Retired Former Idol Asks Fans For Help Trying To Restart His Music Career

James Lee shares his inspirational story about his recovery since his hand was nearly cut off, and now he’s ready to touch the heart of the world again through music.

James Lee, the former bassist of Royal Pirates, started a Kickstarter fund to relaunch his music career by releasing his first EP and music video, called “THE LIGHT”.

A post shared by James (@jamesjhl) on

He poured his heart out to the Kickstarter community, as he opened up about the tragic experience of a bright career cut short due to a freak accident where he nearly lost a hand.

“My name is James and I used to play bass in a band called Royal Pirates…Things were looking very good as I found myself gaining rapid momentum in the industry.  My band was playing shows in front of thousands of people all over Asia.  I found myself on variety shows I’d never imagined myself being on as well as shooting commercials with top celebrities of the nation.

The day after my birthday, a glass panel connected to a door frame slammed me into the ground in a freak accident at a restaurant in Hannamdong, South Korea.  My hand was crushed and nearly chopped off, dangling by a piece of skin.  My shoulder was also severely sprained and I had glass stuck in my head.” — James

He’s gotten over 5 surgeries and treatments done to revive what he could, but the damage was too great as James was left with a permanent disability.

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“I’ve had a total of 5 surgeries on my wrist with thousands of hours of rehab, but unfortunately, doctors are telling me it will never be the same. Every single day I would walk into the rehab center and prepare for an hour of crying and screaming as they twisted my stiff hand and now I can barely tie my shoes… I am now living with chronic pain and eventually, I will need a surgery that will fuse my hand in a permanent, immobile position.” — James

But he’s become an inspirational story as he now focuses on the positive aspect of his career and seeks to tell his story in the only way he knows how – through music.

“I’ve written a bunch of songs over the past few years that never got to see the light of day over the course of my chaotic music career.  So now I want to finally share my story in my 1st EP and make a music video! I need your help in order to produce this project to an industry standard.” — James

He also uploaded a preview to the music he’s written over the years on his Soundcloud.

Many fans have left supportive messages throughout the song.

He’s asking his fans from all over the world to help raise $27,600 USD in order to produce his first EP… and he received well over $35,000 USD within hours!

Click here to become a backer for James’s upcoming music project.

Thanks to a massive group of supportive fans, friends, and family, James Lee will now successfully be able to inspire even more people with his upcoming music!