Lee Brilleaux died 25 years ago today*

British rock legend Lee Brilleaux (born Lee Collinson) perished on April 7, 1994. Despite his contributions to rock music, the death of Brilleaux was overshadowed in UK and around the world by the death of Kurt Cobain from Nirvana. Let us dedicate this day to Brilleaux and the enjoyable body of work he's left behind as an artist.


In 1976, Brilleaux helped found Stiff Records, one of the driving forces of the New Wave of the mid- to late-1970s, with a loan of 500 pounds. Brilleaux was a bluesman at heart, who founded the long-running rock band Dr. Feelgood which originally featured guitarist Wilko Johnson and helped to kick start punk rock.

Dr. Feelgood band photo

 

Hear hear!
That was some overshadow Cobain's death had. I didn't know Lee Brilleaux had died! And I've got all the albums!
What a great singer, totally suited Dr Feelgood.

 

It’s strange but 2019 is the year I officially became a Dr. Feelgood fan. I heard bits and pieces of them for the last 30 years or so but never really “got it” until a few months ago I saw the clip posted above and I was hooked.

This rocks my world.

 

I was very sad that his death was so overshadowed by Kurt's death. Well done for posting this thread

 

Lee Brilleaux with Paula Yates

T-shirt which honors Brilleaux

 

Man, I feel old...

Still remember seeing the Feelgoods back in the '70s before Wilko left...A band born for sweaty, seedy clubs if ever there was one.

 

As a Johnny Kidd and The Pirates fan, count me in is as someone who gets blown away watching those old films of Dr. Feelgood with Wilko floating across the stage, spanking the plank Pirate-style with Lee blasting out that blues harp. What a great and influential band and a shame that Johnny Kidd himself wasn't around to see them. I think he would have been very proud to see that years later, the R 'n' B power trio style had someone as cool as Dr Feelgood to carry the torch to the next group of youngsters.
Imagine a double bill of Dr Feelgood and Kidd with his Mick Green / Johnny Spence / Frank Farley Pirates line-up with a combined set to close the night. Lee on harp for Kidd.
That would have been quite something.
I wish I could have seen Kidd and The Pirates and the classic Dr. Feelgood line-up in action. In my opinion, two of the finest and most influential bands of their respective eras.

 

Love the Feelgoods, especially the Wilko Johnson era. This is prime stuff on the BBC show Old Grey Whistle Test...



The documentary Oil City Confidential is also worth checking out.

 

What can I add to all the wonderful tributes above? Not much, but Lee Brilleaux and the Dr. Feelgood were fantastic and their music still sounds powerful, tough and energetic.

I get the impression Dr. Feelgood are more popular now than they were in the late 80s and early 90s. It's a shame he didn't survive to experience a resurgence.

 

I have been a Dr. Feelgood fan ever since I first saw a domestic LP copy of the album Malpractice in a cutout bin way back in my teen years. An ignoble place for it to be to be sure, but I had recently read some kind of positive buzz about the band , perhaps in Trouser Press or CREEM, so as soon as I saw it, I grabbed it and took it home.

Blew me away, it did !

That day I became a lifelong fan and found an import copy of Down By The Jetty double-quick.

Even after Wilko left, I stayed on with the Gypie Mayo configuration as ...well....he was his own kind of brilliance ....and ... Lee Brilleaux and that incredible VOICE were still there.

I was very sad when I had heard that he had passed. Way too soon.

In Lee's honor I just pulled my beloved CD copy of Malpractice and am currently reveling in it's wonderfulness.

Thanks much for the suggestion ...

RIP Lee Brilleaux