He began playing the banjo at the age of eight and was proficient in the two-finger picking and "drop-thumb" (clawhammer)[3] traditional styles of east Kentucky.
He received lessons from his father and uncles, one of whom was Morgan Sexton, the revered banjo player with a liquid and serene two-finger picking style.
[5] Growing up, Lee worked in the mines during the week and played his banjo on weekends, usually for house parties or corn shuckings.
[6] When Lee was 23 years old his right hand was crushed in a mining accident, forcing him to start playing the banjo with a new style of drop thumbing that he developed himself.
[8] Lee can also be seen playing banjo and discussing his coal-mining days in the BBC documentary "Searching For The Wrong-Eyed Jesus".