Don Lee (December 11, 1930 – July 21, 2015) was an American accordionist, multi-instrumentalist, music teacher, music publisher, record label owner, studio owner and electronics enthusiast who is most remembered for his reverb effect instrumental hit "ECHO, Echo echo" in 1957. He also has a place in Space Age Pop history.
Background Lee had an interest in electronics and how things worked which was sparked off from when he was eight years old. He was given a train set and would run it throughout his house as well as taking it apart to see how it worked. He also was experimenting with things and was told by his mother to keep out of the kitchen. By then the interest in electronics had taken hold. Also the same year he was given an accordion by his father and started taking lessons. At some stage he grew tired of the lessons and the routine and wanted to quit, however his father wouldn't let him. He also played clarinet at the Pattengill junior and Eastern high school bands.
An early inspiration for him was Les Paul with Lee's reasoning that what Paul could do with the guitar, he could do with the accordion.Lansing State Journal, Sunday, February 9, 1958 – Don Lee's Accordion Career Echoes Back to 8By ETHELYN SEXTON(Journal Music Editor)
Career By the time he was in his early twenties, he had opened the Bloomquist Music Studios which was based in Lansing, Michigan. He started his career as a music teacher and was also recording music professionally. By the time he was in his late twenties, he would have success with a hit making single.MagicValley.com, August 8, 2015 – Obituary: Donald "Don" Lee Bloomquist The single "ECHO, Echo echo" bw "Charmaine" was released on Blue Chip Records, cat# 0013 in May 1957.Global Dog Productions – Discography for Blue Chip Records On page 34 of the August 19 edition of The Billboard the single was said to be climbing steadily, heading for the charts.The Billboard, August 19, 1957 – Page 34 D.J.'s-Hot Tips on Hot Hits from Jubilee! On June 29 it was at #2 on the WAAF 950 AM chart.Las-solanas.com – WAAF / 950 AM / CHICAGO, ILLINOIS D-J ROUNDUP OF TOP TUNES (June 29, 1957) By September 9, it was already being recognized as a hit.The Billboard, September 9, 1957 – Page 50 the hits are on jubilee It became a hit for him in the Summer of that year. In the Chicago charts it had a run for ten weeks peaking at #18.Evansville Courier & Press, November 6, 2015 – MR. MUSIC for Nov. 6
By May 1958, his album Crazy Rhythm was released on Jubilee JLP 1067. The tracks included "Caravan", "Lady Be Good" and some compositions by Lee himself. With the aid of overdubbing Lee played all of the backing instruments.The Billboard, May 5, 1958 – Page 86 Reviews and Ratings of New Popular Albums, POPULAR ** The album had a Jazz edge to it and also got a positive review from The Cash Box.The Cash Box, May 10, 1958 – Page 45 Album Reviews Some of the material on the album is regarded by some as Space Age Pop.Spaceagepop.com – CaravanPinterest – crazy rhythm (1958) don lee accordion space age popYoutube – crazy rhythm (1958) don lee accordion space age pop
Following the success of his single, he toured the country and then came back to Michigan and opened up The Don Lee Studios which was a chain of teaching and recording studios. He toured again in the mid-1960s and spent two seasons performing in the half time breaks for the Harlem Globetrotters with Peg Leg Bates and Homer "Lee" Talboys. In the late 1960s, he worked in the computer industry and still managed to play on weekends and night engagements.
In his last years, around 2011, he was a resident at Pennington Place Senior Living in Hendersonville, TN.. He gave weekly shows there and soon became a favorite. The following year in 2012, he became a finalist in Nashville's senior talent competition, Silver Stars.MagicValley.com, August 8, 2015 – Obituary: Donald "Don" Lee Bloomquist
Death Lee died on July 21, 2015, at the age of 84. He was survived by his wife and four children.MagicValley.com, August 8, 2015 – Obituary: Donald "Don" Lee Bloomquist
Discography + Singles Act Release Catalogue Year Notes # Don Lee "Charmaine" / "ECHO, Echo echo" Blue Chip Records 0013 1957 Don Lee "Crazy Rhythm" / "Bells Of St. Mary's" Jubilee 45–5308 1957 Discogs – Don Lee (3), Discography, Singles & EPs Lee TalboysDon Lee Orch. "Lovin' Lies" / "When It's Darkness On The Delta" Palladium Records BB 607 1960 Lee Talboys & The Don Lee Orch. "Little Michigan Miss" / "The Way It Used To Be" Royalty Records Co. R-104 Colleen Shoemaker with the Don Lee Orchestra "Evening Song" / "Mackinac Waltz" Lee Records 867L-3626 1968 Discogs – The Don Lee Orchestra, Discography, Singles & EPs
+ Albums Act Release Catalogue Year Notes # Don Lee Crazy Rhythm Jubilee JLP-1067 1968 The Cash Box, May 10, 1958 – Page 45 Album Reviews
References
External links Lansing State Journal, Feb 9th, 1958 Article: "Don Lee's Accordion Career Echoes Back to 8" by Ethelyn Sexton YouTube – crazy rhythm (1958) don lee accordion space age pop Discogs: Don Lee (3) MagicValley.com: Obituary: Donald "Don" Lee Bloomquist City Pulse: A look back: When Peg Leg Bates came to Lansing