Who was Greg Lee? All you need to know as Hepcat vocalist dies aged 53

Well-known singer Greg Lee, 53, recently passed away on March 17, 2024. He contracted a brain aneurysm and had a cardiac arrest at his California-based residence which led to his demise. Lee was mostly known as a member of the band Hepcat.

Greg's partner, Mandie Becker, confirmed the news and shared a post on her Instagram page with some photos. She explained the circumstances leading to Lee's death, saying that the neurologist described it as a rare case. Becker continued:

"I found him on the floor unconscious and not breathing. I immediately called for 911 and the first responders were through the door within moments. They were able to regain his pulse, but he was not able to breathe on his own. He has been on life support in the NICU ever since and has not regained consciousness."

Mandie added that Greg Lee will always be remembered by his close friends and fans. Furthermore, she mentioned that Greg left an impact on everyone's lives around the world and was an inspiration for many others.

Lee's fans took to the comments section of the post to express their grief and one of them wrote that Greg was "one of the nicest humans" he ever met.

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Greg Lee gained recognition as a singer of Hepcat: Career and other details

Greg Lee was associated with Hepcat for around 30 years and served as a vocalist. The band released six albums between 1993 and 2011 and some of the members worked with other groups in their respective careers.

One of the projects, Right on Time, was listed among the best albums of 1997 by Time magazine. In an interview with Rebel Noise in 2002, Lee recalled the moment by saying that his grandmother was happy and they decided to work hard on the next project. He also addressed the band's work by describing it as "simple" and added:

"We really don't think about or know what people will like. We do and will always do what we like and we play what we think is cool. That's why we're not big fans of other ska bands. I'm not saying that we don't like other ska bands or we wouldn't like them if we listened to them."

The band's dance moves also became popular with time and Lee had shared that they were taken from different sources. Lee added that the group's initial habit was to simply stand and perform but they slowly started to enjoy on stage.

Greg Lee grew up in Los Angeles during the 80s and he developed an interest in ska shows. He soon became attracted to Jamaican music and this led to the formation of Hepcat. While speaking to Slug Magazine in 2009, Lee spoke about the separation of the band before their fourth album came out. He stated:

"There came a point where a few members of the band just couldn't do it anymore. We wanna be back. We all want to play, we all have our heads in the right place."

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As of this writing, detailed information on Greg Lee's personal life and educational background remains unknown. The Instagram post of his partner, Mandie Becker, says that his survivors include his four children along with his mother, Janice, three brothers, and a sister.