Lee was born in
Ravensthorpe,
Yorkshire,
England. He played organ in his local chapel as a child, and initially worked as a
piano tuner in
Manchester, before joining a travelling
concert party as a pianist. His first successful song as a writer was "Joshu-ah!", co-written with
George Arthurs and performed by
Clarice Mayne in 1910. He found further success in 1913 with "
Hello! Hello! Who's Your Lady Friend?", written with
Worton David and the song's performer,
Harry Fragson. Both Lee and Weston wrote both words and music, In the 1920s, Weston and Lee wrote for many theatre productions, and adapted many American productions for the British stage. In 1926, they started working with theatre producers Jack Waller and Joe Tunbridge, and wrote several musical comedies together, mostly featuring the comedian
Bobby Howes. They also worked with
Gracie Fields and the
Crazy Gang. They wrote the popular monologue "
My Word, You Do Look Queer", first recorded by
Ernest Hastings in 1922 and later popularised by
Stanley Holloway. they wrote Holloway's 1934 monologue "
With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm", about the ghost of
Anne Boleyn haunting the
Tower of London, seeking revenge on
Henry VIII for having her beheaded. The duo also wrote music for film, including the book and lyrics for
O-kay for Sound, a 1937 film. Much of their music was written specifically for actors
Sydney Howard and Stanley Holloway, both noted comedians of the 1920s and 1930s. These included "Splinters in the Air" for Howard and "Squibs" for Holloway. Among Lee's most enduring tunes is "
Knees Up Mother Brown", which is traditionally associated with
Cockney culture. This was written in 1938 in collaboration with R. P. Weston's son, Harris Weston. In 1938, Lee and Harris Weston co-wrote the hit
stage revue These Foolish Things which starred
The Crazy Gang and the
Sherman Fisher Girls. The same year Lee contributed to the musical ''
The Fleet's Lit Up''. In 1939, Lee and his wife went on holiday to
Llandudno in
north Wales, and at the outbreak of the
Second World War decided to settle in the town. ==Select filmography (as writer)==