Cancer claims Canto-pop diva Mui
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Undated file picture of Anita Mui.
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HONG KONG, China (AP) -- Canto-pop diva and actress Anita Mui has died after a battle with cancer, according to friends. She was 40.
Mui died at Hong Kong's Sanitorium Hospital at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday (1850 Monday GMT) after suffering from cervical cancer, according to her friends, including fellow singer Alan Tam, who were keeping vigil at the hospital.
Known as Hong Kong's Madonna, Mui kicked off her career by winning a local singing contest in 1982. She rose to stardom with the song "Homecoming" in 1984.
In 1987, she held a concert in Hong Kong known as the "Everchanging Anita" for a then record-breaking 28 nights.
Mui also gained fame as an actress, winning Taiwan's Golden Horse award for best actress in 1987 for her role as a tormented ghost in the movie "Rouge."
In September, she announced at a news conference that she was fighting cervical cancer after media speculation about her deteriorating health.
"I am not a weak person ... I can tell you that I have never had any fears and I will win this fight," she said.
More than 20 celebrities, including action film legend Jackie Chan, Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, and fellow Canto-pop singers Jackie Cheung and Nicholas Tse, appeared at her side in a show of support.
Canto-pop refers to hits sung in Cantonese, the dialect of Chinese that is widely spoken in Hong Kong and in many overseas Chinese communities.
Mui, who was not married, was also known for her charity work. She set up the Anita Mui Charity Foundation in the early 1990s. Her elder sister, Mui Oi-fong, died in 2000, also from cancer.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
Copyright 2003 The
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
