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Lee Dorman, Iron Butterfly Bassist, Dies At 70
Lee Dorman, the bassist for Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond, was found dead yesterday. According to an Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman, his body was discovered in a vehicle; foul play is not suspected though. He was 70.
Dorman, who was born in St. Louis in 1942, came to fame with psychedelic rock band Iron Butterfly, who formed in San Diego in 1966. Their biggest claim to fame was "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida," a 17-minute proto-heavy metal track. It became a Top Thirty hit in the US, and the album from which it was taken ended up selling over 20 million copies. In 1988, the LA Times said it "was nothing short of a pop monument."
After Iron Butterfly broke up, Dorman formed Captain Beyond with former members of Deep Purple. They recorded three albums, and had a minor FM hit with "Sufficiently Breathless." According to LA Times, he had been living in Laguna Beach, leading boat cruises off Southern California and working as a bar manager, for the last two decades.
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