What Happened to Spike Lee’s Mother?

Spike Lee’s mother died of liver cancer. Jacqueline Lee was a teacher of arts and black literature. There isn’t much information about her life on the internet.

However, her husband, Bill Lee was a jazz musician and composer. Lee played the bass for artists including Chris Anderson, Cat Stevens, John Lee Hooker and many others.

On the original release of Dylan’s classic song, “It’s Over Now, Baby Blue”, Lee, on the bass guitar, is the only musician performing other than Dylan himself.

Lee was arrested on October 25, 1991, in Fort Greene for carrying a small bag of heroin during a police drug sweep of a park near his home. Lee would later say of his arrest, “I’m glad I was arrested, It woke me up.”

Bill Lee died on May 24, 2023, at the age of 94.