The late Martial arts legend Bruce Lee passed away at 33 in July 1973, leaving behind his wife and two children, Brandon and Shannon. Shannon, who was four years old at the time of his dad’s passing, has dedicated her life to preserving her father’s enduring legacy and honoring his memory.
Shannon has authored several books, including Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee, which includes previously untold stories from her father’s life and his philosophies and teachings. The 55-year-old is also the CEO of the Bruce Lee Family Company, founded in 2011 when she gained control of her late dad’s name and image.
Shannon Lee Reminisce about her father, Bruce Lee’s memory
In an interview with ESPN, Shannon shared that recalling memories of specific moments with her dad has proved to be a challenging task. “I would rack my brain,” the 54-year-old stated, “thinking, ‘There’s got to be a memory somewhere.'”
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However, Shannon claimed she remembered her late father for his highly spirited nature. “I realized my strongest memory of him was the feeling of him,” she told The Guardian in 2019. “When I think of him, it’s his energy and his love, the security I felt around him, his playfulness.”
Shannon Lee Is keeping her father’s memories alive
The 55-year-old revealed that after her father’s death, she learned martial arts to bond with her father. “Martial arts was so important to my father and we felt we’d have a closer connection if we took it up,” Shannon explained to The Guardian.
Shannon also briefly starred in a couple of movies. However, after the death of her brother, Brandon Lee, in 1993, due to a prop gun’s malfunction, she moved behind the scenes. She became the executive producer of the martial arts crime drama Warrior—a series based on a concept her late dad devised before his death.
In an interview with Deadline, Shannon stated that the idea for the series originated almost half a century ago. “Technically, if we’re really starting from the beginning, the journey began 50 years ago with him,” she confessed. “I’d always heard the story that he had created this and pitched it, but I guess I didn’t know for sure that the actual pages existed.”
Shannon is a proud mom
Though Shannon has experienced two significant losses in her life—Bruce Lee and Brandon’s death—she is unfazed and has continued to live her life and treasure the memories of her loved ones. Shannon tied the Knot with her husband, Ian Keasler, in 1994.
About a decade later, the couple welcomed their daughter Wren, who is also playing her part in honoring her grandfather’s legacy by handling his Snapchat account. “Here’s what LOVE looks like – my amazing daughter, Wren Lee Keasler. She is pure love and light and she makes me a better person everyday. AND if you think you are following her on social, she ONLY has a private IG account,” Shannon wrote. “Everyone else is an imposter. But she runs the Bruce Lee Snapchat (bruceleesco) if you want to check that out.”