is a man who lives life to the fullest, appreciating every detail, and of course, the people in his life, especially the ‘wonder women’ he was surrounded by – his mother and grandmother, singing ‘Go Your Way’ as a tribute to them.

The Japanese dreams finally paid off when he moved there in 1990, meeting Sandy Lam, performing “Chase Again (一追再追)” with Leslie Cheung, and recreating that onstage, segueing from the video footage to him playing the song on piano, singing in Cantonese from start to end, where you feel his genuine emotions and admiration, and sense of loss for such a star such as Leslie. The Japan leg doesn’t end there however, as he recalls touring the country, thanking his Japanese fans, and how he continues to think of them in every show he does, leading him to sing ‘Sukiyaki’. Japan is certainly one of his biggest fans – he was awarded the Fukuoka Prize’s Arts and Culture Prize in 2003, before Singapore decided to one-up them by awarding him the Cultural Medallion later on.

Singing a song from his 1992 musical ‘Nagraland’, Dick then shares the surprising fact that 70% of his commercial songs are actually in Cantonese, despite being better known for his English hits, and how he even did the musical Snow.Wolf.Lake. with Jacky Cheung. This moves us to Hong Kong, where he shares his struggles there, writing only three songs in three years. Yet, from the drought springs inspiration – as he watched the Hong Kong cityscape from his vantage point at the Mid-Levels overlooking Wan Chai, he came up with the song every Singaporean knows and loves – ‘Home’.

Somehow, it hits even harder than it usually does when he sings it, as we reflect on the significance of home and how we think of it always. Winding down for the evening, this is where things get a little more sombre, and Dick shares about how he lost his sister Patricia, and sang a song dedicated to her memory.

Over the course of the evening, we learn about the ups and the downs of Dick’s career. It seems only fitting that we’re here to celebrate the milestone 50th anniversary, alongside his birthday. Thinking back on all those years, he thinks of how lucky he is to have lived the life he has. So of course, the next song is ‘Life Story’. But unlike the song that suggests the persona has lived an uneventful life, Dick has certainly lived several more lifetimes than most of us could possibly fathom, larger than life and always finding new things to be excited about, new inspiration from the most unexpected of sources, in a story that goes on forever with each breath that he takes.

Ending off the evening with the premiere of a brand new song, ‘This Old World’ once again emphasises his patriotism and is a love letter to Singapore that drives home the simple fact that he is a proud son of Singapore, that everything he is today is because he was born and bred here. You leave the theatre realising how much life and joy goes into all that Dick Lee does, hopeful for the future of Singapore and that with love and passion, nothing is impossible. Icons aren’t born; they’re built from the ground up, and with each passing year, each birthday cake, life goes on, and so does Dick – but living, loving every moment of it.

Dick Lee 50th Anniversary Concert played from 23rd to 24th August 2024 at the Capitol Theatre. Tickets available from SISTIC