Arthur Lee

Arthur Taylor Lee was born on March 7, 1945, in Memphis, Tennessee. Raised in Los Angeles, he developed an early passion for music, playing various instruments and forming his first band, The LAGs, in the early 1960s. He gained recognition as a songwriter, working with artists like Rosa Lee Brooks, whose song My Diary featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar.

In 1965, Lee founded Love, a pioneering psychedelic rock band that blended folk, rock, and orchestral influences. Their 1967 album Forever Changes became a cult classic and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Despite early success, Love's lineup changed frequently, and Lee continued recording under the band's name throughout the 1970s. His solo album Vindicator (1972) failed commercially, and subsequent projects, including Black Beauty, remained unreleased for years.

Struggling with legal issues, Lee was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 1996 but was released in 2001. He reformed Love with a new lineup and toured extensively, performing Forever Changes in full. Diagnosed with leukemia in 2005, he died on August 3, 2006, in Memphis. His legacy endures through Forever Changes, now recognized as one of the greatest albums of all time.