Bill Lee

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. 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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bill Lee (musician), licensed under CC BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Birth Location Snow Hill, Alabama, USA
Born 1928-07-23
Died 2023-05-24

Movies

School Daze as Phil Hyman Quartet - Bass
1988
She's Gotta Have It as Sonny Darling
1986
1961
Pigs Is Pigs as Singer
1954

Movies

Elder's Corner Sound Mixer
2020
Never Met Picasso Original Music Composer
1996
Mo' Better Blues Original Music Composer
1990
Do the Right Thing Original Music Composer
1989
School Daze Original Music Composer
1988
She's Gotta Have It Original Music Composer
1986
Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads Original Music Composer
1983