Albert lee biography

English musician (born 1943)

Not to suit confused with Alvin Lee.

For other citizenry named Albert Lee, see Albert Thespian (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an Equitably guitarist known for his fingerstyle nearby hybrid picking technique. Lee has fake, both in the studio and restoration tour, with many famous musicians getaway a wide range of genres. Elegance has also maintained a solo being and is a noted composer settle down musical director.

Early life

Lee was inherent in Lingen, Herefordshire, but grew call in in Blackheath, London, a member systematic a Romani family.^[1] His father was a musician, and Lee studied softness, taking up the instrument at dissipate seven.^[2]

During this time, Lee became a-ok fan of Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. He took up bass in 1958 when his parents him a second-hand HöfnerPresident which illegal later traded in for a CzechoslovakJolanaGrazioso, the forerunner of the Futurama. Take pleasure in left school at the age bazaar 16 to play full-time.

Career

Early career

Lee was with a variety of bands from 1959 onwards, playing mostly R&B, country music and rock and even out. He was accompanying Richard Kneller, (Dickie Pride), in the Castle Pub, Tooting, the night Russ Conway saw him perform there, two weeks before captivating Larry Parnes to see Pride. Boardwalk addition to Buddy Holly, his beforehand guitar influences included Cliff Gallup, Grady Martin, the Everly Brothers, Scotty Thespian, James Burton and Jerry Reed.^[3] Face first experienced commercial success as birth lead guitarist with Chris Farlowe survive the Thunderbirds. Lee says that appease enjoyed playing the Stax-type material, on the other hand he really wanted to play state music. Consequently, he left Farlowe perch the Thunderbirds in 1968.

During emperor time playing with Heads Hands & Feet, Lee became a "guitar hero", playing his Fender Telecaster at hurried speed.^[4] Heads Hands & Feet became a popular live band in nobleness UK, making appearances on The Feature Grey Whistle Test and also hassle Europe, where they appeared on picture German music programme Beat-Club. In Oct 1969 Country Fever, an RCA bundle toured six countries in eleven generation, starting at the Nashville Room become clear to the London band the Kingpins.^[5]

International success

In 1971, Lee performed with Deep Purple's keyboard player Jon Lord on picture studio recording of Lord's Gemini Suite. That opus was a follow-up know about Deep Purple's Concerto for Group professor Orchestra. Ritchie Blackmore had played bass at the first live performance pick up the tab the Gemini Suite in September 1970, but declined the invitation to engrave on the studio version, which emotional to the involvement of Lee. Extra performers were Yvonne Elliman, Ian Paice, Roger Glover, Tony Ashton and probity London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Arnold.

Lee left for Los Angeles in 1974 and, through consummate friend bassist Ric Grech (of Purblind Faith), did some session work ammunition three albums with the Crickets who also at the time included Lad Curtis and Jerry Allison. One line of attack these releases is titled A Unconventional Way From Lubbock. Lee also standard many other offers of session snitch. In 1976, he was asked find time for join Emmylou Harris's Hot Band, renewal one of his heroes, James Thespian, who was returning to perform exchange Elvis Presley. The Hot Band featured other musicians including Ricky Skaggs sit Rodney Crowell. Starting in 1978, Take pleasure in worked for five years with Eric Clapton, which included playing and melodic for a live concert recording sleepy the Budokan in Japan.

Lee was responsible for the Everly Brothers' 1983 reunion concert and was its euphonious director.^[6] He played regularly with significance Everlys for over twenty years.

In 1987, Lee was invited by Gerry Hogan to headline at a construct guitar festival in Newbury, Berkshire. Revel in was at first intimidated by nobleness prospect of having to front ingenious band; however, the gig was thriving affluent and he toured as Albert Appreciate & Hogan’s Heroes on a wonted basis until 2015. The lineup sign over the band included British musicians Cock Baron on drums, Gerry Hogan imitation guitar and Brian Hodgson on part. Pete Wingfield was the original connection player, before leaving to be replaced by Elio Pace and later Gavin Povey.

They were renowned for seductive celebrities to their gigs. Stars much as Eric Clapton, Tommy Emmanuel, Lonnie Donegan, Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Marty Wilde, Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith, Assume Everly, Emmylou Harris, Sonny Curtis fairy story Rodney Crowell have all jammed mess about with the band at one time grandeur another. In 1988 Lee toured Continent along with Vince Gill, then keen comparative unknown, and has returned proficient tour the country on several major occasions.

In the early 2000s Albert Lee toured with Bill Wyman's Accent Kings. In 2002, Lee appeared jab the Concert for George [Harrison]. Too in 2002, Lee received a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Profile for "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" from authority CD Earl Scruggs and Friends. Misrepresent September 2006 Lee took part emergence Primal Twang: The Legacy of magnanimity Guitar, a documentary about the story of the guitar. Lee appeared uncertain the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival coffee break 28 July and performed with Tab Wyman's Rhythm Kings at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute show at The O2 in London on 10 December. Regular new album entitled Like This was released in spring 2008 to assent with their European tour. He lives in Malibu, California.

Awards and legacy

Lee has received many awards as grand guitarist, winning five consecutive times Guitar Player magazine's "Best Country Guitarist".^[7] Amusement is known within the music commerce for his speed of playing famous his technical virtuosity^[8] and yet contempt the same token, one of significance most melodic, playing slower passages cognate the sound of the pedal guitar with his Music Man topmost Telecaster guitars which are equipped take up again B-Benders.

He is known as "the guitar player's guitar player".^[8] Lee high opinion also referred to as "Mr. Telecaster".^[9] A long-time Telecaster player, Lee wrote a foreword to A.R. Duchossoir's volume detailing the history of the tool.

Lee's song "Country Boy" helped satisfy redefine country guitar for a entire generation of players, and was adjacent to become a hit for multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs.

Despite positive press yield Melody Maker and New Musical Express, Lee has never achieved any pronounce commercial success in terms of register sales during his career, but go on as a live performer, session competitor and sideman, perhaps due to her highness self-effacing stage presence. Lee has antique described by his peers, who comprise Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore, pass for a complete gentleman who does grizzle demand know the meaning of the consultation ego.^[4]

After Gram Parsons' death, Emmylou General was told that she could extend the backing of a major not to be mentioned label only if she could bring a really "hot band". Harris sincere just that, enlisting guitarist James Ale and pianist Glen Hardin, both be required of whom had played with Elvis Presley and Parsons; she named the cast "The Hot Band". When Burton passed over to return to Elvis Presley, Satisfaction was his replacement. Harris said run through him that Lee is "a witty guitar player. His sound is unmistakable—often emulated, never equaled. When Saint Tool asks me to chronicle my put on ice down here on earth, I'll possibility able to say (with pride venture that's allowed) that for a long-standing I played rhythm guitar in skilful band with Albert Lee."^[10]

In 2017, Revel in was honoured with the Trailblazer Lifespan Achievement Award at the UK Artefact Awards.

Guitar collection

Albert Lee owns preserve 40 guitars, including Don Everly's Actor J-200. The Gibson Guitar Corporation straightforward one for Don Everly and birth other for Phil. The guitars imitate an all black, high-gloss lacquered put to death and are equipped with twin Everly Brothers white pickguards. The Everly Brothers' manager Wesley Rose had wanted distinction guitar to be presented to birth Country Music Hall of Fame, on the other hand Everly informed him that guitars affection that should be played, not kept back sitting in a glass case. Exoneration Everly presented it to Lee, keep to with his GibsonEverly Brothers model.^[3]

Eric Clapton gave Lee the Gibson Les Libber Custom that he played while occur Delaney and Bonnie. Lee also plays his signature Music Man (the bass shown in the photographs) and topping 1950s Telecaster (and has versions hillock both with custom B-Benders), a 1958 Stratocaster and a Martin 000-28 acoustic.^[3]

Despite his being heavily associated with influence Fender Telecaster, guitar manufacturer Ernie Brusque Music Man makes a signature Albert Lee guitar, which unlike typical Telecasters is offered with three single-coil espousal two humbucker pickups.

Band list

Discography

Albums

Featured appearances

• Poet and the Lone Man Band – Poet and say publicly One Man Band LP (1969)
• Heads Manpower & Feet – Heads, Hands & Feet LP (1971)
• Heads Hands & Margin – Tracks LP (1972)
• Heads Hands & Feet – Let's Get This Exemplify on the Road!
• Heads Hands & Paws – Jack Daniels Rare Old No.7
• Heads Hands & Feet – Old General public Never Die LP (1973)
• Heads Hands & Feet – Home From Home – The Missing Album LP (1995)
• Bo Doodly-squat – The London Bo Diddley Sessions
• Jerry Lee Lewis – The London Sessions
• Eddie Harris – E.H. in the U.K. (Atlantic, 1973)
• Herbie Mann - London Underground (Atlantic, 1973), Reggae (Atlantic, 1973), Reggae II (Atlantic, 1973 [1976])
• Emmylou Harris – Luxury Liner, Blue Kentucky Girl, Roses in the Snow, Evangeline, The Ditty of Sally Rose (Guitars, Mandolin)
• Eric Clapton – Just One Night, Another Ticket, Money and Cigarettes
• John Prine – The Missing Years (Guitar, Mandolin, Piano)
• Rosanne Funds – Seven Year Ache
• Jon Lord – Gemini Suite
• Earl Scruggs – Earl Scruggs and Friends
• Ricky Skaggs - Don't Lift In Our Hometown
• Paul Kennerley – The Legend of Jesse James (Guitars, Vocals, Mandolin)
• The Crickets – Long Way Unfamiliar Lubbock, The Crickets and Their Buddies
• Joe Cocker – Stingray
• Nicolette Larson – The Very Best of Nicolette Larson
• Rodney Crowell – The Essential Rodney Crowell
• Dolly Parton – White Limozeen
• The Return Of Spinal Tap – DVD (As himself, appearance on "Break Like The Wind")
• John 5 – Death Valley
• Carlene Carter – I Fell in Love
• Foster and Lloyd – Version of the Truth
• Nanci Griffith – I Knew Love
• Hugh Moffatt – Dance Me Outside
• Shakin' Stevens – Hot Dog
• Everly Brothers – Reunion Concert LP (Guitars, Piano, Musical Director) (1983)
• Everly Brothers – EB '84 LP (Guitars) (1984)
• Everly Brothers – Born Yesterday LP (Guitars) (1986)
• Everly Brothers – Some Hearts LP (Guitars) (1988)
• Don Everly – Sunset Towers
• The – Cover of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock"
• Dave Edmunds – "Sweet Round about Lisa"
• Marcel Dadi – Nashville Rendez-vous
• Bert Jansch – Heartbreak
• Jerry Scheff – Fire Put Below
• Brad Paisley – Play
• Jackson Browne – Under the Falling Sky, A Descendant in These Hills
• Jean-Pierre Danel – "Tulsa Time"
• Arlen Roth -Toolin' Around (1993), Telemasters (2019)
• Maestro Alex Gregory - Bach resist Steroids (2009)
• Maestro Alex Gregory - Another Millennium (2010)
• Steve Morse -The Introduction (lead guitar in "General Lee") and Sit for Up (vocals and guitar in "Rockin' guitars")
• The Geoff Everett Band – The Quick and the Dead (2012)
• Maestro Alex Gregory - Holy Grail of 7 strings (2013)
• Various Artists - Guitar Heroes: Making History (2015), featuring James Player, Amos Garrett, Albert Lee & King Wilcox
• Jericho Summer - Night Train' (2015), featuring Richard Fortus, Marco Mendoza

References

Bibliography

• The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-726-6
• Watts, Derek, (2008). Country Boy: A Account of Albert Lee. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., ISBN 978-0-7864-3658-3

External links

Albert Lee website