Bill Lee, the well-regarded jazz musician and father of filmmaker Spike Lee, passed away at the age of 94.
Mr. Lee transitioned on Wednesday at his home in Brooklyn, according to Theo Dumont, a publicist for Spike.
According to AP News, Bill Lee was a session bassist who can be heard on Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and Aretha Franklin’s 1960 Columbia debut album, Aretha.
Mr. Lee also wrote the soundtracks to Spike’s classic films like She’s Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do The Right Thing, and Mo’ Better Blues.
Terrence Blanchard took over the role of writing the soundtracks after Spike Lee became estranged from his father in 1977 after his mother, Jacqueline Lee, died of liver cancer.
Shortly after Jacqueline’s death, Bill Lee moved in with his new girlfriend, Susan Kaplan, and the two later tied the knot.
Spike Lee took to social media to pay tribute to his father with a number of posts.
The legendary filmmaker noted that his father passed away on his son Jackson Lewis Lee’s birthday and that his father also died on the same day as the “Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll Tina Turner.
See Spike’s tribute posts to his father Bill Lee below.
My sincerest condolences and prayers to the Lee family and all who knew, loved, and cherished Bill.
Source: AP News
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