Lee Underwood: key obituary facts
Is Lee Underwood dead? Yes. Lee Underwood died on July 14, 2026, at age 87.
Cause of death: Lee Underwood's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Lee Underwood known for?
He was an American musician.
More about Lee Underwood
Born: 1 January 1938.
Gender: male.
Occupation: guitarist, music journalist.
Nationality: United States.
Lee Underwood, an American musician and journalist who played lead guitar with Tim Buckley for much of Buckley’s career, died on July 14, 2026.
Born on January 1, 1938, Underwood appeared on seven of Buckley’s nine studio albums and later contributed piano and guitar to posthumous releases including Live in London, Greetings From West Hollywood and Live at the Troubadour 1969. He also appeared in the DVD Tim Buckley: My Fleeting House, where he discussed Buckley’s development from folk toward jazz and avant-garde music.
Underwood worked as West Coast editor for DownBeat from 1975 to 1981, and wrote for Rolling Stone and The Los Angeles Times. After leaving magazine writing in 1990, he moved to Santa Fe, N.M. He also recorded as a guitarist on California Sigh and as a pianist on Phantom Light and Gathering Light, and wrote Blue Melody: Tim Buckley Remembered…