In Memoriam
Arthur Lee
March 7, 1945 – August 3, 2006 · aged 61
Psychedelic Rock · Folk Rock
Arthur Lee was the enigmatic frontman and creative mastermind behind the Los Angeles rock band Love. Born in Memphis in 1945 and raised in LA, Lee was a trailblazer as one of the first Black musicians to front a prominent multi-racial rock band in the 1960s. Love actually preceded the Doors as the reigning kings of the Sunset Strip. Lee's magnum opus was Love's 1967 album 'Forever Changes.' Fusing folk-rock, psychedelia, and intricate orchestral arrangements with Lee's dark, prophetic lyrics about mortality and societal decay, it is widely considered one of the greatest albums in rock history. Known for his volatile personality and reluctance to tour, Lee never achieved the massive commercial success of his peers, and he spent several years in prison during the 1990s on a weapons charge. After a triumphant musical comeback in the early 2000s, he died of leukemia on August 3, 2006, at the age of 61. He is remembered as one of rock's most brilliant, uncompromising visionaries.
Milestones
Forever Changes, Alone Again Or, 7 and 7 Is
Also remembered in 2006
- Ali Farka Touré (1939–2006)
- James Brown (1933–2006)
- J Dilla (1974–2006)
- Syd Barrett (1946–2006)