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costume. A lover of animals, Dee often included his pet dog, a black toy poodle he owned named "Little Miss
Muffett", in his routine. The dog was trained to bark along with some of his numbers and smiled on queue. His beloved Miss Muffett lived to be 17; she had kept him company while he traveled on the road earlier in his career. Fans continued to ask him about the dog long after she had died.
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for decades. In the 1980s, he later opened Lenny Dee's King's Inn a few miles away. His supper club format — with dinner, drinks, opening acts and his musical and his comedy routines — was popular with local fans and visitors from around the world. The supper club's menu included the "One Pound Pork Chop," along with other high-end steak house selections.
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like the Desert Ranch and
Dolphin Beach resorts, Dee started his own up-scale supper club, named Lenny Dee's Dolphin Den. He held two shows each night with full bands playing dancing music between shows, and he packed the supper club nightly. Dee was a significant attraction to St. Petersburg Beach
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category), his stage act included comedy typical of the
Nashville country music entertainment genre, with jokes and changing the lyrics of songs, and routines that Dee was noted for, such as making realistic sounds of trains, whistles, and waves of water with the organ while wearing wild hats as
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Dee continued recording into the 1970s, adding a background orchestra in the late 1960s as many other easy listening performers were doing at the time. By the late 1970s, Dee was in less demand. After recording 56 albums, he was finally released from the MCA label, along with many other easy
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Dee played a variety of songs in numerous styles. He played original compositions, popular songs, and novelty tunes, and was a master of improvisation. Although his unique style was a pop/boogie-woogie blend, he also played ballads, country and western, jazz, rock, and patriotic songs.
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Dee made good, and his original composition, "Plantation Boogie" charted at No. 19 in 1955. Dee re-recorded the hit on numerous albums, and was often imitated, even plagiarized, but never duplicated. Dee wrote "Chicken in the Rough", and recorded the song as a duet with saxophonist,
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Despite his contract with Decca, Dee's first love was live performance. Dee loved people and he loved to entertain them with music and laughter. In the mid-1950s, he performed for several summers at the Lake Breeze Hotel lounge, at
Buckeye Lake, just east of
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instrumental artists of the day, he had a following that bought his albums over the years, but rarely rushed out to buy them when newly released so that they would make the chart. His recordings featured organ with other instruments, that were produced by
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Dee spent the rest of his career at his night clubs and on tour, but the demand for his music continued to decline. In 1999, Dee played on a series of cruise ship tours. He retired in 2003. He died at home on
February 12, 2006, in St. Petersburg.
274:, United States, As a child, he sang in his church's choir; he also played ukulele, banjo and accordion. As a teenager, he turned playing the accordion into a profession in his uncle's quartet, which he continued until he volunteered into the
412:, which would become the base of Dee's operations for the rest of his career. They had two children: Raymond and Georgia. Lenny Dee Jr., his drummer, was one of three children from his first marriage (Betty), daughters are Barbara and Linda.
424:. During the 1960s and 1970s, St. Petersburg Beach was a popular vacation destination, complete with an early theme park and a few luxury resorts. In 1967, after performing regularly at Davy Jones Locker, and later in hotel super clubs at
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Model A organ. He later customized this instrument with a
Hammond Solovox, a Maas-Rowe Vibrachord, and Leslie speakers (model 31-H). He also had a tape echo built into his organ, allowing him to create his trademark re-echo sound.
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organ overdubbed with his
Hammond Model A. In 1967, he started recording on a Hammond X-66; in 1972, he switched to a Hammond Concorde. In the 1970s, he also recorded on
401:. Dee played various instruments, and was influential in the history of organs and keyboards. Dee was recognized for his contribution to the field of music by
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heard him playing at the
Plantation Inn in Nashville, Tennessee, and thought Dee's unique sound would be a good contrast to the label's then prominent organist,
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listening artists. Time Life honored him for his 1950's contribution to music, including his recording of "A Foggy Day (In London Town) - Lenny Dee" on the CD
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301:. Afterward, he began playing hotels and night clubs in the south in the late 1940s to some degree of success, but no record contracts.
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organists of the 1950s through the early 1970s. His signature hit, "Plantation Boogie", charted as a Top 20 hit in 1955. He also had a
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of the 1970s and 1980s. He was nearly always backed by percussion; depending on the song, he also recorded with guitarists,
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organs. Other keyboards he used include the
Hammond Piper, which he used for its trumpet and harpsichord sounds, and the
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233:, was an American virtuoso organist who played many styles of music. His record albums were among the most popular of
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Dee recorded dozens of albums for Decca which sold moderately well although only three of them managed to hit the
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When Dee married his second wife, Hendrica, in 1960, the couple settled down in
Sarasota and eventually
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for what Dee described as "bringing the organ out of the church and into mainstream music".
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It was not until the early 1950s that Dee was signed up to Decca after country singer
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Double Star Series Featuring Lenny Dee & Earl Grant, MCA Special Products 734702
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Although he was not a country music performer per se (his work fell more into the
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Dee ventured into recording albums for Decca starting in 1954 with his first LP,
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Model A organ, one of the earliest of its kind. With money from the
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Remember When, MCA MAP 1131 (mono), MAPS 1131 (stereo) Released 1970
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was released in 2006 and features 48 tracks on two discs, including
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The Best Of Lenny Dee Vol.II, MCA MCA2 4084 (Double Record Set)
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Turn Around, Look At Me, Decca DL 75073 charted #199 on Hot 200
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Upon his return from service, Dee spent his Navy earnings on a
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The Best Of Lenny Dee, Decca DL DXSB 7199 (Double Record Set)
229:(January 5, 1923 – February 12, 2006), better known as
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Since his death, three compilation CDs have been released.
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Lenny Dee page at theatreorgans.com, including an obituary
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Lenny Dee page, including discography, at spaceagepop.com
420:. Around 1960, he played for a few years at a lounge in
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Treasury Of Favorites, Suffolk Marketing, Inc. SMI I-74
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Spinning Wheel, Decca DL 75152 charted #189 on Hot 200
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This article is about the organist. For the DJ, see
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Lenny Dee Featuring I'll Play For You, MCA MCA 2162
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824:Melodies Of Love, Suffolk Marketing, Inc. SMI I-75
746:Gentle On My Mind, Decca DL 74994 charted #196 on
329:" to Dee's "Chicken in the Rough" is often noted.
837:, Good Music Record Company MSD2 37209 (2-CD Set)
761:Here's Lenny Dee At The Organ, Vocalion VL 73782
505:After his discharge from the Navy, Dee bought a
472:. Dee even had his own show in the mid-1950s on
862:, (no video company name) (video, app. 90 min.)
874:, Showcase Productions SP 111 (video, 95 min.)
440:His television credits include appearances on
992:Discography of American Historical Recordings
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941:The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music
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689:Dee-Frosting, Decca ED 2613 (45 EP Album)
649:Learn how and when to remove this message
491:Instrumental Favorites - Around the World
76:Learn how and when to remove this message
794:Steppin' Out With Lenny Dee, MCA MCA 455
698:Lenny Dee Plays The Hits, Decca DL 78857
39:This article includes a list of general
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713:Lenny Dee In Hollywood, Decca DL 74315
707:Golden Organ Favorites, Decca DL 74112
513:In the early 1960s, Dee recorded on a
728:Sweethearts On Parade, Decca DL 74632
704:Songs Everybody Knows, Decca DL 78978
683:Dee-Beat! Decca ED 2552 (45 EP Album)
282:in 1943 aboard the aircraft carrier,
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1058:20th-century American male musicians
896:""Mr. Entertainment' dies at age 83"
716:Lenny Dee Down South, Decca DL 74365
692:Dee-Latin Hi-Fi Organ, Decca DL 8718
552:issued two additional compilations.
860:Mr. Entertainer: The Lenny Dee Show
758:Little Green Apples, Decca DL 75112
719:By Popular Dee-Mand, Decca DL 74429
680:Mr. Dee Goes To Town, Decca DL 8497
1063:20th-century American keyboardists
809:Take It To The Limit, MCA MCA 2200
782:Organ Varieties, Vocalion VL 73819
767:Easy Come, Easy Go, Decca DL 75196
734:My Favorite Things, Decca DL 74706
731:The Lenny Dee Tour, Decca DL 74654
701:The Lenny Dee Show, Decca DL 78913
576:. The second Jasmine compilation,
544:, a two-disc set, was released by
45:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1043:American easy listening musicians
868:, (no video company name) (video)
776:Where Is The Love, Decca DL 75366
722:Something Special, Decca DL 74498
1023:Military personnel from Illinois
872:Lenny Dee: The Man And His Music
779:Organ Special, Vocalion VL 73817
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1048:20th-century American musicians
818:Organ Celebration, MCA MCA 2370
725:Most Requested!, Decca DL 74572
843:, Jasmine JASCD 427 (2-CD Set)
710:Happy Holi-Dee, Decca DL 74146
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325:. The uncanny similarity of "
299:Chicago Conservatory of Music
227:Leonard George DeStoppelaire
120:Leonard George DeStoppelaire
978:Discography with commentary
773:Easy Loving, Decca DL 75320
770:Remember Me, Decca DL 75255
737:In The Mood, Decca DL 74818
624:. The specific problem is:
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740:Moving On!, Decca DL 74880
695:Mellow-Dee Decca, DL 78796
671:Dee-Licious, Decca DL 8275
668:Dee-Lirious, Decca DL 8165
493:(A Time Life Collection).
480:; it enjoyed a brief run.
478:Ladies' Day with Lenny Dee
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1033:American pop keyboardists
815:Organ Magic, MCA MCA 2301
476:in Tampa, Florida called
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812:Misty Blue, MCA MCA 2236
797:City Lights, MCA MCA 476
743:Relaxin', Decca DL 74946
686:Dee-Day!, Decca, DL 8628
677:Hi-Dee-Fi, Decca DL 8406
674:Dee-Most!, Decca DL 8308
422:Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1028:American male organists
410:St. Petersburg, Florida
361:and developed into the
352:album chart; like many
155:St. Petersburg, Florida
60:more precise citations.
1053:20th-century organists
1018:Musicians from Chicago
791:Lenny Dee, MCA MCA 379
788:Lenny Dee, MCA MCA 334
463:The Lawrence Welk Show
110:Background information
1038:Decca Records artists
835:Golden Organ Memories
542:Golden Organ Memories
988:Lenny Dee recordings
849:, Jasmine (2-CD set)
631:improve this section
620:to meet Knowledge's
590:Mr. Dee Goes to Town
426:St. Petersburg Beach
946:Guinness Publishing
536:Posthumous releases
1068:American organists
944:(First ed.).
866:Mr. Entertainer II
748:Billboard Hot 200
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558:Plantation Boogie
443:Toast of the Town
350:Billboard Hot 200
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104:Lenny Dee in 1974
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1013:2006 deaths
1008:1923 births
854:Videography
847:In Dee-Mand
633:if you can.
596:Discography
578:In Dee-Mand
570:Dee-Licious
566:Dee-Lirious
501:Instruments
484:Later years
448:Ed Sullivan
381:; a backup
375:Chet Atkins
367:country pop
342:Dee-Licious
338:Dee-Lirious
315:Ethel Smith
262:Early years
243:gold record
58:introducing
1002:Categories
879:References
387:saxophones
327:Yakety Sax
198:Instrument
188:Occupation
131:1923-01-05
116:Birth name
41:references
907:23 August
582:Hi-Dee Fi
574:Dee-Most!
548:in 1998.
546:Universal
515:Wurlitzer
458:Jack Paar
403:Time Life
391:trombones
346:Dee-Most!
311:Red Foley
295:G.I. Bill
257:Biography
231:Lenny Dee
92:Lenny Dee
829:Reissues
615:require
395:trumpets
371:Les Paul
272:Illinois
266:Born in
192:Organist
990:at the
617:cleanup
586:Dee-Day
507:Hammond
474:WFLA-TV
291:Hammond
278:during
268:Chicago
138:Chicago
54:improve
952:
588:, and
572:, and
523:Thomas
519:Yamaha
383:chorus
344:, and
208:Labels
162:Genres
157:, U.S.
43:, but
456:with
446:with
399:banjo
212:Decca
182:swing
950:ISBN
909:2021
521:and
379:bass
373:and
365:and
276:Navy
237:and
145:Died
125:Born
527:ARP
216:MCA
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