RIP-ALVIN LEE

From CNN

(CNN) -- Alvin Lee, the speed-fingered British guitarist who lit up Woodstock with a monumental 11-minute version of his song "I'm Going Home," has died, according to his website. He was 68.

"With great sadness, we have to announce that Alvin unexpectedly passed away early this morning after unforeseen complications following a routine surgical procedure," read the message on alvinlee.com. "We have lost a wonderful, much loved father and companion. The world has lost a great and truly gifted musician."

The note was signed by Lee's daughter, Jasmin, wife, Evi, and former companion Suzanne.

Lee died Wednesday.

Born in Nottingham, England, in 1944, Lee was the leader of the band Ten Years After.

His performance at Woodstock in 1969 catapulted him into the front ranks of the period's British guitar heroes, which included Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend.

In an image from the 1973 book "Rock Dreams," he and those four others are pictured in tuxedos carrying guitar cases into a building.

"Groups would play for an hour without pausing, not to be mobbed or screamed at but in hopes of an ovation," critic Nik Cohn wrote about musicians in the caption.

Despite his status as a musician, Lee never reached the critical or popular heights of his countrymen.

Ten Years After never had a Top 10 album in America, though 1971's "A Space in Time" went platinum thanks to the group's only Top 40 hit, "I'd Love to Change the World."

Lee released his latest album, "Still on the Road to Freedom," last August.

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Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on March 7, 2013 at 7:40am

I'm not real familiar with the work of Ten Years After, but Mike Pell did play a song by them recently, and I heard one on the radio, and both had excellent guitar work. RIP Mr. Lee.

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Permalink Reply by Jon on March 7, 2013 at 4:47pm

Check out Woodstock. Amazing performance.

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Permalink Reply by Scott on March 7, 2013 at 8:19pm

RIP!! I'd love to hear some of his work, nothing comes to mind...

And I don't mean any disrespect, but did he ever play with Simon and Theodore?

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Permalink Reply by Jon on March 8, 2013 at 3:06am

How do I answer this?

Would "NO" do?

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Permalink Reply by Niels (Mod) on March 8, 2013 at 6:48am

RIP. I bought a "10 Years after"-album in 1990, I think it was?! It was some sort of come back-album, and I bought it, because I thought there would be some great guitar-work on it. It was okay, but too much blues for me.

I've got the Woodstock-DVD, and Alvin Lee played really nice at that concert.