Before Spike Lee’s business relationship ended, the director’s father, Bill Lee, who composed the music for his films, passed away.
Oscar winner Bill died Wednesday morning in Brooklyn at the age of 94, confirming it by posting a link on Instagram. New York Times death note. The jazz bassist has served as a composer in many of Spike’s films. Must Have It (1986) and do the right thing (1989).
According to NY TimesBill is also survived by his wife, children David, Cinque, Arnold and Joie, and two grandchildren. His first wife, Jacquelyn (Spike’s mother) died in 1976 and their other son, Christopher, died in 2013.
The musician and Spike had a disagreement in the 1990s that stopped their creative collaboration. Virgo told Esquire In 1992, they said they “can’t work together anymore” and talked about not getting along with Bill’s second wife.
According to 1994 Los Angeles times The story goes that Bill was arrested in 1991 for heroin possession and then in 1992 he asked Spike for a loan but the director refused. “I have nothing to do with Spike anymore. We haven’t spoken in two years,” Bill told his website at the time.
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Bill told the newspaper at the time, “I’m glad I got arrested. It woke me up. … drugs weren’t a part of my life until I was 40.” “People remember you for the work you do,” he added.
Spike told Los Angeles Times in the same cover story as the movie Crooklyn It was “very, very, very loosely” based on his childhood with his father. His brothers Cinque and Joie helped write the movie starring Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lindo.
Spike and Bill reunited at the 20th anniversary screening. do the right thing They pose together on the red carpet at New York City’s Guild of America Theater in June 2009. They reunited in 2014 for the film’s 25th anniversary event held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater.
Per NY TimesBill can be heard performing on more than 250 record albums and has worked with stars like Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, Simon and Garfunkel, and Harry Belafonte, to name a few.