Died On This Date (December 21, 2012) Lee Dorman / Bassist For Iron Butterfly
themusicsover Lee Dorman
September 15, 1942 – December 21, 2012
Lee Dorman was a bassist for San Diego psychedelic rock band, Iron Butterfly. Joining about a year after they formed in 1966, Dorman played on their classic second album, 1968’s In-A-Gadda-De-Vida which many consider the birth of heavy metal. The album went on to sell over 30 million copies while its 17-minute epic single of the same name is considered a rock music milestone and continues to get heavy airplay on classic rock stations as well as on film and TV to this day. Iron Butterfly broke up in 1971 but reunited in 1974 with Dorman coming back into the fold in 1977. He continued on-and-off with the group’s various incarnations up through his final years. During breaks from Iron Butterfly, Dorman was a part of Captain Beyond who released a handful of rock albums through the ’70s. On December 21, 2012, Lee Dorman’s body was found dead in a car. Early reports indicated that police did not suspect foul play and that it was presumed he died while en route to a doctor’s appointment. He was 70 years old.
Thanks to Paul Bearer for the assist.
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