Spike Lee and Bill Lee in 2009.Photo:George Napolitano/FilmMagic
George Napolitano/FilmMagic
Spike Lee’s father Bill Lee, the musician who composed scores for the director’s films before a feud ended their working relationship, has died.
Bill died on Wednesday morning in Brooklyn at 94, the Oscar winner confirmed onInstagram, sharing a link to hisNew York Timesobituary. The jazz bassist served as composer on several of Spike’s movies, includingShe’s Gotta Have It(1986) andDo the Right Thing(1989).
The musician and Spike had a falling out in the 1990s that stopped their creative collaborations. SpiketoldEsquireback in 1992that they “can’t work together anymore,” and spoke about not getting along with Bill’s second wife.
According to a1994Los Angeles Timesstory, Bill was arrested for heroin possession in 1991 and later asked Spike for a loan in 1992 but the director refused. Bill told the outlet at the time, “I don’t have anything to do with Spike now. We haven’t talked for two years.”
Joie Lee, Bill Lee and Spike Lee in 2014.Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix/Shutterstock
Kristina Bumphrey/Starpix/Shutterstock
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Spike told theLA Timesin that same cover story that his movieCrooklynwas “very, very, very loosely based” on his childhood with his father. His siblings Cinque and Joie helped write that film, which starred Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo.
Spike and Bill reunited at a 20th anniversary screening ofDo the Right Thingat New York City’s Directors Guild of America Theater in June 2009, posing together on the red carpet. They again joined each other for a 25th anniversary event for the movie held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater in 2014.
Per theNY Times, Bill can be heard performing on over 250 record albums and worked with stars like Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, Simon and Garfunkel, and Harry Belafonte, to name a few.
source: people.com
