Guitarobit: Alvin Lee

Alvin Lee, guitarist with perennially bigger-in-the-States Ten Years After has died.

Lee was with the band when they started as The Jaybirds - part of the 1960s 'British bands playing Germany often' scene - and wrote the group's biggest hit I'd Love To Change The World. He came to hate the track, because it was a hit. Most bands have their original fans do that for them, rather than do it themselves.

Ten Years After split early in the 1970s; Ten years after, they reunited, but earlier Lee had been touring a band called Ten Years Later. Ten Years After were still touring twenty years after they reunited.

Lee's 2007 album Saguitar saw a man still keen to experiment, even featuring him having a go at rap; his last record, Still On the Road to Freedom, stuck more closely to the model which made his name.

If you're looking for a testament from a fan, you could do worse than read Bob Lefsetz's appreciation of Alvin Lee.

Alvin Lee was 68; he died following post-operative complications on March 6th.