Love's Arthur Lee - memorium

Arthur Lee, 61, lost his battle with leukemia, and died peacefully in his hometown of Memphis, TN on August 3. He is survived by his wife, Diane Lee, of Memphis.

Born Arthur Taylor Porter in Memphis, Arthur Lee moved with his family to Los Angeles as a youngster. In 1965, he formed Love, joining such groups as the Byrds, the Doors and Buffalo Springfield in the formation of a unique Los Angeles sound, which in Love's case blended psychedelic rock and blues. His musical influence was pervasive and influenced Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and later, Echo and the Bunnymen.

Love's 1966 debut album included the hit single "My Little Red Book," written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach. The B side of the 1967 follow-up album, "Da Capo," featured just one long song, "Revelation."

After 1967's "Forever Changes," Love broke up. Arthur Lee reformed the band a few times, but they never rose to the success of their early years. He recorded several solo albums in the 1970s, virtually disappeared in the 1980s and re-emerged in 1992 with a new album, "Arthur Lee and Love."

Unfortunately, in 1996, he was convicted of firing a pistol into the air during an argument with a girlfriend. With an assault charge and a drug charge on his record, Arthur was sentenced to 11 years under California's "three strikes" rule and served nearly 6. Until he received the leukemia diagnosis this year, he had been touring under the name "Love With Arthur Lee."

The Memphis Commercial Appeal noted that in May, after three rounds of chemotherapy failed, Arthur Lee became the first adult in Tennessee to undergo a bone marrow transplant using stem cells from an umbilical cord.