Bruce Lee – The Dragon Lee

 

Bruce Lee – The Dragon Lee

 

Lee is widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of all time, and his influence on pop culture and film cannot be overstated. He invented Jeet Kune Do and became an instructor and friend to many celebrities, while also changing the way Asians were portrayed onscreen, becoming an international action star in films such as "Enter the Dragon," "Fist of Fury," and "The Way of the Dragon," all of which were released in 1972. Lee was rushed to the hospital on May 10, 1973, complaining of headaches and seizures; he was diagnosed with cerebral edema, and doctors were able to reduce the swelling. With the exception of an occasional headache, he appeared to recover from the day of his death. Equagesic, a pain reliever containing aspirin and meprobamate, was given to him by a friend. The friend was later unable to awaken Lee from his nap, and he was declared dead a short time later at the age of 32. He had an allergic reaction to meprobamate, which caused swelling in his brain. Twenty years later, his only son Brandon died tragically in a freak accident while filming "The Crow" at the age of 28. (1994). Brandon was fatally shot after a prop gun was mishandled; rumors of Mafia involvement and a "Lee family" curse have swirled in the years since the father and son's deaths. They lay in rest side by side.