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David Lee, born in Newington, London on 12 August 1926 (contrary to some sources citing 1929 or 1930), was a pianist, orchestra leader, arranger, songwriter, and film composer. His father, Joseph, was a professional photographer who was relocated to the North East during the war to camouflage military equipment. The family moved to Whitley Bay, where David began performing with local groups. His breakthrough came in 1942 when he won the Melody Maker poll for best new jazz pianist. In 1947, he moved to South Africa, working as a resident musician in nightclubs in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg before studying at the Johannesburg Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Mus.Bac.
In 1954, David Lee invited Johnny Dankworth to perform in South Africa, and Dankworth persuaded him to return to England as pianist and arranger for his band. David also performed with Terry and McGhee, the Buddy Tate Quartet, and Jack Parnell, and arranged for notable entertainers including Norman Wisdom, Benny Hill, and Judy Garland. From 1959, he led the Dave Lee Trio, recording several successful albums.
David’s composing career began in the 1950s with television jingles, totaling around 700. He later collaborated with lyricist Herbert Kretzmer, producing hits such as "Bangers and Mash" (1961, performed by Peter Sellers), "Goodness Gracious Me" (1960, for Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren), and "Kinky Boots" (1990, for Honor Blackman and Patrick Macnee). They also created the West End musical Our Man Crichton in 1964. David contributed music to BBC satirical shows including That Was the Week That Was (1962) and I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again (1964). His film scoring began in 1960 with low-budget features and advanced to orchestral scores for significant films, notably Masque of the Red Death (1964) directed by Roger Corman. In 1983, he was named BBC Jazz Society Musician of the Year, and in 1990 he co-founded the jazz-focused radio station Jazz FM. Approaching his 80s, he remained active, with his novel Promised Lands, about a fictional jazz pianist, scheduled for publication in 2006.
