Lee W. Weaver

Born in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, to Josephine Weaver and Primus Jest, Lee was lovingly raised by his Aunt Mattie and Uncle Lee Weaver until the age of 14, when he left home to attend high school in Tallahassee, FL. After graduating from high school, he attended Florida A&M University, a historically black college, where he earned his degree and laid the foundation for a life of purpose and artistry.

At 22 years old, Lee enlisted in the United States Army and served honorably for four years. Upon returning from the Army in 1956, he moved to New York City – the place that would shape the man he became.

In Manhattan, Lee worked as a linotype engineer for The New York Times while moonlighting as a jazz promoter at the legendary Birdland. He booked jazz greats, including Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughn, John Coltrane, Herb Ellis, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, and the Heath Brothers, among others. Childhood friend Cannonball Aderly honored Lee with a composition, “The Weaver,” written by Yusef Lateef for Lee on his album “Nippon Soul,” released in 1964 – a fitting tribute to a man who wove joy, depth, and representation into every role he played and everything he did.