William Lee

William, Will, Bill or Billy Lee may refer to:

Business

Arts, entertainment and literature

Bill Lee (singer)

Bill Lee (21 August 1916 – 15 November 1980) was an American playback singer who provided a voice or singing voice in many films, for actors in musicals and for many Disney characters. He was born in Johnson, Nebraska, and like his dancing colleague Bobby Van died in 1980 in Los Angeles, California, of a brain tumor.

Lee was part of a popular singing quartet known as The Mellomen. In The Jungle Book's soundtrack, it was mistakenly assumed that fellow Melloman member, Thurl Ravenscroft, provided the singing voice of Shere Khan in the song, "That's What Friends Are For". However, Richard Sherman confirmed on the audio commentary on its 2007 DVD release, that it was Bill Lee who provided Shere Khan's singing as George Sanders, Shere Khan's voice actor, though an accomplished singer, was not available during the finalized recording of the song.

Lee also provided the singing voice for Christopher Plummer in The Sound of Music.

Partial filmography

Bill Lee (musician)

William James Edwards "Bill" Lee III (born July 23, 1928) is an American musician. He has played the bass for many artists including Cat Stevens, Harry Belafonte, Chad Mitchell Trio, Gordon Lightfoot, Aretha Franklin, Odetta, Simon and Garfunkel, Ian & Sylvia, Tom Rush, Burt Bacharach, Peter, Paul and Mary, Arlo Guthrie, Tom Paxton, Carolyn Hester, John Lee Hooker, Josh White, Duke Ellington, Malvina Reynolds, Eric Bibb, The Clancy Brothers and Bob Dylan. On the original release of Dylan's classic song "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," Lee, on bass guitar, is the only musician performing other than Dylan himself. He is the father of Spike Lee.

Biography

Lee was born in Snow Hill, Alabama, the son of Alberta Grace (Edwards), a concert pianist, and Arnold Wadsworth Lee, a musician. With his first wife, Jackie, he had five children, including the famed film director Spike Lee (born 1957), still photographer David Lee (born 1961), actress Joie Lee (born 1962), and filmmaker Cinqué Lee (born 1966) and has composed original music for many of his son's films, including She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Do the Right Thing and Mo' Better Blues. With his second wife, Susan, he has one son, Arnold Lee, who plays alto saxophone.