Think about what the term 'legend' means.

Indeed.

Synonyms:

fable - story - tale - inscription - myth

his popularity has inspired a generation, the whole world over to take up and learn martial arts, in my opinion more than justifies the admiration that he receives.

The most credible comment regarding Bruce Lee I have ever read on this forum thus far. This also holds true for Steve Segal, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan. The only real difference between all them is what you mentioned is the death at the early age, the martydom which is synonymous with many legends in popular culture referred to Lemming's work, "The Monomyth."

This is the crux. Bruce Lee is a movie Star who died that fits what ubiquitously we see throughtout the world for religiousisty. A hero, born in the USA, disappears to go training, returns a master and teaches us his way, goes through trials and tribulations and dies. The only thing left for him to do to complet the final epic journey is come back to life (there are actually 8 stages according Lemming, but pardon my rusty a cursory writing). So, sorry for being an Academic and Empiricist -- not a hipster.

The Tao of Jeet Kune Do is a seminal piece of modern martial arts literature and along with the great publicity work of Dan Inosanto has been instrumental in pioneering a lot of the modern disciplines.

It is/was an uncompleted system until his student, as you said, did a great job carrying on Bruce Lee's work and forever his name. Sorry, but how many names can we put on placard that have also contributed this much? Thousands?

(by Elvis) whom were inspired to make their own music...

And that is really my point. Just like Elvis, Bruce Lee was by far more about timing and place then it was contribution to martial arts. In the end the industry of MA and the Industry of Music made Bruce Lee and Elvis the Inspirations they were -- marketing 101. If he had stayed in Hong Kong I have high doubts any of us would have heard a word about him regardless how hard he had just focused on MA. The most likely we would have known about him is if he would have continued his focus on his acting career and he would have been a lesser known and frankly a 'no body' with youtube clips we see today with bad dubbing. That doesn't mean his 'bad body,' and that is my real effort in my edification here. That giving Bruce Lee so much unearned attention think of how many people that are his equals or worse, his greater (e.g. IP), we could be giving attention too? Bruce Lee's "Legendary" status today is a disservice to MA. It is after all in my terms, your terms and even those that defend him with the greatest efforts -- LEGEND. How is Legend, other than inspiration such as religious doctrine a benefit to martial arts or martial artists? Especially such ludicrous and frequented posts like the OP at how Bruce Lee beat up so and so which are false and utter crap. If this is your stance then surely you, George Lucas, Joseph Campbell can all talk about your next trilogy to sell the world for human consumption for "inspiration..."

TL;DR If you are cool with religious ideology being a part of MA then by all means defend the Bruce Lee worship and Jedi mind trick crap -- I will forever be empiricist.