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'''Albert Lee''' (born [[December 21]], [[1943]] in [[Leominster]], [[Herefordshire]]) is an [[English people|English]] [[guitarist]] known for his [[Fingerpicking|finger-style]] and [[Hybrid picking]] technique.
'''Albert Lee''' (born [[December 21]], [[1943]] in [[Leominster]], [[Herefordshire]]) is a [[Grammy]] winning [[English people|English]] [[guitarist]] known for his [[Fingerpicking|finger-style]] and [[Hybrid picking]] technique.


==Early life==
==Early life==

Revision as of 23:47, 9 February 2008

Albert Lee

Albert Lee (born December 21, 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire) is a Grammy winning English guitarist known for his finger-style and Hybrid picking technique.

Early life

He grew up in Blackheath, London. His father was a musician, and Albert studied piano. During this time, like many of his age, he became a fan of Buddy Holly, and also Jerry Lee Lewis. He took up guitar in 1958 when his parents bought him a second hand Höfner President which he later traded in for a Czechoslovakian Grazioso, the forerunner of the Futurama. Later, he wished he had bought a Fender instead. Albert left school at age 16 to play full-time.

Career

Early career in England

Lee was with a variety of bands from 1959 onwards, playing mostly R&B, country music and rock and roll. Lee first experienced commercial success as the lead guitarist with Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds. Lee says that he enjoyed playing the Stax-type material, but he really wanted to play Country music. Consequently he left Farlowe and the Thunderbirds in 1968.

During his time playing with Heads Hands & Feet, Lee became a "guitar hero", playing his Fender Telecaster at breakneck speed.[1] Heads Hands & Feet became a very popular live band in the UK and also in Europe, where they appeared on the German music programme Beat-Club.

International success

Lee left for Los Angeles, California in 1974 as offers of session work were flooding in, although efforts to record and release his own albums were stalling. In 1976, Lee was asked to join Emmylou Harris's Hot Band, replacing one of his heroes James Burton.

Starting in 1978, Lee worked for five years with Eric Clapton, playing and singing for a live concert recording at the Budokan in Japan.

Albert Lee was responsible for The Everly Brothers 1983 reunion concert and was the musical director.[2] Lee is a regular player with the Everlys.

In 1987, Lee was invited by Gerry Hogan to headline at a Steel Guitar Festival in Newbury, Berkshire. Lee was at first intimidated by the prospect of having to front a band, however, the gig was successful and he now tours with Hogan's Heroes on a regular basis. Hogan's Heroes are renowned for attracting celebrities to their gigs. Stars such as Eric Clapton, Lonnie Donegan, Dave Edmunds, Marty Wilde, Willie Nelson, Nanci Griffith, Don Everly, Emmylou Harris, Sonny Curtis and Rodney Crowell have all jammed with the band at one time or another.

In 2002, Albert Lee appeared at the Concert for George.

Also in 2002, Lee received a Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance for Foggy Mountain Breakdown from the CD Earl Scruggs and Friends.

Lee continues to tour and work in the studio, and tours on a regular basis with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.

Awards, accolades and legacy

Lee has received many awards for his playing, including the five times consecutive winner of Guitar Player magazine's "Best Country Guitarist".[3]

Lee is known within the music industry for his speed of playing and his technical virtuosity [4] and yet by the same token, one of the most melodic, playing slower passages approximating the sound of the Pedal Steel Guitar with his Music Man and Telecaster guitars which are equipped with B-Benders.

He is known as, "the guitar player's, guitar player"[3] because of the presence of so many guitarists, famous or unknown, everywhere he performs. Albert Lee is also referred to as "Mr. Telecaster".[4] A long-time Telecaster player, Lee wrote a foreword to A.R. Duchossoir's book detailing the history of the instrument.

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

Despite positive press from Melody Maker and New Musical Express, Lee has never achieved any great commercial success in terms of vast record sales during his career, but more as a live performer, session player and sideman, perhaps due to his self-effacing stage presence. Lee has been described by his peers who include Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore, as a complete gentleman who does not know the meaning of the word ego.[1]

Earl Scruggs, comenting on Albert Lee has stated: "I have been a fan and admirer of his guitar work from the first moment I heard him play. I am constantly amazed at his talent. I am sure there are many guitar players who have been influenced by his style and will continue to be influenced for years to come. Albert is in every sense of the word, a genuine guitar wizard".[5]

It is widely quoted that Eric Clapton is on record as stating that Albert Lee is, in his opinion, "the greatest guitarist in the world." Emmylou Harris has stated that Lee "[is] a brilliant guitar player. His sound is unmistakable—often emulated, never equalled. When St Peter asks me to chronicle my time down here on earth, I'll be able to say (with pride if that's allowed) that for a while I played rhythm guitar in a band with Albert Lee."[6]

Reflecting on the Heads Hands & Feet period of his career, Lee has stated: "What amazes me is how many musicians in Nashville have a copy of our first album in their personal record collections, and still ask me what happened to the band."

In September 2006 Lee took part in Primal Twang: The Legacy of the Guitar—the first definitive theatrical journey through the guitar’s colourful and surprisingly controversial 3500-year history.

Albert Lee appeared at the 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival on 28 July and performed with Bill Wyman's Rhythmn Kings at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute show at The O2 in London on 10 December.

Guitars owned by Lee

Albert Lee is the owner of Don Everly's Gibson J-200. The Gibson Guitar Corporation made one for Don and the other for Phil Everly. The guitars have an all black, high gloss lacquered finish, and are equipped with twin Everly Brothers white pickguards. The Everly Brothers manager Wesley Rhodes had wanted the guitar to be presented to the Country Music Hall of Fame, but Everly informed him that guitars like that, should be played, not sitting in a glass case. Don Everly presented it to Lee, along with his Gibson Everly Brothers Model.

Eric Clapton also gave Lee the Gibson Les Paul that he played with Delaney and Bonnie.

Confusion with Alvin Lee

Albert Lee is often confused with Alvin Lee. This confusion has led to Alvin Lee being incorrectly credited on many albums in the past.

Albert Lee currently lives in Malibu, California.

Source

The Guinness Who's Who Of Country Music. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-726-6

References

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Colin. The Guinness Who's Who Of Country Music: Albert Lee entry, Guinness Publishing, 1993. ISBN 0-85112-726-6
  2. ^ [1] Albert Lee biography (retrieved 26 August 2006)
  3. ^ [2] Unsung heroes: session musicians are given their own Hall of Fame (retrieved 26 August 2006)
  4. ^ Mr. Telecaster

Partial Band List

Discography

Solo albums

  • Albert Lee — Black Claw/Country Fever
  • Poet And The One Man Band — Poet And The One Man Band LP(actually Heads Hands & Feet) (1969)
  • Heads Hands & Feet — Heads, Hands & Feet LP(1971)
  • Heads Hands & Feet — Tracks LP(1972)
  • Heads Hands & Feet — Let's Get This Show On The Road!
  • Heads Hands & Feet — Jack Daniels Rare Old No.7
  • Heads Hands & Feet — Old Soldiers Never Die LP(1973)
  • Heads Hands & Feet — Home From Home - The Missing Album LP(1968; unissued until 1995)
  • Albert Lee — Hiding
  • Albert Lee — Albert Lee
  • Albert Lee — Speechless
  • Albert Lee — Country Guitar Man (Re-release of "Old Soldiers Never Die" by Heads Hands & Feet)
  • Albert Lee — Gagged But Not Bound
  • Albert Lee — Real Wild Child
  • Albert Lee — That's All Right Mama
  • Albert Lee — Heartbreak Hill
  • Albert Lee — Road Runner
  • Albert Lee — Advanced Country Guitar (DVD)
  • Albert Lee — Master Session (DVD)
  • Albert Lee — Country Legend (DVD)
  • Albert Lee — Highlights (DVD)
  • Albert Lee — Guitar Heroes (DVD)
  • Albert Lee — Country Boy (DVD)
  • Albert Lee — Guitar Techniques (DVD)
  • Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — In Full Flight!
  • Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — Tear It Up
  • Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — In Between The Cracks
  • Albert Lee & Hogan's Heroes — Live In Paris (DVD)
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