Lee Atwater
| Lee Atwater | |
|---|---|
Lee Atwater, 1983
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| 54th Chairman of the Republican National Committee | |
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In office 1989–1991 |
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| Preceded by | Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Clayton Keith Yeutter |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Harvey LeRoy Atwater February 27, 1951 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | March 29, 1991 (aged 40) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sally Dunbar Atwater |
| Children | Sarah Lee Ashley Page Sally Theodosia |
| Alma mater |
Newberry College University of South Carolina |
| Profession | Political Consultant |
Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater (February 27, 1951 – March 29, 1991) was an American political consultant and strategist to the Republican Party. He was an adviser to U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and chairman of the Republican National Committee. Atwater aroused controversy through his aggressive campaign tactics, such as using 'weasel' questions to achieve favourable poll results.
Atwater was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Alma "Toddy" (Page), a school teacher, and Harvey Dillard Atwater, an insurance adjustor. He had two siblings, Ann and Joe. He grew up in Aiken, South Carolina. When Lee was five, his three-year-old brother, Joe, was scalded to death when he pulled a deep fryer full of hot oil onto himself.
As a teenager in Columbia, South Carolina, Atwater played guitar in a rock band, The Upsetters Revue. Even at the height of his political power, he would often play concerts in clubs and church basements, solo or with B.B. King, in the Washington, D.C. area. He released an album called "Red, Hot And Blue" on Curb Records, featuring Carla Thomas, Isaac Hayes, Sam Moore, Chuck Jackson, and King.Robert Hilburn wrote about the album in the Los Angeles Times on April 5, 1990: "The most entertaining thing about this ensemble salute to spicy Memphis-style '50s and '60s R&B is the way it lets you surprise your friends. Play a selection such as "Knock on Wood" or "Bad Boy" for someone without identifying the singer, then watch their eyes bulge when you reveal that it's the controversial national chairman of the Republican Party, Lee Atwater." During the 1960s, Atwater briefly played backup guitar for Percy Sledge.
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