Richard Lee Peng Boon, (born 24 August 1956) professionally known as Dick Lee, is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director. Lee was awarded the Cultural Medallion, Singapore's pinnacle arts award, for music in 2005. Early life Lee was born to a Peranakan father, Lee Kip Lee, (who wrote for The Straits Times) and his wife, Elizabeth Tan. He was the eldest child in the family of five, with three brothers and a sister (now deceased). He received his early education at St. Michael's School (now SJI Junior) and his secondary education at St. Joseph's Institution. Musical career Early years Lee started his career in 1971 at the age of fifteen when he joined when he the group Harmony as a pianist and participated in several talent contests with the group. He soon left the group and formed his own group, Dick and the Gang, with his brothers. He would performed on stage both as a group or on his own. His first album, Life Story, featuring his own compositions, was released in 1974. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Lee championed the use of Asian elements in pop music. His pioneering album, Life in the Lion City (1984), won acclaim. But the album that achieved regional prominence for him was The Mad Chinaman, released in 1989, Lee won several awards in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan for these early artistic efforts. In addition to his recordings, in 1983, he co-produced and contributed keyboards to Zircon Lounge's debut album Regal Vigour. 1990s In 1990, Lee moved to Japan where he continued to develop the new Asian identity through his solo work, as well as collaborations with top Asian artistes such as Tracy Huang, Sandy Lam and Japanese group Zoo. He has written numerous songs for top singing talents in Asia. Transit Lounge, released by Sony, won both critical and music lovers' praise during the same time that he was regional vice-president of Artiste and Repertoire for Sony Music Asia, based in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2000. Everything, released in November 2000 also by Sony Music, features a collection of his works written since the 1970s. In December 2001, Lee and his friend Leonard T contributed a song to a charity CD – Love Is The Answer For Kids With Aids, KK Outreach for Kids Fund. The song "It All Begins With Love" is aired frequently on Singapore's radio stations. Lee