My Lion King Forum

Ten years ago, on February 3, 2004, Jason Raize took his own life when he was found hanging in a shed on a farm property in Yass, New South Wales, Australia. While we will forever remember him as Simba singing and dancing the classic Lion King songs on the Broadway stage, let us not forget he was a beloved son, friend, and colleague.





So, please share your thoughts. What are your memories of Jason Raize? Did you see him perform live on stage? Watch his concert special with Jessica Simpson? What?

What makes it worse is that the Lion King on Broadway was in many ways responsible for his death, for after he started playing as Simba in the musical, he couldn't match the father-son relationship of Simba and Mufasa with what he was going through with his real father. This seperation of ideas lead him to depression that in the end lead him to suicide. A really tragic death.

He will always be remembered, especially as he sang with the original production that was recorded on the official TLKoB soundtrack CD.

It is weird but after knowing he commited suicide I feel sad when I hear his beautiful voice in the version of "He lives in you" that they made for the Rosie O'Donnell show. It is indeed a sad story.