Bill Lee (musician) facts for kids

William James Edwards Lee (July 23, 1928 – May 24, 2023) was an American musician. He was the father of Spike Lee and Joie Lee. He composed original music for many of his son's films, including She's Gotta Have It (1986), School Daze (1988), Do the Right Thing (1989), and Mo' Better Blues (1990). Lee was involved in many releases from the Strata-East jazz record label, including directing the 1980 album The New York Bass Violin Choir.

Personal life

William James Edwards Lee was born in Snow Hill, Alabama, in 1928, the son of Alberta Grace (Edwards), a concert pianist, and Arnold Wadsworth Lee, a musician. In 1951, he graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He married his college sweetheart who was enrolled at a neighboring college, Jacqueline (Jackie) Shelton, a 1954 Spelman College graduate. With his first wife, Jackie, he had four children; film director Spike Lee (born 1957), still photographer David Lee (born 1961), actress Joie Lee (born 1962), and filmmaker Cinqué Lee (born 1966). The family moved to Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in 1959. With his second wife, Susan, he had one son, Arnold Lee, who plays alto saxophone.

Lee died at his home in Fort Greene on May 24, 2023, at the age of 94.

Career

Lee played the bass for many artists, including Chris Anderson, Cat Stevens, Harry Belafonte, Chad Mitchell Trio, Gordon Lightfoot, Aretha Franklin, Odetta, Simon and Garfunkel, Ian & Sylvia, Tom Rush, Burt Bacharach, Peter, Paul and Mary, Arlo Guthrie, Tom Paxton, Carolyn Hester, John Lee Hooker, Josh White, Duke Ellington, Malvina Reynolds, Eric Bibb, The Clancy Brothers, and Bob Dylan. On the original release of Dylan's classic song "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," Lee, on bass guitar, is the only musician performing other than Dylan himself. On Gordon Lightfoot's song Oh, Linda (recorded 1964), Lee is also the only musician other than Lightfoot's voice.

Film music

• Music director and performer on the song "Nola", She's Gotta Have It, Island, 1986.
• Music conductor of Natural Spiritual Orchestra, School Daze, Columbia, 1988.
• Music conductor of Natural Spiritual Orchestra, Do the Right Thing, Universal, 1989.
• Music director, Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990.
• Composer of score for the short film Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads.

Filmography

• Sonny Darling, She's Gotta Have It, Island, 1986.
• Bassist in the Phyllis Hyman Quartet, School Daze, Columbia, 1988.
• Father of the Bride, Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990.

Discography

• John Handy: No Coast Jazz (Roulette, 1960)
• Chris Anderson: My Romance (Vee-Jay, 1960 [1983]), Inverted Image (Jazzland, 1961)
• Ray Bryant: Con Alma (Columbia, 1960); Dancing the Big Twist (Columbia, 1961)
• Johnny Griffin: Change of Pace (Riverside, 1961)
• John Lee Hooker: The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay, 1961)
• Aretha Franklin: Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo (Columbia, 1961), The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin (Columbia, 1962)
• Frank Strozier: March of the Siamese Children (Jazzland, 1962)
• Ian and Sylvia: Ian & Sylvia (Vanguard, 1962)
• Judy Collins: Golden Apples of the Sun (Elektra, 1962), Fifth Album (Elektra, 1965), Whales & Nightingales (Elektra, 1970)
• Simon & Garfunkel: Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (Columbia, 1964)
• José Feliciano: The Voice and Guitar of José Feliciano (Sony, 1965)
• Tom Rush: Tom Rush (Elektra, 1965), Take a Little Walk with Me (Elektra, 1966)
• Peter, Paul & Mary: The Peter, Paul and Mary Album (Warner Bros., 1966)
• Gordon Lightfoot: Lightfoot! (United Artists, 1966)
• Clifford Jordan: Glass Bead Games (Strata-East, 1974); The Adventurer (Muse, 1978)
• Pat Martino: Starbright (Warner Bros., 1976)
• Stanley Cowell: Regeneration (Strata-East, 1976)
• Richard Davis: The Philosophy of the Spiritual (Cobblestone, 1971), Fancy Free (Galaxy, 1977) and Harvest (Muse, 1977 [1979])
• Chuck Loeb and Andy LaVerne: Magic Fingers (DMP, 1989)
• The Descendants of Mike and Phoebe: A Spirit Speaks (Strata-East)
• The Brass Company: Colors (Strata East)
• The Warm Voice of Billy "C": Where have you been Billy Boy (Strata East)
• Harold Mabern: A Few Miles from Memphis (Prestige), Rakin' and Scrapin' (Prestige)
• The New York Bass Violin Choir - The New York Bass Violin Choir (Strata-East)
• Mike Bloomfield: From His Head to His Heart to His Hands (Sony Legacy, 2014) Bill plays on "I'm a County Boy", "Judge, Judge", and "Hammond's Rag" from a 1964 audition for John Hammond at Columbia Records.

See also

In Spanish: Bill Lee para niños