Johnny Lee

Birthday: 1898-07-04
Deathday: 1965-12-12
Birthplace: Springfield, Missouri, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned

John Dotson Lee Jr. (July 4, 1898 – December 12, 1965) was an American singer, dancer, and actor known for voicing the role of Br'er Rabbit in Disney's Song of the South (1946) and as the clownish, cringing, tremulous-voiced shyster pseudo-lawyer Algonquin J. Calhoun in the CBS Amos 'n' Andy TV and radio comedy series in the early 1950s. His comedic portrayal of Calhoun was a highlight of a brilliant ensemble cast whose storylines remain eternally funny. Much of his career was spent in vaudeville, but he also performed in motion pictures, on recordings, and on television. He released a record (as "Johnnie Lee") in July 1949 called "You Can't Lose A Broken Heart" (Columbia Records # 30172), with backup vocals by The Ebonaires. Lee also starred in an all-black musical comedy called "Sugar Hill" in 1949 at Las Palmas Theatre in California.

He died of a heart attack on December 12, 1965 age 67.

Credits

Year Title Character
1960-11-07 North to Alaska Coachman
1960-07-10 The Rat Race Janitor (uncredited)
1957-04-01 The Spirit of St. Louis Jess - Cook at Louie's Shack (uncredited)
1956-08-01 The First Traveling Saleslady Amos
1949-01-01 Come On, Cowboy!
1948-08-23 She's Too Mean for Me
1947-05-22 Return of Mandy's Husband Johnny
1946-11-12 Song of the South Br'er Rabbit (voice)
1943-07-21 Stormy Weather Lyles (uncredited)
1932-03-15 The Black King Count of Zanzibar