Finding aid to the Craig Michael Lee papers, 1967-1994 Coll2016-013
Loni Shibuyama
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
© 2016
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
askone@usc.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Title: Craig Michael Lee papers
creator:
Lee, Craig Michael, 1956-1991
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2016-013
Physical Description:
1.8 Linear Feet
2 boxes.
Date (inclusive): 1967-1994
Abstract: Music fanzines, fliers, writings, correspondence, clippings, photographs and other material, 1967-1994, from Craig Michael
Lee, a music critic and openly-gay musician in Los Angeles-area punk bands during the late-1970s and 1980s. Lee performed
with Alice Bag in the punk rock bands The Bags and Boneheads; and collaborated with other queer punk performers such as Vaginal
Davis. Lee was also a music critic, contributing articles to
Flip Side music zine and the
Los Angeles Times.
Arrangement
Craig Lee's resume and writing portfolio are at the beginning with the remaining folders arranged alphabetically.
Biographical / Historical
Craig Michael Lee attended California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, California. He went on to play guitar in Los
Angeles-area punk rock bands, including The Bags and Boneheads with Alice Bag. He also worked as a music critic and reported
on the underground punk music scene, contributing articles to
Flip Side fanzine,
LA Weekly and the
Los Angeles Times. His work documenting the music scene culminated in co-authoring the book
Hardcore California: A History of Punk and New Wave (1983). In the book,
Gay L.A., Stuart Timmons discusses Lee's experience as an openly gay musician and the harassment he received for his homosexuality.
Timmons argues that Lee was a part of a queer punk culture that would have an influence on the Los Angeles punk scene by challenging
conventional notions of sex and sexuality. Lee wrote and performed "Fist Funk," introducing some audiences to fisting and
BDSM practices.
Lee died of complications from AIDS in 1991.
Sources:
Faderman, Lillian, and Stuart Timmons.
Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics, and Lipstick Lesbians. New York: Basic, 2006. pp 250-255.
Obituary, "Craig Lee; Major Figure in L.A. Underground Rock Music Scene,"
Los Angeles Times, October 11, 1991.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Stuart Timmons acquired Craig Lee's papers, following Lee's death in 1991. Timmons donated his own personal papers and other
collections in his possession, including the papers of Jim Yousling, Craig Lee, Harry Hay, Rudi Gernreich and Oreste Pucciani.
These collections were gifted by Timmons' sister, Gay Timmons, on November 5, 2011.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder #, or item name] Craig Michael Lee Papers, Coll2016-013, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries,
University of Southern California.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Loni Shibuyama, September 2016.
Scope and Contents
The collection comprises music fanzines, fliers, writings, correspondence, clippings, photographs and other material, 1967-1994,
from Craig Michael Lee, a music critic and openly-gay musician in Los Angeles-area punk bands during the late-1970s and 1980s.
Included are clippings and manuscripts of music-related articles Lee wrote for
Flip Side fanzine and the
Los Angeles Times, among others. Photographs and fliers document Lee's collaborations in the punk rock scene, including playing guitar for
the bands The Bags and Boneheads with Alice Bag; and performing with Vaginal Davis. The collection also includes other creative
works and personal papers, such poems and correspondence.
Separated Materials
One issue of In Touch for Men magazine (Issue 82, August 1983), with reference to rock group Nervous Gender on page 70, has
been separated to the ONE periodicals collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Musicians -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Musicians -- 20th century -- Photographs
Punk culture
Punk rock music
Zines
Bag, Alice
Box 1, Folder 1
Resumes and writing portfolio
circa 1980-1989
Box 1, Folder 2
100 Nights at the Roxy
1978
Box 1, Folder 3-5
The Bags (band) and Boneheads (band) clippings and flyers
circa 1978-1985
Box 1, Folder 6
Beyond the Blackout (zine)
circa 1983-1984
Box 1, Folder 8
"Drag Nation" with Vaginal Davis program
undated
Box 1, Folder 9
Emerson Junior High School yearbook
1967
Box 1, Folder 11
Flip Side
circa 1978-1983
Box 1, Folder 12
More Mayonnaise, Issue #5 (zine)
1983
Box 1, Folder 13
Mother's Prey manuscript by Craig Lee
undated
Box 1, Folder 14
Mulligan's Stew "Little Grey Bird" script by Craig Lee
1977
Box 1, Folder 15
Music Connection
1980-1981
Box 1, Folder 16
Night Voices #3 (zine)
1980
Box 1, Folder 17
Nihil, Vol. 1, No. 1
1978
Box 1, Folder 18
Photographs, negatives and slides
circa 1978-1990
Box 1, Folder 19
Poems and other writings
undated
Box 1, Folder 20
"Score"; "Urban Gothick"; "The Promised World of Hyper-Technology"; "Science Holiday"
undated
Box 1, Folder 21
Shadow manuscript, by Craig Lee
undated
Box 1, Folder 22
Sundays at Seven Anthology
1994
Box 1, Folder 23
Timmons, Stuart, correspondence and Craig Lee estate information
1990-1991
Box 2, Folder 4
"Word!" Craig Lee and Vaginal Davis Read Selected Works poster
undated