Pitchfork: Love's Arthur Lee Fighting Leukemia, Benefits Planned

Love's Arthur Lee Fighting Leukemia, Benefits Planned

Arthur Lee, frontman for the 60s cult band Love and all-around rock legend, has undergone chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. According to an email from Los Angeles booking agent Liz Garo, doctors believe a full recovery is still possible, but more treatment is needed, including, possibly, a bone marrow transplant. Like so many musicians, Lee has no health insurance, and, consequently, no way to pay for the already astronomical bills his treatment has incurred.

Garo, along with Spaceland Productions, Bruce Solar of The Agency Group, and Mark Linn from Delmore Recording Society, are organizing a benefit concert to take place in Los Angeles in late May or early June. According to Garo's email, X, Calexico, and Cake have already expressed interest, and Lee's most recent backing band, Baby Lemonade, is on board. The organizers are currently looking for more "artists to perform a few of Arthur's songs that capture the spirit and magic of Arthur Lee and Love."

That magic was best represented on Love's first three albums, 1966's Love, 1967's Da Capo, and 1967's perennially honored Forever Changes. All three combined the songcraft of folk-rock and the expansiveness of psychedelia. After dismissing the rest of the band after Forever Changes, Lee toured and recorded with session players as Love for a short time, before embarking on an erratic solo career in the 70s. During the 90s, Lee spent eight years in prison on gun charges; after his release, he continued to perform Love songs to adoring crowds, with the help of Baby Lemonade.

According to posts on the message board for the fan site LovewithArthurLee.com, Linn has been in regular contact with Lee since the illness was diagnosed. He reports that Lee is in good spirits, and sounding stronger every day.