Farewell My Idol: Anita Mui

Hong Kong, The Music Issue

Hong Kong pop diva Anita Mui dies: Tue 30 December, 2003 05:31

Anita’s Funeral will be held on Jan 11th in the Hong Kong Funeral Home and the cremation will be held on the 12th. The ceremony will follow Buddhist Traditions.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong pop diva Anita Mui, known to Chinese across the globe as the "Asian Madonna", has died on after a long battle with cervical cancer. She was 40.

"She went peacefully and beautifully. Her own last wish was that her fans and reporters could let her go quietly, not to cry and call out her name," action movie star Jackie Chan, a good friend of Mui's, told reporters after her death on Tuesday.

"She really loved to be beautiful," he said somberly.

Chan and actress Michelle Yeoh were among a throng of friends who had kept vigil overnight at the Hong Kong Sanitorium & Hospital.

Another close friend, fashion designer Eddie Lau, said the singer had died of lung failure caused by her illness.

Often compared to Madonna, Mui drew admiration from fans all over the region with her flamboyant on-stage persona.

"This is really very sad. I am going out to get her latest concert DVD so that I'll always be able to see her past glory," said Evelyn Ip, a 36-year-old Singaporean accountant who is visiting Hong Kong.

Mui, whose elder sister died of cervical cancer, revealed in September that she too had the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy. She managed to give several concerts last month, but sometimes appeared breathless on stage.

Mui began her singing career as a little girl, giving shows at an amusement park. She shot to stardom as a teenager after winning a singing contest in 1982.

She starred in more than 40 movies over 20 years. Recently though, on the advice of friends, she declined a starring role in a film by acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou, the South China Morning Post reported.

I don't even know what to say. I adored her.. of all the entertainers in the world, I saw her the most. Starting at 12 when I attended her "Bad Girl" tour which was my first concert to recently, I went to see her "Anita Mui Classic Moments," a few months ago.

Goodbye Anita. Goodbye.

You were my First Idol...

Thank You. I love you.

Love Yan

The radio made sound bites calling her the "Mega Star for a Generation." Which she is. Much Respect. Much Love. Much Missed.

99.70 FM is currently only playing Anita's songs, along with talking to her friends as well as reading messages from fans they recieve by fax, phone, email or ICQ, from Hong Kong, China and I just heard someone from Canada.

Goodbye Anita Mui

You can light a candle for her on: Goodbye Leslie

Anita Mui in Concert: The Evening Hour of our Diva

2003: Goodbye Anita, Goodbye Leslie, Hello SARs.

Two Greats Together Again

Anita Mui's First Concert 1986 Photos: Personal Collection

Comments

[noelia]

Dear Mui Yim-fong ( Anita ),
You style, music and beauty shall forever be in our hearts; and may you find peace with Leslie, Danny, Roman and Teresa .. as has been proclaimed, the heavenly choir.

You will be greatly missed; but just knowing you are with Leslie once again, and free from pain, brings us some offer of comfort.

I loved your performance in " Rouge " .. and I shall watch this tonight, in fond memory of both you, and Leslie.

As Yan has put it .. " two greats together again " and this is quite true, sad .. but true.

Peace .. eternally.
Thank you for all your talents and the joy you brought.

[Jenny/KL]

Dearest Anita,

You truly a fighter even towards the end. Your love towards your friends, families and fans would not be forgotten.

After so many fights, I pray and hope that you will finally get to rest.

Thank you very much. Really going to miss you and Leslie!!

Jenny/KL

[houyee/kl]

I truly regret anita's death. it came so suddenly. the actual circumstances we will never know. different sources have different versions of the truth. alas i think everybody, including anita, was in denial. even in her last moments, her friends released press statements far from the truth ("she was admitted for observation etc").

as a medical practitioner, it disheartens me to learn that her cervical cancer was discovered in the early stages more than a year ago. only she will know why she didn't go for a hysterectomy, which was the only thing to do if one has cervical cancer. to have waited this long, and still expect the cancer to be confined, is folly. it has been quoted that the reason was that she wanted a family and a hysterectomy was totally out of the question. it could have been the pressure of being an artiste in glaring spotlight that prevented her from making that decision to undergo surgery. whatever it was, she made the wrong decision.

current recommendations suggest that all women above age 18 should go for pap smear examination every 3 years to detect early cervical cancer. after age of 60, if three consecutive smears are negative, then less frequent examinations are necessary. if it was in the very early stage (stage 0 eg CIN), removal of the tip of the cervix with laser, cryotherapy etc can be performed. prognosis is excellent. if it is more advanced (stage 1a and above), a hysterectomy is recommended, followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy. once it spreads to distant organs (stage IV) it will be impossible to cure.

the reason i wrote this is not to blame her or hound her after her death. i am still a fan and respect her tremendously as an artist and humanitarian. she was, and will remain, one of the most endearing personalities in chinese popular culture.

if you are a woman, or if you have been diagnosed with a certain condition, be it cancer, AIDS, or even diabetes, hypertension etc, please find out as much as you possibly can so that you can make an informed decision. the best person to ask is an empathic and qualified medical practioner. if anita truly knew and understood the seriousness of cervical cancer, and took immediate and necessary action, things could have been very much different. she could have been a great mother, she could have adopted a child and made him her own, she could have finally found true love.

her death was a tragedy. she had to struggle to get to where she was. to have it end this way, to me, is not right.

i really have to be frank so i am not to be misunderstood. to fight cervical cancer, or any cancer, it will never be enough with just great spirits. you simply have to get treatment, and stick to it. even if it means removing your ovaries, or womb, colon, breast, or to have your hair fall out from chemotherapy. there will never be a magic pill one can take. this is simply offering false hope, as is doled out by quacks and certain traditional practitioners. i feel so saddened when patients come to me only when their condition has turned bad and their tumours have spread. for all the time when they know something was wrong they turned to all the wrong people for false security. i know, we are all afraid. the only way to overcome that is with knowledge. if we know what we are dealing with, things may not be so formidable after all.

may she rest in peace.

hou yee
malaysia

Reference :-
http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/cervical/patient/#Section_180

[yongyong Chin]

Good bye, Anita I will miss you forever, I have seen you one in your concert at Malaysia....and I remember I touch your hand......

[yongyong Chin]

Good bye, Anita I will miss you forever, I have seen you one in your concert at Malaysia....and I remember I touch your hand......

[narisa]

dear anita
I AM THAI.I LIKE YOUR STYLE.I LIKE YOUR PERFORMING
I AM SAD TO YOU PASS ALWAY.

[Michelle]

Dearest Anita

Good bye, Anita!

You are like a sister to me, I do not know in what way just knowing you hold a place in my heart...

Today 12 Jan 2004, thru the radio station, I seems to be there to wave you good bye. Heart sinks and really just miss you so so so much...

Hope you will meet your old best friends and we will always remember you all when we raise our heads and looked at the stars above us...

I Love You!

Michelle

[yoong]

Dearest:Anita
Good bye forever.... i so sad since i know your death until now.you are my idol forever,you will always in my heart.i miss you and i love you so much.everytime i think about you i will felt so sad even cry,can`t eat or sleep.everytime i stared at the sky i will think where you are,what are you doing,what beyond the skies and finally i will call out your ANITA... i hope you will heared me and knowed i much i miss you so much.No matter what happen you will holding there in my heart.I want to say thank you for all your best song and movie.THANK YOU so much... may you rest in peace.......... ALWAYS IN MY HEART

[Master Clifford Wm. Bird]

Still in shock. It is always sad when good people pass on. Anita did much good, and touched so many souls in her short life. She will be missed...I am very sad knowing she is gone. She lives on in our hearts and memories.
Wishing her abundent peace,
Sa Bam Nim Cliff Bird March 20, 2004

[Tom]

It's a sad sad day for me to find out that one of the greatest female actors have passed away... I didn't even know until I saw the tribute on "House of Flying Daggers".
Anita was loved by many here in Norway as well and I will miss her on screen. May you rest in peace.

Love

Tom

[Chia]

its sad that anita mui had passed away..i wish that her soul will live in peace..she one of the greatest chinese actress..i love all her movie that she did..live peace anita..

[DeAnna Yu]

Ah-Mui Yi,

Even til today, i am still shocked about your tragedy & Leslie's tragedy pass, i miss you both so dearly, it brings tears to my eyes everytime i hears both of your beautiful voices, please rest in peace & when my time comes i hope i can hear you rlullaby's permanentally. RIP to 2 of the best HK artists/stars of asian times