Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Musically, I appear to suffer (or benefit) from GADD (Genre Attention Deficit Disorder). I write songs in a wildly eclectic array of styles, not content to mine one type of music for very long. Rock and Roll, blues, Pop, Broadway, Country... no genre is safe from my experiments in musical diversity. When people ask me what kind of music I prefer, I say I like what I like, and whatever I write reflects what I'm feeling at the time and how I express it in melody and rhythm.

What are my influences? As a kid, I listened to Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton, Hank Williams, Pat Boone, Roy Orbison, Elvis and the rest who were popular in the late fifties and early sixties. Up until 1963, my primary influences would be what was then known as country and western. That all changed when the Patterson family brought back an album from England entitled "Meet the Beatles." John, Paul, George and Ringo became my leading musical lights until a friend gave me some 8-track tapes just before I left for college to study art and drama. Those tapes included "Steppenwolf"; "Steppenwolf the Second"; "Wheels of Fire"; "Led Zeppelin"; "Led Zeppelin II" "Strange Days" and "Waiting For The Sun", among others. Though I had been one of the few who found "Born To Be Wild" to be grating and noisy, I became a fan of Steppenwolf, and remain so to this day. Following this, I listened to Linda Ronstadt, The Monkees, Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter, Queen, Gary Allan and more, but the Beatles, Steppenwolf and Ian Hunter appear to be my lasting favorites and musical influences, with a heavy nod to Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, and even Tiny Tim.

Though Brenda Donaloio Lee is now my wife, she still remains my best friend and creative mentor, balancing my flights of fantasy and imagination with a cruel but necessary dose of reality.

There will be new CD releases forthcoming in 2007, including "Rock and Roll Singer" and "A Simple Time and Place".

We are currently sending out my original Plays to drama publishers. I have been unable to convince the local theaters (Strand Theatre and Island East End Theater Company) to produce any of my work, all of which had successful runs in Houston, Missouri City, Sugar Land, Kansas City and other locations. It's all very exciting, and we hope the New Year brings recognition and success in George's forays into the world of creative arts!

I will be updating my performance schedule here as I book new gigs.

I will soon be exhibiting new artwork, including my collection of signed and numbered pieces entitled "Ceilings on the Wall", which are made from stamped tin ceiling panels rescued from gutted historical buildings (circa 1915) and framed in red pine that is over a century old and soaked in the flood of the 1900 storm. I also have a number of new watercolors.

Currently, a small portion of my artwork may be viewed at the Art League Gallery at 21st and Post Office Street here in Galveston. We are contacting some galleries in the Houston Village and West U area as well regarding a showing of new GeorgeArt.

Stay tuned for more news and watch for my comatose column of humor, "One
Day In A Row" to be resurrected soon!

and the apple itunes store
for downloads and sales
Special thanks to David Stanowski of Galveston Music Scene.com
for his continued interest in finding me places to play!!!

Thursday, October 12, 2006

THE BUSINESS OF BUZZ.. GEORGE IS BUSY BUZZING: NEWS FROM THE CD FRONT... "COURTYARD CAFE" features George Douglas Lee LIVE from the quaintly bohemian Courtyard Cafe immediately west of historic downtown Galveston. Energetic performances of classic George songs, a collection of his greatest hit, including "The Bottle or the Gun"; "Somewhere On This Planet"; "Maybe Someday" and "Shameless". The album is becoming very popular with digital downloaders. "The guy has so much energy, he sounds like an entire band with only an acoustic guitar and BIG vocals.." says Ron Obvious.


And, for something different for children and the child in all of you, the newest release is "MONSTER MUSICALS", an audiobook version of three musical stage plays by George. "THE WOLF WHO CRIED BOY"; "FRANKENSTEIN, THE MONSTER MUSICAL"; AND "WOLFBANE". The selections feature narration, voices, dialogue and songs from the shows, with George and actors from the stage production performing the material. A GREAT Christmas gift, and the styles range from Broadway show style, rock and Classical.

Next on the horizon is "ROCK AND ROLL SINGER", a retrospective compilation of George's studio singles and album cuts from the mid-70's to the mid 80's, including cuts from the album "MADE TO BE PLAYED"!

Farther down the slippery slope and up the slowly burning rope will be:

A SIMPLE TIME AND PLACE

...featuring all new studio recordings of new songs. Some are actually NOT about my new bride Brenda. Those of you at the wedding will recall the title cut, which I sang to Mrs. Lee immediatley following the ceremony. It is my most heartfelt and most popular song with live audiences.

MORE TO COME...
Reviews of the "Courtyard Cafe" CD "This CD, Like ANYTHING George writes, produces, plays, sings, or otherwise has his hands in, is wonderful. I've known George as an artist, musician, comedian, and a good friend for many years. His talent is beyond description.....GO GEORGE!!!!!" submitted by Roseann Krannich, Ohio "I just wanted to jot an e-mail and thank you once again for the performance tonight. I really enjoyed meeting you and listening to you perform. You have a great sound, and an incredible talent with the guitar, unfortunately in the music world today that isn't too widespread. You seem to have to have a radio friendly dance sound to be popular other than actually being talented and having music with substance like you and Steve Earle do. Best of luck to you in your career and please let me know when you are coming back through! Thanks for all you do! Curtis" sent by Curtis Crandall, Huntsville, Texas resident and music afficionado "COURTYARD CAFÉ" is the 2005 release from Galvestonian George Douglas Lee. This live recording features Lee in a solo acoustic performance recorded at the Courtyard Café in Galveston. Twelve tracks containing fourteen songs comprise this project that has Lee telling stories of life in his poignant style. Blues undertones with rock, pop, folk, and country influences make this a diverse project. Lee pens all the cuts on this album and is the sole performer on cuts like "Street Corner Blues" and arguably the best cut, "Maybe Someday." Many of you may have seen Lee perform around the Island, and here's your chance to take home some of the music you're used to hearing. I can almost taste the salt air of the Gulf as I listen to Lee's songs. They remind me so much of Galveston, where I spent so many years. In addition to Lee's new solo career, after many years fronting a rock band, he has other accolades. An accomplished playwright, an author, and an actor, Lee keeps busy since moving back to the Island where he was born. George joins other Lee's of Galveston music fame, like my old friends Gary Lee, Grady Lee, and Mark Lee (no relation). I know a guy named Terry Lee who is an Elvis impersonator, but I don't think that matters right now. Just buy the George Douglas Lee disc and experience a "nuevo-renaissance" heretofore only dreamed of." MYTEXASMUSIC.COM Next to be released is "Rock And Roll Singer" a retrospective compilation of singles and album tracks recorded in the mid '70's and early '80's. An album of all new studio songs entitled "A Simple Time And Place" is currently in production.

Monday, September 11, 2006

NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE OF GEORGE... First and foremost, I am getting married on Saturday, September 30th in Mount Upton NY at the United Methodist Church. Ah yes, details! I will be legally and matrimonially joining my life with Brenda Ann Donaloio. To friends and relatives, she is already known as my better half, constant companion and mentor, to those only familiar with my music and creative endeavors, she is known to you as my MANAGER. In reality, that term applies to all aspects of my life.

In related news, I will soon be elected to the Board of Directors of the Strand Theatre at 2317 Ship's Mechanic Row (a fancy name for Mechanic Street across from the ritzy Tremont House Hotel). After years of changing management regimes, they appear to have a solid one and I will be gratified to be a board member. I hope to be producing some of my plays and teaching acting classes should this materialize.

A music producer in Houston will be meeting with me to discuss my recording songs in the studios there and/or producing and marketing demos of my material to established artists!

John Kay and Steppenwolf, my favorite band and a primary influence, will be appearing at the Lone Star Rally here in Galveston the first week of November.

More to come soon....

Saturday, June 10, 2006

I will be appearing at:

THE FIFTH STREET CAFE AND WINE BAR
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 11
Outside on the Patio

5 pm till 9 pm

Original and Classic Songs, Guitar and Vocals

Directions: The Fifth Street Cafe is located on 5th Street in Kemah
Just before the entrance to the Boardwalk

Just off 146 before the entrance to the bridge
about a half mile from the Target and Home Depot on 518

Courtyard Cafe and Monster Musicals CD's will be available for sale!

Buy them at www.cdbaby.com/all/georgedouglaslee

I will also be appearing at the 5th Street Cafe on Sunday, June 25, 5 - 9 pm

Saturday, June 03, 2006

George Douglas Lee
Performing Songwriter,
Fine Artist, Playwright and Comedian

Musical History and Evolution of the Courtyard Cafe CD: Next to the crumbling shell of the old Del Rey movie house on what used to be the bad side of 25th street in historic downtown Galveston is an anachronistic European chateau, called the Courtyard Café.

One rainy night George Lee walked into the newly opened café to play at an open mic. The cafe frequented by folkies, invoked the atmosphere of a mid-sixties coffee house. He quickly changed that with his high energy originals. He’d moved back to his home town, put down his ‘68 Telecaster, and armed with a Takamine EG-334BC, started playing, composing new songs and re-inventing older ones. This led to a series of weekly performances and a growing following. A packed Saturday gig inspired him to record the live performances.

“’COURTYARD CAFÉ’, the 2005 release from Galvestonian George Douglas Lee, features Lee live in a solo acoustic performance recorded at the Courtyard Café. Twelve tracks containing fourteen songs comprise this project that has Lee telling stories of life and love in his poignant style. Blues undertones with rock, pop, folk, and country influences make this a diverse album.

“Lee pens all the cuts on this album and is the sole performer on songs like “Street Corner Blues” and arguably the best cut, “Maybe Someday.” - mytexasmusic.com

When he first moved to the Island, George, ill, out of work and living in a third-rate efficiency, was inspired to write the opening song, “The Bottle Or The Gun”. He had been revisiting the blues on vintage records and wanted to do a classic rendition of a three-chord walk-down blues tune. He parked by the Seawall on a foggy winter’s day and the words began to flow. The whole thing was scribbled on a napkin in his car. “The ocean never rests, baby, the tide keeps rollin’ in, waves lick at the sandy beach, then roll back out again.” Yeah… It never rests. There was the loneliness that one can only feel on a bleak, gray day in a closed summer town. Listeners can taste the passion and join him on the edge in “Bittersweet Drive”, “Maybe Someday” and “Street Corner Blues.”

In 1972, while at Sam Houston State University, Lee began a musical career that took him throughout Texas and the southwest as front man for electric rock band Uncle Jak. Uncle Jak stayed together until 1975. During that time, Lee wrote songs, played lead and rhythm guitar, keyboards and bass. The group was one of the few at the time who were able to get booked playing original tunes.

With Galveston producer A.W. Marullo, he recorded three single records as a solo artist, including “Sweet & Brutal” and “Maybe I’m Fallin’”. His second single, “Elaine”, was in the top five on several Texas radio stations. Following the release of the third record, he formed the group Geo, playing originals and the newly coined “classic rock” tunes. With bass player Joe Alford (who went on to play with country singer Collin Raye), he entered an extremely creative and prolific period, writing over twenty-five new songs, many of which appeared on the album, “Made To Be Played”. That record released in 1982, was featured on Houston radio station K-101. “Geo” played frequently in Houston, Galveston, and throughout the southwest before disbanding in 1984.

Lee established “The Electric Theatre” in Sugar Land, where he wrote, directed, produced original plays, taught acting and performed onstage, in films and commercials.

The "MONSTER MUSICALS" CD had its origins in the 1992 production of "Frankenstein, The Monster Musical" at Fort Bend Community Theatre. This musical comedy version of the classic "Bride of Frankenstein", played to capacity audiences following its opening night, and inspired George to write
"The Wolf Who Cried Boy" and "Wolfbane" among many others. Those plays also appear in abbreviated "audiobook" format on "Monster Musicals".

Additionally, he has written and illustrated a number of children’s books. His screenplay adaptation of his play “Laughing Boy”, was produced as an independent film by Joe Grisaffi in 2002. It is currently available on DVD.

Lee writes a humor column, "One Day In A Row", for Galveston’s “Parrot” newspaper, as well as film reviews, book reviews and other articles. As a fine artist, he exhibits paintings, and has created "Ceilings On The Wall", a collection of individually signed and numbered pieces made from vintage stamped tin ceiling panels framed in century-old hardwood.

Monday, April 03, 2006

MONSTER MUSICALS
It features character voices, narration, sound effects and songs from three of my kid's musical comedies, "The Wolf Who Cried Boy", "Frankenstein, The Monster Musical" and "Wolfbane". They will soon be followed by publication of three illustrated children's storybooks and rhyming funbooks, written and illustrated by ME, GEORGE DOUGLAS LEE. There's been a slight but long delay until I could find the sharpener on my 64 set crayon box with silver and gold ones.