May 24, 2023, will mark the passing of a few legends. Tina Turner, a rock icon, passed away and so did Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee — a music legend in his own right.
It was reported that Bill Lee died at the age of 94 on May 24 at his home in Brooklyn, New York. Spike Lee's publicist, Theo Dumont, confirmed the tragic news.
During his lengthy career, Bill was a session bassist who appeared on a number of hit albums from the likes of Cat Stevens, Odera, Gordon Lightfoot, and more. He even played on Aretha Franklin's self-titled debut album. Additionally, he would write the soundtracks to a number of Spike's films including She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Mo' Better Blues, and Do the Right Thing — a film he also appeared in.
Beginning with Spike's film Jungle Fever, Terence Blanchard took over scoring duties for Spike and has not looked back — accumulating two Academy Award nominations for BlacKkKlansman and Da 5 Bloods.
Spike Lee is a prolific filmmaker and one of the most well-known ones at that in addition to being a fixture at New York Knicks home games at Madison Square Garden. He has been nominated for six Academy Awards throughout his career — winning two — and has always found a way to integrate socio-political themes without beating you over the head. While he has not directed a feature film since 2020's Da 5 Bloods for Netflix, he's got a few joints coming up including Prince of Cats, Da Understudy, and Boner.
Aside from Spike, Bill's legacy will be continued by his sons David, Cinque, and Arnold and his daughter Joie, his brother, A. Clifton Lee, and two grandchildren.
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