Alvin Lee

Alvin Lee, like numerous English beat ensembles of the 1960s, first sharpened his abilities onstage in Hamburg, Germany while playing with the Jaybirds. Upon returning to England in 1966 he renamed the outfit Ten Years After, and the guitarist’s exceptional solo skills quickly turned the band into a leading draw. American listeners came to know Lee chiefly through his Woodstock set, even as he kept performing across later decades and issued albums such as 1974’s In Flight, 1986’s Detroit Diesel, and 1996’s Live in Vienna. Alvin Lee died on March 6, 2013 from complications that followed a routine surgical procedure.