Alvin Lee, one of the major guitar virtuosos from the 1960s British school of blues-and-rock purism, died Wednesday of "complications from a routine surgical procedure." He was 68.
Lee was best known as the lead guitarist of the band Ten Years After, whose 11-minute version of "I'm Going Home" at Woodstock in 1969 became one of the memorable musical segments of the subsequent concert film.
Woodstock propelled Ten Years After into the forefront of the second-wave British Invasion, whose emphasis often was on flashy guitar playing with extensive solos.
Lee told the BBC in 2012 that he still had the 335 he played at Woodstock, but that he didn't use it much any more, "because it's too valuable."
Lee also later said he was ambivalent about the band becoming headlining stars, saying it took away some of the intimacy he enjoyed playing for smaller audiences in closer quarters.
He eventually left in the mid-1970s and recorded more than a dozen albums solo or with new groups, many on smaller labels with little overt commercial promotion.
The last, "Still on the Road To Freedom," came out last September and played off the title of his first solo album, 1973's "On the Road to Freedom."
One of his favorite CDs, he said, was 2004's "In Tennessee," which he recorded with Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana from Elvis Presley's original 1950s band.
Moore was one of his major influences when he was learning to play guitar, along with Chuck Berry.
Born in Nottingham, England, Lee began playing guitar at 13. He formed his first band, the Jaybirds, in 1962, and got them a booking at Hamburg's Star Club not long after the Beatles played there.
After several name changes, Ten Years After caught the attention of U.S. concert promoter Bill Graham, who heard the band on underground radio stations where they became fashionable from their first album in 1967.
Graham loved bands that could fire up a concert crowd with long guitar solos, and Ten Years After ultimately did 28 U.S. concert tours.
They had their biggest hit in 1971 with "I'd Love to Change the World."
Lee, like his friend John Mayall, always said he wanted to stay true to the blues, country, jazz and rock roots he heard in his youth, and he spent much of his musical time going back there.
Along the way he also became friends with fellow guitarists like Mick Taylor and George Harrison, who played on several of his records.
Lee is survived by his wife and daughters, who issued a statement saying, ""We have lost a wonderful and much loved father and companion. The world has lost a truly great and gifted musician." Post a Comment » Other S
Who has ever heard "I'm coming home" or "I'd love to change the world" and not been able to immediately identify them from just a few notes years later? I believe he would have been better known by the younger people today if the lyrics of his biggest hit "I'd love to change the world" weren't politically incorrect in todays world of the the Thought Police. Everywhere is freaks and hairies Dykes and fairies, tell me where is sanity Tax the rich, feed the poor Till there are no rich no more I'd love to change the world But I don't know what to do So I'll leave it up to you Population keeps on breeding Nation bleeding, still more feeding economy Life is funny, skies are sunny Bees make honey, who needs money, monopoly...." Pretty insightful lyrics for a young man of maybe 20 back in the 1960's,wasn't it?
