Lee Mallory, 60; Helped Originate ‘California Sound’

Lee Mallory, 60, a guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the group the Millennium and helped originate the “California sound” of the 1960s, died of liver cancer March 21 at UC San Francisco Medical Center.

Mallory’s 1966 single, “That’s the Way It’s Gonna Be,” recorded by Phil Ochs and Bob Gibson, became popular in the U.S. and reached No. 1 in the Netherlands. A year later, he joined his colleague from the Ballroom, Curt Boettcher, and others to form the Millennium, which specialized in close harmonies.

A fixture in recent years outside San Francisco’s Cannery, Mallory was known for playing his 12-string guitar with fingerless gloves. His trademark song was “Everything Is All Right Now.” The San Francisco Board of Supervisors proclaimed his 60th birthday, Jan. 10, Lee Mallory Day in the city.

A native of Berkeley, William G. Lee Mallory grew up in Pasadena. At 15, he ran away from home to become a musician. Friends said he wrote more than 100 songs and contributed to about 35 albums.