Bill Lee obit

Bill Lee, Bassist and Composer of Son Spike Lee’s Films, Dies at 94

He accompanied a wide range of jazz and folk musicians and scored “She’s Gotta Have It,” “School Daze” “Do the Right Thing” and “Mo’ Better  

He was not on the list.

Lee 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.

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 was arrested on October 25, 1991 in Fort Greene for carrying a small bag of heroin during a police drug sweep of a park near his home. Lee would later say of his arrest, "I'm glad I was arrested, It woke me up."

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

Though Bill Lee scored his son's first four movies, they had a falling out shortly after the arrest on drug charges. By 1994, the elder Lee said they had not spoken in two years.

Bill Lee said their problems started with his son's intolerance of his second marriage. The family feud began in 1976, when Spike Lee's mother Jacquelyn died of cancer and Susan Kaplan moved in with Bill. Spike has been quoted as saying, "my mother wasn't even cold in her grave." Bad feelings intensified with Jungle Fever, Spike Lee's film on interracial romantic relationships, as Kaplan was white.

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.