Richard Lee-Sung(1930-2021)

The self-proclaimed "Sex Symbol of Chinatown" was originally born in El Paso, Texas in 1930 and moved to Los Angeles during his early childhood. A graduate of Belmont HS in 1949 was followed by service in the US Marine Corps during the Korean War and earned the Purple Heart as a survivor of the battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Richard Lee-Sung was a popular bartender at Tang's and General Lee's in LA's Chinatown and regularly entertained patrons with "hair" jokes and singing popular songs such as Granada, Getting to Know You and The Fortune Cookie Man sung to the melody of The Candy Man. "Curlee", as he preferred to be called, also sang the most famous "Chinese" love song ever written (Solamente Una Vez) in perfect Spanish! Always using his trademark bald head, large smile, and robust laugh, Curlee was a memorable figure in LA's Chinatown during its heyday. As an actor he studied under and credits Mako and Kathleen Freeman as his life-long mentors and greatest influences on his career. Curlee has been seen and heard on numerous commercials and voice-overs. His roles include some of the most popular characters on TV shows such as M*A*S*H, Happy Days, What's Happening, Hardy Boys, The Incredible Hulk and played an Asian version of Ed McMahon on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His stage credits include productions with the East-West Players, Pacific Overtures and the Flower Drum Song. He has modeled for print ads in the US and Asia and known in parts of Asia as "Mr. Dumpling".