LEE's first real musical accomplice - and a man who would stick with him right through to "Forever Changes" - was guitarist JOHNNY ECHOLS (a fellow Memphis native), who'd lived next door to Ornette Coleman on 27th Street and learned to play guitar with ARTHUR.
The left turn into white pop culture came when LEE got wind of a happening new scene up in Hollywood in the early spring of 1965. The Byrds were playing at Ciro's on the Strip, and LEE and ECHOLS went to check them out. LEE was blown away by the new freedom of Beatles-influenced folk-rock, and by the chiming sound of 12-string guitars. Just as much of a revelation was seeing Mick Jagger singing Time Is On My Side on The Red Skelton Show, and catching The Rising Sons - the short-lived, blues-based band formed by Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder - at the Ash Grove on Melrose Avenue. When Lee formed The LAGs to play R&B covers at local patties, Echols was his first recruit
And when The LAGs turned into The American Four and recorded the Twist And Shout-style single Luci Baines for Bob Keane's Del-Fi label subsidiary Selma (Selma 2001/1964), Johnny Echols - like Lee himself a light-skinned black kid with processed hair - was still there at his side. ARTHUR says he and ECHOLS were very influenced by the look of Bobby Womack and The Valentinos, who had "long hair and stuff I'd never seen in my life". For Bob Keane (Del-Fi Capo), LEE not only recorded as the leader of THE AMERICAN FOUR but produced soul and Chicano singles for L'il Ray (a Spectoresque version of Ben E. King's "I (Who Have Nothing)" and some great versions of LEE's compositions like "EverybodyJerk", "Slow Jerk" and the very much Phil Spector influenced "I've Been Trying". The times were a changin'..."Arthur was playing R&B," says Bryan Maclean, and somewhere along the line he decided to take a ride up to the Strip. I don't think it was opportunistic. I don't think he thought, 'Oh, I wanna get in on this'.

I think he sincerely liked the music and the scene." A name change from THE AMERICAN FOUR to the trendier-sounding GRASS ROOTS was in itself almost enough to earn the band's LEE, ECHOLS, drummer DON CONKA, and bass player JOHN FLECKENSTEIN - a gig at the Brave New World on Melrose. Barely a month after seeing The Byrds, LEE had given his band a comprehensive makeover, junking the previously obligatory covers of Shotgun and Louie Louie and embracing the punkier, more British Invasion-style sound that would be heard on LOVE's debut album. It was as though McGuinn and friends had somehow formed a sonic alliance with Messrs Jagger and Richards' Love was growing around. The rest, ladies and gentlemen, is HISTORY.

(Note- Though published reports have stated that Lee recorded with RONNIE AND THE POMONA CASUALS, he denies even being a member of the band.. Mr Keanne says he was there all all time "sneeking around"... just hear these voices...We leave it up to you, but please, ENJOY !.)