Lee Michaels

Lee Eugene Michaels, born Michael Lee Olson on 24 November 1945 in Los Angeles, California, is an American rock musician known for his versatile skills as a singer and instrumentalist. He began his career with The Sentinals, a surf group based in San Luis Obispo, California, which included drummer John Barbata. He later joined the Joel Scott Hill Trio and moved to San Francisco, where he became part of an early version of The Family Tree. In 1967, he signed with A&M Records and released his debut album Carnival of Life. As a session musician, he played with Jimi Hendrix and other notable artists. His unique choice of the Hammond organ as his primary instrument set him apart in the music scene. His breakthrough came with the release of his fifth album, 5th, in 1971, which featured the top 10 US hit single "Do You Know What I Mean". This autobiographical track peaked at number six. He followed this success with another top 40 hit, a cover of the Motown standard "Can I Get a Witness", which reached number 39 in late 1971. After recording two more albums for A&M and several for Columbia Records, he went into semi-retirement by the end of the decade.

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