Screaming himself hoarse, pounding his over-amped Hammond organ, and backed only by an enormous drummer called Frosty, Lee Michaels made his name as one of the original hard-rockers, and surely the first, perhaps the only one, to play hard rock on a keyboard rather than a guitar. His 1971 hit "Do You Know What I Mean" stands as the classic example of his unique sound. Though he concentrated on this heavy keyboard approach during much of his career, Michaels could also play sax, accordion, trombone and guitar. Michaels and Frosty toured as a duo, selling out major halls across the U.S. until Frosty left to form his own band, Sweathog. Michaels retired in 1975.
